Fr8doggie

Sounds right, but the age 60 deal wouldn't create an excess in itself but rather a lack of a shortage... stagnation. I would think parking eight MD's for a few months wouldn't be enough to trigger a furlough. I'm sure the company would rather not have to hire while we are so fat and would love to furlough 50 and recall to the FDA but I think we are far from that. I hope.

rjlavender

Another Bingo! It is great watching the evolution in thinking going on here.

We stuffed the pilot mailboxes twice in 2005 with detailed information on why the FedEx pilots needed to prepare for the Age 60 rule (the "impending train wreck"). I received hate mail from some pilots for putting it out. I wrote two articles specifically addressing the issue that both ALPA national and local refused to publish (that is why we stuffed the boxes). All of this was done while I was a member of ALPA in good standing.

I don't take anything personally (or seriously, for that matter) as I understand that everyone needs to go through their own personal learning curve. It is gratifying to see the pilots here starting to turn the corner on some of this stuff. In some cases, your hearts are not yet in the right place but your heads are getting there.

Yes, there was plenty of warning given to all about this inevitable problem. Nothing was done. Dave and the MEC just didn't see it, nor did most of you. If our profession has one major overriding problem, it is a lack of strategic thinking and planning. While our profession has many good technical thinkers, almost no strategic thinkers have emerged, thus, we are getting slammed by corporate executives, many of whom are very good strategists. Again, the archaic LEC system simply cannot deal with large strategic issues, and it never has been able to. It is way past time for a change to how we do business.

Bob

FlybyKnite

Seems to me that you get removed involuntarily by a "legal restriction" and Then you get "accommodated" according to your "seniority and standing bid". So some prior planning would seem to be required to continue flying. Which really did come first, the chicken or the egg?

onetime

Is it just me or does it feel like we as a pilot group are playing checkers while the company is playing chess?

DLax85

Is this also the portion of the contract that allows Capts who lose their First Class Medical for some reason, but can maintain a lower class medical, to continue to fly?

Fedex999999

I may be wrong, but I see "active flight deck crew member" as anyone actually on the seniority list. Not sure why everyone thinks it is guys actually out there flying the line, staying current, etc. It would include special projects guys, guys on leave, etc.

MEMFO4Ever

Very well put. As the hits keep on coming I am reminded daily that this 'profession' is really just a job and that ALPA is really just a loose 'association'. Clock in, clock out, and hope that the company doesn't completely rob our retirement plans in the next round.

We are at their mercy completely. We really aren't, but we will never fully enable ourselves to fight back; a conflict that we don't have the balls for.

DLax85

Because that was the intent of ALPA National when they helped Congress draft the verbiage.

Go ask your pax carrier buddies if their union plans to allow over Age 60 sim intructors to come back and fly?

FoxHunter

The intent of Congress was not create the situation where hundreds/thousands of retired pilots show up the next day demanding their jobs back.

Did the age 60 Sim instructors remain on the seniority list? We all know that at FedEx there is a difference between being a Pro Instructor and a Flex.

FlybyKnite

It would seems to the catch-all paragraph that covers that and other legal reasons we can only guess about.