I agree with what you say about negotiation, and I think those at FedEx who were highly disappointed, were expecting gains in every section, and no "efficiencies" or givebacks whatsoever. Because the company is doing so well, they expected an exceptional contract. However, FedEx has always been a slow and steady move forward, we have never ended up with a contract that excited us, nor horrified us (in my opinion).

I believe many people consider it a win that we were able to keep the A fund for new hires, and didn't get ours frozen, like what they imposed upon the rest of the company. Others disagree, and think status quo shouldn't be considered a gain, however I think there was no budging on the A fund. They are trying to shed those responsibilities. Regardless, it's still a 130K/year pension, which isn't chump change, even in 20-30 years. But they should have moved the ball forward further than 9% with the B plan.

Good luck to you guys! I hope your negotiations are more successful than everyone elses have been.

From what I hear, read, and see on the line, we're going to get rolled.

By Rick? .........

Naw. Rick told me,"We know the game and we're gonna play it. We know the rules, we both know what's been going on and a full commitment's what I'm thinking of." Pretty sure he was talking about our NC and Rick would never let us down.

I sure hope we will. Lots of fish to fry, issues to consider when electing a leader of our nation. Our industry is one of course, but just one piece of the pie.

Scrappy the poignant Republican.

Bush Jr. destabilised the whole MidEast so those pesky ME airlines don't invade out markets. Unfortunately, he caused the killing off of half of our market. Now you want more of the same. Another bowl please.

I can certainly respect the "vote for my country not my industry" argument. I just cannot accept the "doesn't really matter to my industry" argument. That argument is either clueless or in denial. The evidence in overwhelming. Now I will shut up before T38 Phlyer comes and pulls my ticket!! :D

Sled

I will definitely concede some of those points. However, the original idea was about the global economy and how it translates to the national economy. I see the economy contracting despite some other positive points that I pointed out. You also pointed out some good points.

From both a national security stand point and an economic stand point overall I would say we are worse off. But, Obama I would say this regarding B fund, and Known crew member...... ALPA bought and paid for KCM and my negotiators paid for the B fund with negotiating capital. FAR 117 has been in the works since 2005, of which I was an original working group member appointed by ALPA. It took a long time to pull that off. My best year under Clinton was $24K, and my guard unit down-sized from 24 to 15 PAA, so I wasn't all that crazy about Mr. Arkansas.

It does seem that the economy grows stronger under Republican leadership though. Mostly due to regulations and tax policy.

What part of the economy are you talking here? Look at the umemployment rates under Republican presidents in the last 25-30 years and compare that to under Democrats. Yes the military gets cutbacks but I wouldn't say we're less safe. How much did Bush II cost this country in dollars and lives going into Iraq when they had nothing to do with 9/11? Under who's watch was OBL killed? Just saying I don't believe the Fox news scare mantra of Dems being weak on national security.

+100

I used to be a registered Republican.

"Used" to.

Only point on the B Fund was the fact that the DOW has increased by about 10,000 since March 2009. A very impressive run. As for KCM, ALPA has been working on that for over a decade. (Remember Crew Pass). The point being, it took a labor friendly Administration to make it happen. As for FAR 117, it is regulation. Not an easy sell during a Republican admin. But when the President appoints a former union chief to run the FAA...viola.

I'll keep my religion, my money, and my guns. You keep the change.

Alright then. Wheew Hoooo. NASCAR!

"viola" what does an oversized fiddle have to do with anything?

Yes that's correct. Labor friendly folks can administer labor friendly policy and put it in place easier when unions are pushing for that. But, economic friendly folks can also put in and administer economics friendly policy too. That's where the global and national economies are right now.

Labor has made all the gains that labor is going to make from a regulation stand point for a very long time. I've seen too many domestic jobs being shipped overseas for my liking. I've had too many family members lose their jobs because their industry or their profession can make the "widget" or product cheaper in Mexico or China. Why do those companies leave the USA? I am told by them who hear it from their management that the regulatory enviornment and the cost of doing business here is both too onerous and too expensive so they move their businesses overseas. Combine that with tax policy and we can see why jobs are leaving and continue to leave.

If businesses had an incentive or even a reason to stay, or could compete equally and fairly with foreign competition they would stay in the USA. Maytag is now made in Mexico. Cars that used to be made in the great democratic stronghold of Detroit are made overseas. I want to see jobs in the USA. Manufacturing in the USA. A higher quality of life in the USA.

I think jobs and services and product manufacturing are outsourced because of onerous and often ridiculous regulation, and taxes. We know that businesses have to make a profit. Pretty soon we'll see robots at McDonalds. Those jobs just get eliminated.

That's what I am talking about. When these jobs get eliminated or moved overseas they are gone forever. So that has a very negative impact on our economy and the lives of those who used to make that product. The real unemployment rate (labor participation rate) tells the story. Those jobs are gone, and those that are now unemployed won't be buying a ticket on united to go from Chicago to Orlando to go see Mickey Mouse this summer. They will be at a job fair or going back to school to learn how to study hotel and restaurant management or trying to compete with the illegal foreign labor who is out doing manual labor that our under-educated and high school dropouts used to perform. Heck, even our high school drop outs can't compete for grass cutting and lawn care jobs anymore. Hard to under-cut and out price the foreign competition.

Our economy needs a catalyst to grow and a favorable climate to compete in. Not only for the financial health of the airline industry in the USA, but for all of the industries in the USA. All of those employed who have jobs are potential United customers and they can't spend money they don't have - unless Obama gives them vouchers for free and subsidized airline travel.

OK...I can't even belive this. Obama didn't kill UBL. The Navy Seals did. and they were hired and trained under the watch of a Republican. I give credit for giving the order. Very glad he did. But, if the Navy Seals aren't around or available to conduct asymetric warfare or it doesn't fit the mission profile then it doesn't get done. Obama can't keep using the life line of the USN to save the day. Only two decisions I like from Obama were to kill UBL and save Captain Philips. Heck, almost makes me want to switch form USAF to USN.

But, Obama created and gave birth to ISIS. And if he wasn't so scared of his own shadow I'd bet the seals could go out and take them out too.

Obama: Crimean Peninsula annexation
Obama: Nukes for Iran
Obama: Failed African foreign policy
Obama: Failed Arab Spring
Obama: Failed Arab Winter
Obama: Failed middle east foreign policy
Obama: Failed at leading NATO to push back soviet aggression
Obama: Failed Syrian foreign policy
Obama: Created new axis of evil (Syria-Russia-Iran)
Obama: IRS Scandal
Obama: AP wire tapping
Obama: Boston Terrorist
Obama: Dream Act/Illegal immigration continues unabated/increased
Obama: Solyndra
Obama: Fast and Furious
Obama: Obamacare: 716 Billion raided from Medicare
Obama: 49 million Americans on Foodstamps (WOW!)
Obama: Americans IN POVERTY!!! 7.2 million!!!!
Obama: family income and buying power down 40 percent
Obama: Americans out of work 23 million
Obama: National Debt 19ish trillion
Obama: Failed Isreal foreign policy
Obama: every child born in USA owes $3500.00 share of national debt.
Obama: Sanctuary cities
Obama: fails to enforce US National drug laws (Washington and Colorado get high)
Obama: I almost forgot: He allowed our Secretary of State to conduct classified business in her lavatory. Anyone else with a security clearance would be in jail and or dishonorably discharged. This whole Benghazi thing is 100 percent Obama's fault.

So, great Hoo-ray for the Nobel peace prize winning senator-dude from Chicago. He hasn't kept the peace, maintained any peace and is single-handedly responsible for the largest exodus and migration of war refugees since WWII. What a champion, What a dude! I don't see many folks naming their kids Barack Hussein Johnson these days. And I certainly doubt it if a ship ever gets named after him and I hope I never have to land at Barrack Hussein Obama International airport.

I don't see how our national economy can ever recover if we keep up with this free money policy of the FED and keep printing money. I think Obama believes money really does grow on trees. Both from an economic point of view and an individual/family point of view. It's all about entitlements and the nanny state. Farmers know you reap what you sow. I teach my kids you earn what you get and you get what you earn. Obama wants me to earn it, me to pay for it, and wants to tax me to death so I have to give it all away. Big deal I get a pay raise: It just goes to pay down the debt and pay for more freebies to people who haven't earned it. I'd like my buying power to actually go up. My pay raises under the new contract are great, but they aren't enough to keep up with inflation or where the taxes are headed if elect another liberal or socialist democrat. Thats the fact jack and you can put that in your Colorado dope pipe and smoke it (figuratively speaking of course)

..............

Obama: Crimean Peninsula annexation
Obama: Nukes for Iran
Obama: Failed African foreign policy
Obama: Failed Arab Spring
Obama: Failed Arab Winter
Obama: Failed middle east foreign policy
Obama: Failed at leading NATO to push back soviet aggression
Obama: Failed Syrian foreign policy
Obama: Created new axis of evil (Syria-Russia-Iran)
Obama: IRS Scandal
Obama: AP wire tapping
Obama: Boston Terrorist
Obama: Dream Act/Illegal immigration continues unabated/increased
Obama: Solyndra
Obama: Fast and Furious
Obama: Obamacare: 716 Billion raided from Medicare
Obama: 49 million Americans on Foodstamps (WOW!)
Obama: Americans IN POVERTY!!! 7.2 million!!!!
Obama: family income and buying power down 40 percent
Obama: Americans out of work 23 million
Obama: National Debt 19ish trillion
Obama: Failed Isreal foreign policy
Obama: every child born in USA owes $3500.00 share of national debt.
Obama: Sanctuary cities
Obama: fails to enforce US National drug laws (Washington and Colorado get high)
Obama: I almost forgot: He allowed our Secretary of State to conduct classified business"


Dude, seriously, turn off Fox News. I promise your level of false outrage will then diminish.

Fox News? You can get this info from just about any source.
Don't forget race relations at a 40 year low.
Economy: weakest "recovery" in history. On brink of another recession.
Foreign policies? Laughable: alienating our allies and emboldening our enemies
Obutthole is indefensible. Going to go down as words potus ever!

Don't think so - history will not be so kind to Bush Jr. He'll be remembered for destabilising the Middle East and responsible for the greatest loss of civilian life since WWII. Firmly holding the top slot of worse POTUS ever. His brother doesn't even want to get cast in Jr. legacy.

When we look back and see how much he did more for Americas you may be the one suprised. From healthcare to the longest stretch of job growth. From bringing home our soldiers to increased goverment transparency.

Even in our industry he made meaningful accomplishments such as is his influence in leveled the playing field of representational elections.

Btw interesting that you bring up Solyndra, yet do not mention GM.

Don't like the Bush twins either! But. Stand by by statement. BHO is the worst potus yet.
History will tell I suppose.

Don't think there will be much left after this narcissistic pos is done with the transformation from a republic to a socialist heaven.
Our industry: wait till emission standards resulting from climate change kick in, hope you have a second career?
Didn't bring up solyndra, although it was another sotero failure.
Gm well have you looked at the used car market lately? Prices are skyrocketing, how do poor people afford used cars now?
Glad you like Barry from Honolulu I pray I'm wrong, but if I'm not there won't be much left to our nation as we keep new it....
Peace!

George Bush: 9/11

I don't care for GB or his decision to go into Iraq but how was 9/11 his fault? That's like blaming BO for the housing collapse & the recession that followed.

People who blindly follow partisan politics are nothing more than sheep.

Right, because George W. was behind 9/11...

Dumbest rebuttal seen yet.

He was the Commander in Chief. His number one priority was national security. He failed. No conspiracies, no black helicopters, just command responsibility. There are a bunch of things that have happened on Obama's watch. I list just one that happened on Bush's watch. There are more, but one will be remembered more than any other.

Wasn't it Clinton that was offered the opportunity to have OBL killed/arrested after the first WTC attack and decided it wasn't in the US interest?

You are right. Absolutely right. But it was Bill Clinton that failed to get UBL when he had 4 separate opportunities. I am not a George Bush lover, but the entire genesis of the up-rising of the radical islamic movement started under Clinton. Clinton chose to ignore the problem. Ask Bill Clinton if he regrets not taking care of that. He's already admitted it three separate times on interviews. Bill gets either the credit or the blame, doesn't matter how you frame it, it is what it is.

Well, our healthcare premiums are up 40 percent. Obama-care is a bust in my opinion. we could keep our doctor, we could keep our current plans...Nope that was all a lie just to give us a health care tax (which it is according to the SCOTUS.

Our soldiers are not home. Our soldiers will be ginning up to go back to war in the middle east. ISIS is on the move. Iraq is now destabilized and dysfunctional. Syria's red-line has been crossed a few times and now Russia is the new proxy again, this time it's not in Afghanistan, but it's in a far more dangerous place for the world..It's in Syria with a three way partnership with Iran. And, oh by the way, our only Ally in the Middle East, Israel won't spit on Obama, much less answer the phone should he be stupid enough to even call.

Job growth is not actually growth. It's 40 percent less buying power. The real jobs are shipped overseas now. So, if you want to go to work assembling a car or lots of other factory work, better get a passport. The jobs availalbe today for low skilled and low educated people is not what it was. Very hard to raise a family on minimum wage (unless you make the minimum wage 50 dollars an hour).

As far as transparency goes....No sir. Not even a discussion. It's hide the salami every single day. Better send in a FOIA request to get anything, and then you'll get redacted pieces of statements.

It was also Bill Clinton that leaked the Satellite phones could track UBL's movements. UBL actually had no clue that they could easedrop on him and spot his location. Crazy. Bill Clinton also gave away our MERV technology. But that's another story.

I get my news from Al Gore's Al-Jezera network. Fair and Balanced stonings on the hour.

Let me try to get this back on track.

Our negotiating environment is a product of four things:

1. International economics
2. Petroleum availability and refining capacity and Supply/demand
3. Domestic economy (potential customers must have disposable income)
4. Regulatory environment

The POTUS has direct influence on two of those factors (3 and 4). Indirect influence on 2 and as the primary driver on the Federal Reserve and our banking and finance laws is the single most important catalyst in determining how, when, and where money is spent internationally as well as influencing everything from interest rates to exchange rates.

If the balance between regulation (both labor and economics) is not fair, in the minds of those with the big money to either spend or invest that money will be left off-shore where it currently is. About 17 trillion dollars is out of the economy right now and will not be put in play until it is a more favorable environment.

If our Federal reserve policy is free money, then interest rates stay low. great for the new home owner if he/she can get approved for a loan. bad for the investor and the person with a savings account. Federal reserve policy influences international economics, and right now it's not that good. We can't even absorb a quarter point increase.

China's manipulation of our currency under the current administration is a failed policy. Not only is China slowing down, but its stalling and the prime holder of US debt is having its own problems due in part to a slowing international scene. Not enough people have money to spend on cheap chinese goods. (imagine that)?? crazy right.??

We have cheap oil right now, in part because Obama wants to break Russia. Russia is ****sed and that's the main reason Russia is running about rubbing our nose in it. All these crazy EPA rules and regulations are digging their tentacles into various businesses and industries across the country and that is having an effect on not only the so-called recovery, but in R/D, manufacturing, and even farming. Fuel prices will go up, they always do. But, will our economy be sufficiently recovered to absorb the effects? Can the airline industry make money when fuel prices go up? I am very concerned about the petroleum market and how the airline industry is directly affected by it. I wonder how Delta's refinery is going? If Iran increases its influence and dominance, look for not only control over oil exports in the ME, but also strait of Hormuz taxes and for international insurance companies to raise rates for all ships transiting the straits. Oil will be headed up.

The current negotiating environment: This is only a player for those that are in actual negotiations trying to get a deal. What leverage do they have to drive results? Do they have a desire or a need to run the act?

It is hard to predict the negotiating environment for when we will actually begin our negotiations. Much could change.

If Hillary, I predict increased regulation, and the 17 trillion stays off shore. Not much more she could do to assist labor that hasn't already been done. We consider ourselves labor in the truest sense of the word, but we make too much money for the rest of America to consider us labor. We are considered professionals by tax-paying Americans. Don't look for sympathy if you are making over 100K from around middle class Americans. Will she raise retirement age? I think it's likely, gotta save social security, and she wants those tax dollars that senior captains make.

Bernie: He's a socialist, so if you make good money, look to give up about 40 to 45 percent of your money directly to taxes. He doesn't care much about anything else. He wants to re-distribute not only your wealth accumulation (savings), but your real-time earnings (income). It's a bad-bad deal.

Neither Bernie nor Hillary know anything about foreign ownership and foreign/unfair competion and subsidies from the gulf carriers and the likes of Norweign Air. This is a red flag to me.

Republican field: None of them seem keen to un-do any of the current FAR's, or even understand them enough to attempt it. ALPA's PAC would have to be more active again in lobbying for what they want in terms of regulation. All of them want ease of regulation, strong economic policies that favor business, and all of them understand currency manipulation and unfair foreign competition.

Our biggest threat to future negotiations is how we (the USA) implements policies towards heavily subsidized foreign competition. The foreign competition enjoys relaxed hiring standards (cheaper), relaxed regulation (cheaper and easier), free money (who doesn't want free money?), subsidized or discounted aircraft (I want a Ferrari that is government subsidized too). How do you compete with foreign competition when the playing field is so lop-sided. That's what we are doing today, and I have a feeling that will continue under the democrats. None of them seem to get it.

The foreign competion will have a huge influence of the value of and the price of a pilot. If they make it easier to become a pilot: our value goes down. If they flood the market with pilots, our value goes down. If they flood our most profitable routes with their cheaper product, our value goes down because our competitive position is diminished. Our US managements are one-foot in, and one-foot out on this. They see the value in cheap labor overseas (hello Air Lingus deal).... Remember that? That's what that was all about. lowering the price of a pilot across trans-atlantic routes.

What will our negotiating environment be like? depends on how the USA leadership deals with the foreign run and highly (unfairly so) competitive airlines. What potential leader or party can deal with the Ethiads and Emirates of the world most effectively to not only protect current US airline jobs but also give us a favorable environment in which to grow in?

I don't think any current candidate from either party will let US airline pilots go to self help. Hopefully this is not necessary,but none of the carriers will ever do that again. We're all just too big to fail and too important on the US economy.

You are right. Absolutely right.

Not sure of all of when or why but Clinton did make choices to not get him when he could have.

Your two long posts seem like a pretty good summary of the rock and a hard place we're in, but haven't we always...

...is your take we should deal a big pay raise and some current UPA fixes for what the company wants? Apparently, the offer from the company was official yesterday. I lean towards no deal, but if things go down the tubes our current UPA may be the last best one we see in our lifetime. I'd like to at least wait for Q3 profit numbers to come in.

So you think it is wise to lock in a deal sooner than later?

I'd like to see the actual deal first. If it's not above the rates of the most current TAs and some tweaks that are being rumored (reserve improvements, furlough time restore, etc) then I'd say no. We're already dead last in total compensation, SL, vacation pay, training pay etc etc.