FDX Poolies
11-30-2010, 07:30 AM
#421
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2006
Position: 767 FO
Posts: 8,047
Not necessarily, and it would be nice if those C/O trips were put into 20% more regular lines so we close the gap between senior lines and Jr lines.
And no JJ I did not say it sucks to be at Fedex. Things could be better; you are free to think that is whining and I am free to think you are grumpy.
And no JJ I did not say it sucks to be at Fedex. Things could be better; you are free to think that is whining and I am free to think you are grumpy.
11-30-2010, 08:26 AM
#422
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,224
I can't say I agree with most of you that believe being junior at Fedex is worse than being junior at an airline. I've done both, and have flown at a couple of large airlines. We are out of 4.A.2.b. so if someone wants to bid a lot of carryover, so be it. We still get a monthly guarantee like at any decent airline. It's not like they don't have to work more to earn that extra cash. I think I'll pass and spend some time at home. Both airlines that I worked for used a cap system. I prefer our system by a longshot, but I like to work harder in some months and less in others. I guess we all have our preferences.
Our contract is about as good as it gets these days. Not by substantial gains, but by substantial losses at legacy carriers. Being junior at any airline has its drawbacks and Fedex is no different. We also have a very large percentage of widebody flying. In more normal times, it doesn't take that long to move up to a widebody. We certainly aren't in a normal period now, with Age 65 and a slow economy halting any upward movement. In my previous airline, it would take 10-12 years to make the right seat of a widebody.
One thing that does suck at Fedex is the time that we fly. It is an unfortunate part of our business model. And junior guys get stuck with a lot of it, but in reality, even pretty senior folks fly nights as well. I don't know, but I think being junior here is manageable, and the pay and benefits are much better than anyone else these days (with the possible exception of UPS).
Our contract is about as good as it gets these days. Not by substantial gains, but by substantial losses at legacy carriers. Being junior at any airline has its drawbacks and Fedex is no different. We also have a very large percentage of widebody flying. In more normal times, it doesn't take that long to move up to a widebody. We certainly aren't in a normal period now, with Age 65 and a slow economy halting any upward movement. In my previous airline, it would take 10-12 years to make the right seat of a widebody.
One thing that does suck at Fedex is the time that we fly. It is an unfortunate part of our business model. And junior guys get stuck with a lot of it, but in reality, even pretty senior folks fly nights as well. I don't know, but I think being junior here is manageable, and the pay and benefits are much better than anyone else these days (with the possible exception of UPS).
11-30-2010, 08:37 AM
#423
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2006
Position: 767 FO
Posts: 8,047
Again noone is saying it is worse at Fedex than at anywhere else at any seniority. They are saying the difference between being JR at FDX and SR at FDX is a lot more evident than it is at XYZ.
One of the reasons for that is we take 20% of next months flying and make it available to some pilots this month on a seniority basis. They can then use the extra flying to pad their paycheck or really really really make their schedule better or some combination of the two.
One of the reasons for that is we take 20% of next months flying and make it available to some pilots this month on a seniority basis. They can then use the extra flying to pad their paycheck or really really really make their schedule better or some combination of the two.
11-30-2010, 08:50 AM
#424
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,931
I can't say I agree with most of you that believe being junior at Fedex is worse than being junior at an airline. I've done both, and have flown at a couple of large airlines.
In my previous airline, it would take 10-12 years to make the right seat of a widebody.
...I think being junior here is manageable.
In my previous airline, it would take 10-12 years to make the right seat of a widebody.
...I think being junior here is manageable.
I think we are nearing "industry standard" with upgrade times and I hope everyone applying knows it. Too many "sponsors" look rearward to estimate upgrades and how soon to expect "better" schedules.
11-30-2010, 07:05 PM
#426
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2007
Posts: 355
Having been at UAL for 4+ years & fedex for 4+ years, being junior on reserve at FDX QoL is inferior due to the reserve scheduling & utilization rules. I've written the negotiating committee on improvements based on leading industry reserve scheduling & utilization contractual agreements- so no need to post them here.
Am I glad to be here, Yes! Is the overall compensation & QoL when senior better- yes! But we should not delude ourselves that just because we're FDX, that our fleet/seat junior pilots QoL is "ok", and that we don't need to expend efforts in the next contract to improve it. Legacy carriers, even thru the BK process, have some cost neutral improvements that make being junior on R-days a bit less painful than FDX.
Am I glad to be here, Yes! Is the overall compensation & QoL when senior better- yes! But we should not delude ourselves that just because we're FDX, that our fleet/seat junior pilots QoL is "ok", and that we don't need to expend efforts in the next contract to improve it. Legacy carriers, even thru the BK process, have some cost neutral improvements that make being junior on R-days a bit less painful than FDX.
12-02-2010, 04:18 AM
#427
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,068
Daniel,
I'm not grumpy... at least I don't feel grumpy. What Gunter is missing, is that the passenger guys, domestically, fly a bunch more ups and downs a day than we do, because their system revolves around them moving people all over the place, while our freight system offers many fewer flights choices a day, and depending on which jet you're on, fewer city-choices, because we don't need to move the jets as much to make money. Mostly into and out of our hubs. So if you're junior at FedEx, you're probably on the 727, flying night hub turns, to cities that the more senior guys don't want to fly to. If you're junior at United, American, Delta, etc, you're probably flying their smallest piece of equipment, to where ever your trips take you. There is much more diversity of flying at FedEx and UPS than there is at the legacy carriers, and as such, seniority again rears it's ugly head, and the junior guys get stuck with the less-than-desirable trips and duty periods. Again, being junior sucks, but let's not forget, that over time, most junior guys become senior, and our company has been rather stable, whereas the passenger airlines have not.
JJ
I'm not grumpy... at least I don't feel grumpy. What Gunter is missing, is that the passenger guys, domestically, fly a bunch more ups and downs a day than we do, because their system revolves around them moving people all over the place, while our freight system offers many fewer flights choices a day, and depending on which jet you're on, fewer city-choices, because we don't need to move the jets as much to make money. Mostly into and out of our hubs. So if you're junior at FedEx, you're probably on the 727, flying night hub turns, to cities that the more senior guys don't want to fly to. If you're junior at United, American, Delta, etc, you're probably flying their smallest piece of equipment, to where ever your trips take you. There is much more diversity of flying at FedEx and UPS than there is at the legacy carriers, and as such, seniority again rears it's ugly head, and the junior guys get stuck with the less-than-desirable trips and duty periods. Again, being junior sucks, but let's not forget, that over time, most junior guys become senior, and our company has been rather stable, whereas the passenger airlines have not.
JJ
I didn't think Gunter was saying that being junior didn't suck at any carrier, just highlighting some of the differences here vs. other places. Having done both as well, I thought he and others have had pretty fair comments on it. As always, it's up to the individual to decide if this is better than that and whether they want to fly here, but in general I think less is known about QOL here than at the pax airlines. So why not let people know some of the differences? I don't think it's whining, it just is what it is.
There are so many base and fleet options at most major airlines that newhire and very junior pilots are often flying all kinds of equipment besides the smallest plane in the fleet. No matter what you fly, you tend to go wherever the trips take you at a legacy as purity doesn't really exist. Senior or junior, you pretty much see the same cities, the senior just tend to get them on more desirable days of the week and for longer layovers. At FDX you can get senior and go to a desirable spot all month long. The same trip at a legacy carrier could still have a short EWR and ABE layover on the other days. In many respects this helps out the junior because it's worth to all to create solid pairings, so even if you get a RSV trip it's probably not too bad other than the fact it's on a weekend of holiday.
I didn't think any of this was about how to improve stuff, but since you asked I echo Olly's comments. There are cost neutral improvements they could do to things like RSV that would improve junior QOL without 'stealing' from the senior which you seem concerned about. FDX's big advantage over the pax carriers was the ability to move and drop R days pretty easily, but from what I hear/read that's pretty much gone away in recent times. So I'm sure improvements in the RSV area would probably be much appreciated. It might even make fewer people become 'part of the problem'.
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