A call for action by all FDX pilots
04-19-2009, 04:33 AM
#1
New Hire
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Apr 2009
Posts: 1
A call for action by all FDX pilots
This is long, but if one can’t take the time to understand the issues and how you play a part in the process then stop complaining about the company or the union.
The Union recently outlined six areas of action and stated that their future efforts will be focused on the upcoming CBA due to a lack of resolution on any of these matters.
WHAT I FAIL TO SEE ONCE AGAIN IS A TRUE ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT RISK (LOSS OF FLYING TO OUTSIDE SOURCES OR A FURLOUGH) AND A COURSE OF ACTION IN ORDER TO REACH A SOLUTION TO THE POINTS OUTLINED BY THE MEC. IF WE CAN NOT
RESOLVE THESE ISSUES WITH THE LEVERAGE WE POSSESS, WE
CAN DO NOTHING DURING THE NEXT AGREEMENT WITHOUT GIVING BACK MUCH CAPITAL TO THE COMPANY.
The comment echoed time and time again from the rank and file are:
"No one has come out and told me what to do."
" I came here to fly." Cheap excuse for selfish behavior.
"Going to an FDA will protect me from a furlough."
"This doesn't affect me."
I came to fly and work hard as well. I have done so for over 18 years and expect a certain level of respect during good times and bad. Hiding in an FDA will not protect you from a furlough. Current manning levels require two SIBA pilots to support one pilot's work in CDG or HNG.
If there was a furlough coming, our actions of escaping to an FDA will only solidify a possible furlough.
Hanging out in SIBA and pulling in carry over will come to an end with the next FDA bid.
WE, THE PILOT GROUP HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RARE OPPORTUNITY TO UNDO OUR PREVIOUS BLUNDERS IN DEALING WITH THE COMPANY AND SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES, RATHER THAN BEING SOLD OUT.
THE BATTLE GROUND TO FIGHT ALL THE ISSUES SHOULD BE THAT OF THE FDAs.
THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS SHOULD CONTINUE UNTIL ALL ISSUES (777,reserve,FDAs,flex instructors, ect.) ARE RESOVLED; CONTRACTUALLY AGREED UPON IN WRITING; AND OPERATIONALLY INSTATED FOR AT LEAST TWO MONTHS. THEN, AND ONLY THEN, DO WE BID AND SIGN LETTERS OF AGREEMENTS ON THE FDAs, AND FLY ABOVE 100%.
Why? Because the FDAs represents only 4% of the total flying and it has the least probability to be lost. It was incorrectly accessed as a high probability to be lost to overseas pilots during the previous LOA.
The more time that passes in implementing a furlough the less likely the company will undertake it without substantial financial loss. The point of diminishing returns for a furlough has passed.
WE MUST ACCEPT THE FACT THAT WE CAN FIGHT THE FIGHT YET BE WILLING TO LOOSE THE 4% OF THE FLYING. THAT IS THE RISK. I HAVE FLOWN SIBA ON AND OFF FOR MANY YEARS, HOWEVER DUE TO ITS REDUCED QUALITY IT HAS BECOME AN ACCEPTABLE LOSS.
Assessing the current conditions.
The company can acquire less than 50% approval from the Chinese authority involving add on flights in and out of the CAN hub. These restrictions and others have created a number of barriers for the company to operate smoothly in and out of China. These will be unacceptable delays in the future when volume increases.
Currently, all pilots must sign an agreement to work under US laws. The company does not want foreign work rules nor additional foreign interference within the company air operations branch.
It is important to also examine European work rules to prepare for the opening of the FDA in Europe. European pilots, if utilized by FDX, are unionized by aircraft seat and type aircraft. This doubles the negotiations with employees.
Europeans STRIKE first then negotiate. I have witnessed the ground crew strikes on the property in Paris. They have the right to march on the ramp as long as they stay behind the aircraft foul lines.
Typically they march from aircraft to aircraft coaxing their colleagues to walk off. Imagine a pilot group that behaves in the same manner.
3M and Caterpillar attempted to restructure in France last month. The regional managers were locked in their offices by the employees during negotiations. Management truly has no interest in dealing with foreign work rules, vacation requirements, pension plans, medical plans and severance pay arrangements; thus the signing of the US work rules agreement with the company by all FDA employees prior to training. Though it was advertised as a strengthening point of an already strong SCOPE agreement within the CBA.
Actions needed to be taken by the entire crew force.
ONLY ONE DIFFERENCE,... you are expected to act this time.
1) Access your personal finances.
2) All pilots flying SIBA A-300 or MD-11 with carry over must conflict all trips. Do not block your calendar. Show the junior pilots you support them.
3) VTO trips and reserve conversions are acceptable. Trip trade is acceptable. Make up flying to boost ones BLG is NOT acceptable. Draft is NOT acceptable (yes, there have been a number of draft trips in the past months, UNACCEPTABLE)
4) Remove your standing bid for HNG and refrain from the CDG bid. REVIEW THE LETTER CAREFULLY PRIOR TO SIGNING.
Why these actions?
1) If you are not financially liquid in this day and age you are a slave to any work rule change the company implements and you will never be able to fairly represent yourself. You are the definition of the, YES MAN, whether you like it or not. There are two ways to increase ones income. Increased wages (not happening) or decreased expenditures. The entire family must carry the load on this one. Taking advantage of carryover in SIBA, chasing the temporary higher BLG in HNG or jumping up the seniority list by bidding a substandard FDA are all short term personal gains, not long term solutions. YOU NEED SIX MONTHS TO ONE YEARS WORTH OF MORTGAGE PAYMENTS AND LIVING EXPENSES IN LIQUID ASSETS.
2) Leadership should come from the senior pilots. We, the senior pilots need to lead by example not cheap talk. Conflict all C/O.
3) All carry over trips should be used to fill out VTO and reserve lines to the fullest extent. This is a commitment by the entire crew force to retain our junior pilots.
4) None of the items outlined by the MEC can be improved upon after the fact. The company has no motivation or need to give anything to us as a group. The best protection from a furlough is in delaying the manning of the FDAs.
The longer the company waits to furlough the less likely one will occur. Currently 103 pilots are required to support SIBA in the F/O seat and 65 in the Capt seat.
Once the FDAs are filled this will be reduced to 45 in each seat in CDG.
The company has the perfect situation by reducing pay across all seats and minimizing retraining. A furlough and retraining will only be cost effective if furloughed pilots remain off the property for one year or longer.
The longer this process is dragged out, the less probability of a furlough.
I will refrain from discussing the short falls of the FDAs in this posting. Tax equalization should be discussed in an open forum, which the MEC and FDX have failed to do.
THIS COURSE OF ACTION MUST BE SHOULDERED BY ALL. IF YOU ARE OF THE NOTION THAT 4% FLYING DOES NOT EFFECT YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE SENIOR, MIDDLE OF THE PACK , BASED IN LA OR MEM ; THINK AGAIN.
FOR THE SENIOR INDIVIDUALS, YOUR SOMEWHAT GOOD FLYING IN SIBA WILL BE REDUCED TO POOR HIGHLY OPTIMIZED LINES. Review the current HNG lines and compare to a few months ago. Day to night, back to day flying throughout the pairings. Milan will be an airport layover in the future due to reduced layover time. There are similar plans for Madrid, Rome (when it opens) and any overseas layover that exceeds 50 min in ground transit that can be optimized into a quicker turn with an additional leg.
AFTER HNG AND CDG ARE MANNED, DUE TO THE POOR LOA, THE BASE WILL GO SOMEWHAT JUNIOR AS IT DID IN THE PREVIOUS BID.
THE REMAINDER OF THE 175 SENIOR PILOTS FLYING SIBA WILL COME TO A SEAT NEAR YOU IN THE LA MD-11, AND MEM AIRCRAFT. TURNING OVER SENIOR FLING TO JUNIOR PILOTS WILL REALIGN ALL SEATS ONCE AGAIN WITH THE END RESULT BEING DIMINISHED QUALITY OF LINES. THE TOP SENIOR FLYING PERMANENTLY LOST.
THE JUNIOR PILOT DELIMA. DO I GO TO HNG IN HOPE OF NOT BEING FURLOUGHED? DO I RIDE THE RECCESSION OUT AND HOPE FOR THE BEST?
I HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED THE TWO FOR ONE PILOT TRADE-OFF BETWEEN SIBA VERSUS FDAs. This INCREASES THE RISK OF A FURLOUGH.
COMMUTING TO THE FDA IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE COMPANY IN WRITING. When pressed for an answer on the matter they stated in writing it is not acceptable. THOUGH THEY ARE CURRENTLY TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THIS ACTIVITY IN HONG KONG.
ALL PILOTS WHOM HAVE TEMPORARILY MOVED THEIR FAMILIES TO HNG AND NOW COMMUTE PUT THEMSELVES AT RISK. THE REQUEST TO UPDATE ONES ADDRESS IN PRISM PROVIDES THE COMPANY WITH TWO DOCUMENT VIOLATIONS. THOSE ARE: THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT THAT ESTABLISHES YOUR FAMILY IN HNG; AND THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS UPDATE IN PRISM. BE FOR-WARNED, THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE ON UNPROTECTED GROUND.
IF DISCOVERED ONE CAN BE TERMINATED OR FORCED TO RETURN ALL FUNDS. (DO NOT THINK THE COMPANY DIDN'T ALREADY THINK OF THAT. Termination is always a better option than furlough for a company)
WE NEED TO:
-GET OUR FINANCES IN ORDER.
-MAKE THE SHORT TERM SACRIFICE OF CARRY OVER FOR APRIL, MAY, JUNE. (The amount of SIBA conflicted for May is a good start but the final result after the bid is final will tell the complete story) Don’ block your calendar.
-REFRAIN FROM THE FDAs BIDS AND SIGNING THE LETTERS. The previous bidders of HNG need to act as well.
-NO DISPUTED PAIRINGS, NO M/U, NO DRAFT
-DON'T BLOCK YOUR CALENDAR.
If you find these simply action too difficult then we should stop all the talk and union activity right now. We should vote the union out and invest those dues elsewhere. These are very small sacrifices that each individual must make.
I would like to see 4,500 hits on this posting, no comments and a little action by all. Anything else is selfish behavior.
The Union recently outlined six areas of action and stated that their future efforts will be focused on the upcoming CBA due to a lack of resolution on any of these matters.
WHAT I FAIL TO SEE ONCE AGAIN IS A TRUE ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT RISK (LOSS OF FLYING TO OUTSIDE SOURCES OR A FURLOUGH) AND A COURSE OF ACTION IN ORDER TO REACH A SOLUTION TO THE POINTS OUTLINED BY THE MEC. IF WE CAN NOT
RESOLVE THESE ISSUES WITH THE LEVERAGE WE POSSESS, WE
CAN DO NOTHING DURING THE NEXT AGREEMENT WITHOUT GIVING BACK MUCH CAPITAL TO THE COMPANY.
The comment echoed time and time again from the rank and file are:
"No one has come out and told me what to do."
" I came here to fly." Cheap excuse for selfish behavior.
"Going to an FDA will protect me from a furlough."
"This doesn't affect me."
I came to fly and work hard as well. I have done so for over 18 years and expect a certain level of respect during good times and bad. Hiding in an FDA will not protect you from a furlough. Current manning levels require two SIBA pilots to support one pilot's work in CDG or HNG.
If there was a furlough coming, our actions of escaping to an FDA will only solidify a possible furlough.
Hanging out in SIBA and pulling in carry over will come to an end with the next FDA bid.
WE, THE PILOT GROUP HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RARE OPPORTUNITY TO UNDO OUR PREVIOUS BLUNDERS IN DEALING WITH THE COMPANY AND SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES, RATHER THAN BEING SOLD OUT.
THE BATTLE GROUND TO FIGHT ALL THE ISSUES SHOULD BE THAT OF THE FDAs.
THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS SHOULD CONTINUE UNTIL ALL ISSUES (777,reserve,FDAs,flex instructors, ect.) ARE RESOVLED; CONTRACTUALLY AGREED UPON IN WRITING; AND OPERATIONALLY INSTATED FOR AT LEAST TWO MONTHS. THEN, AND ONLY THEN, DO WE BID AND SIGN LETTERS OF AGREEMENTS ON THE FDAs, AND FLY ABOVE 100%.
Why? Because the FDAs represents only 4% of the total flying and it has the least probability to be lost. It was incorrectly accessed as a high probability to be lost to overseas pilots during the previous LOA.
The more time that passes in implementing a furlough the less likely the company will undertake it without substantial financial loss. The point of diminishing returns for a furlough has passed.
WE MUST ACCEPT THE FACT THAT WE CAN FIGHT THE FIGHT YET BE WILLING TO LOOSE THE 4% OF THE FLYING. THAT IS THE RISK. I HAVE FLOWN SIBA ON AND OFF FOR MANY YEARS, HOWEVER DUE TO ITS REDUCED QUALITY IT HAS BECOME AN ACCEPTABLE LOSS.
Assessing the current conditions.
The company can acquire less than 50% approval from the Chinese authority involving add on flights in and out of the CAN hub. These restrictions and others have created a number of barriers for the company to operate smoothly in and out of China. These will be unacceptable delays in the future when volume increases.
Currently, all pilots must sign an agreement to work under US laws. The company does not want foreign work rules nor additional foreign interference within the company air operations branch.
It is important to also examine European work rules to prepare for the opening of the FDA in Europe. European pilots, if utilized by FDX, are unionized by aircraft seat and type aircraft. This doubles the negotiations with employees.
Europeans STRIKE first then negotiate. I have witnessed the ground crew strikes on the property in Paris. They have the right to march on the ramp as long as they stay behind the aircraft foul lines.
Typically they march from aircraft to aircraft coaxing their colleagues to walk off. Imagine a pilot group that behaves in the same manner.
3M and Caterpillar attempted to restructure in France last month. The regional managers were locked in their offices by the employees during negotiations. Management truly has no interest in dealing with foreign work rules, vacation requirements, pension plans, medical plans and severance pay arrangements; thus the signing of the US work rules agreement with the company by all FDA employees prior to training. Though it was advertised as a strengthening point of an already strong SCOPE agreement within the CBA.
Actions needed to be taken by the entire crew force.
ONLY ONE DIFFERENCE,... you are expected to act this time.
1) Access your personal finances.
2) All pilots flying SIBA A-300 or MD-11 with carry over must conflict all trips. Do not block your calendar. Show the junior pilots you support them.
3) VTO trips and reserve conversions are acceptable. Trip trade is acceptable. Make up flying to boost ones BLG is NOT acceptable. Draft is NOT acceptable (yes, there have been a number of draft trips in the past months, UNACCEPTABLE)
4) Remove your standing bid for HNG and refrain from the CDG bid. REVIEW THE LETTER CAREFULLY PRIOR TO SIGNING.
Why these actions?
1) If you are not financially liquid in this day and age you are a slave to any work rule change the company implements and you will never be able to fairly represent yourself. You are the definition of the, YES MAN, whether you like it or not. There are two ways to increase ones income. Increased wages (not happening) or decreased expenditures. The entire family must carry the load on this one. Taking advantage of carryover in SIBA, chasing the temporary higher BLG in HNG or jumping up the seniority list by bidding a substandard FDA are all short term personal gains, not long term solutions. YOU NEED SIX MONTHS TO ONE YEARS WORTH OF MORTGAGE PAYMENTS AND LIVING EXPENSES IN LIQUID ASSETS.
2) Leadership should come from the senior pilots. We, the senior pilots need to lead by example not cheap talk. Conflict all C/O.
3) All carry over trips should be used to fill out VTO and reserve lines to the fullest extent. This is a commitment by the entire crew force to retain our junior pilots.
4) None of the items outlined by the MEC can be improved upon after the fact. The company has no motivation or need to give anything to us as a group. The best protection from a furlough is in delaying the manning of the FDAs.
The longer the company waits to furlough the less likely one will occur. Currently 103 pilots are required to support SIBA in the F/O seat and 65 in the Capt seat.
Once the FDAs are filled this will be reduced to 45 in each seat in CDG.
The company has the perfect situation by reducing pay across all seats and minimizing retraining. A furlough and retraining will only be cost effective if furloughed pilots remain off the property for one year or longer.
The longer this process is dragged out, the less probability of a furlough.
I will refrain from discussing the short falls of the FDAs in this posting. Tax equalization should be discussed in an open forum, which the MEC and FDX have failed to do.
THIS COURSE OF ACTION MUST BE SHOULDERED BY ALL. IF YOU ARE OF THE NOTION THAT 4% FLYING DOES NOT EFFECT YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE SENIOR, MIDDLE OF THE PACK , BASED IN LA OR MEM ; THINK AGAIN.
FOR THE SENIOR INDIVIDUALS, YOUR SOMEWHAT GOOD FLYING IN SIBA WILL BE REDUCED TO POOR HIGHLY OPTIMIZED LINES. Review the current HNG lines and compare to a few months ago. Day to night, back to day flying throughout the pairings. Milan will be an airport layover in the future due to reduced layover time. There are similar plans for Madrid, Rome (when it opens) and any overseas layover that exceeds 50 min in ground transit that can be optimized into a quicker turn with an additional leg.
AFTER HNG AND CDG ARE MANNED, DUE TO THE POOR LOA, THE BASE WILL GO SOMEWHAT JUNIOR AS IT DID IN THE PREVIOUS BID.
THE REMAINDER OF THE 175 SENIOR PILOTS FLYING SIBA WILL COME TO A SEAT NEAR YOU IN THE LA MD-11, AND MEM AIRCRAFT. TURNING OVER SENIOR FLING TO JUNIOR PILOTS WILL REALIGN ALL SEATS ONCE AGAIN WITH THE END RESULT BEING DIMINISHED QUALITY OF LINES. THE TOP SENIOR FLYING PERMANENTLY LOST.
THE JUNIOR PILOT DELIMA. DO I GO TO HNG IN HOPE OF NOT BEING FURLOUGHED? DO I RIDE THE RECCESSION OUT AND HOPE FOR THE BEST?
I HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED THE TWO FOR ONE PILOT TRADE-OFF BETWEEN SIBA VERSUS FDAs. This INCREASES THE RISK OF A FURLOUGH.
COMMUTING TO THE FDA IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE COMPANY IN WRITING. When pressed for an answer on the matter they stated in writing it is not acceptable. THOUGH THEY ARE CURRENTLY TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THIS ACTIVITY IN HONG KONG.
ALL PILOTS WHOM HAVE TEMPORARILY MOVED THEIR FAMILIES TO HNG AND NOW COMMUTE PUT THEMSELVES AT RISK. THE REQUEST TO UPDATE ONES ADDRESS IN PRISM PROVIDES THE COMPANY WITH TWO DOCUMENT VIOLATIONS. THOSE ARE: THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT THAT ESTABLISHES YOUR FAMILY IN HNG; AND THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS UPDATE IN PRISM. BE FOR-WARNED, THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE ON UNPROTECTED GROUND.
IF DISCOVERED ONE CAN BE TERMINATED OR FORCED TO RETURN ALL FUNDS. (DO NOT THINK THE COMPANY DIDN'T ALREADY THINK OF THAT. Termination is always a better option than furlough for a company)
WE NEED TO:
-GET OUR FINANCES IN ORDER.
-MAKE THE SHORT TERM SACRIFICE OF CARRY OVER FOR APRIL, MAY, JUNE. (The amount of SIBA conflicted for May is a good start but the final result after the bid is final will tell the complete story) Don’ block your calendar.
-REFRAIN FROM THE FDAs BIDS AND SIGNING THE LETTERS. The previous bidders of HNG need to act as well.
-NO DISPUTED PAIRINGS, NO M/U, NO DRAFT
-DON'T BLOCK YOUR CALENDAR.
If you find these simply action too difficult then we should stop all the talk and union activity right now. We should vote the union out and invest those dues elsewhere. These are very small sacrifices that each individual must make.
I would like to see 4,500 hits on this posting, no comments and a little action by all. Anything else is selfish behavior.
04-19-2009, 05:47 AM
#5
On Reserve
Joined APC: Nov 2008
Position: MD11"Fly 'til Im 65"
Posts: 18
According to Wikipedia, HNG or Hienghène is a commune in the North Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Im sure it will go senior!
Last edited by Fly Dawg 11; 04-19-2009 at 05:51 AM. Reason: .
04-19-2009, 06:04 AM
#6
Banned
Joined APC: Mar 2009
Position: 757 Capt
Posts: 798
3) VTO trips and reserve conversions are acceptable. Trip trade is acceptable. Make up flying to boost ones BLG is NOT acceptable. Draft is NOT acceptable (yes, there have been a number of draft trips in the past months, UNACCEPTABLE)
This is bull. I never hear anyone ***** when I fly a 25 hour month, or a 10 hour month, or even the occasional 0 hour month. When I occasionally make up a small percentage of that flying, I do not deserve to be crucified for it.
I think you need to qualify your comments with a caveat regarding the origin of the M/U time.
PIPE
This is bull. I never hear anyone ***** when I fly a 25 hour month, or a 10 hour month, or even the occasional 0 hour month. When I occasionally make up a small percentage of that flying, I do not deserve to be crucified for it.
I think you need to qualify your comments with a caveat regarding the origin of the M/U time.
PIPE
04-19-2009, 06:39 AM
#10
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: A300 Captain
Posts: 257
The only other leverage on the horizon is dragging out negotiations like they did to us last time. The current contract is costing the company mucho $$$ and I say let um pay.
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