FDX Primary Residence - What does it mean?
06-07-2012, 07:57 PM
#1
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Joined APC: Jun 2012
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FDX Primary Residence - What does it mean?
On 16 April, 2012 our SCP visited Hong Kong for a pilot meeting regarding the housing allowance situation and when asked that question he stated, "Primary residence, that's simple, where do you live?... I live in Memphis."
Honestly, I was offended by his response.
Later, I reflected on this and wondered:
Is the SCP a renter?
Did FedEx financially discourage him from buying his residence?
Does he have more than 1000 pounds of goods and $10k worth of furnishings and appliances in his residence?
Does his residence contain any important memorabilia, such as family heirlooms, antiques, photos, wedding albums, etc.?
Does he have available at his residence any of the equipment or items used in his favorite hobbies and recreational pastimes?
Are the vast majority of his possessions, belongings, furniture, household goods, etc. inaccessible and locked up in a storage unit somewhere?
Is his residence larger than 1000 square feet?
Is his residence constructed entirely of concrete, including all interior walls and ceilings?
Is his residence filled entirely with secondhand or IKEA type furniture?
Is his kitchen too crowded if there is more than one person standing in it?
Does he have a yard or any exterior space at all attached to his residence that belongs to him?
Is he at risk of having his housing payment fluctuate by 40% annually, and thereby risk have to move to a new apartment every year?
I'd be willing to bet that my answer is exactly the opposite of the SCP's answer for each and every one of those questions. Yes, my apartment in Hong Kong is my primary residence, and in my case, it's my only residence... but it's not my home. I live in an apartment that feels more like a college dormitory than a home. My goal here... is to point out the inadequacies of the FDA LOA.
I abide by an FDA LOA that discourages pilot's to put down roots, to invest mentally and emotionally, to really settle in, in anything other than a temporary way. I abide by an FDA LOA that severely restricts my choice of residences and restricts how I live in that residence.
Yes, I knew what I was signing up for when I bid HKG... but it is absolutely no surprise to me that other FDA pilots have other homes around the world. Probably in places they feel that they truly belong, probably in places where they have roots or family or friends, probably in a manner that when they visit these residences they feel like they're home. It's ironic that the four pilots that were terminated were probably some of the most committed of any to living and working in HKG for the remainder of their careers.
One would think that FedEx would want pilots and their families to stay in an FDA long term and not discourage them from making the FDA truly their home and their primary residence.
The FDA LOA is a manufactured document. It's a document that was made up by us, the company and the association. And clearly, it's broken. Clearly, it does not allow for the reality of the real life situations of pilots and their families. Clearly the scope of whatever a 'primary residence' is, is too narrow. Clearly, it does not allow pilots to want to stay in HKG long term, which just costs the company more and more money in turnover over the years.
But there is a solution. Put emotions aside, think about the big picture. Fix the FDA LOA. Reinstate the terminated pilots. It's not that hard.
In Unity
Honestly, I was offended by his response.
Later, I reflected on this and wondered:
Is the SCP a renter?
Did FedEx financially discourage him from buying his residence?
Does he have more than 1000 pounds of goods and $10k worth of furnishings and appliances in his residence?
Does his residence contain any important memorabilia, such as family heirlooms, antiques, photos, wedding albums, etc.?
Does he have available at his residence any of the equipment or items used in his favorite hobbies and recreational pastimes?
Are the vast majority of his possessions, belongings, furniture, household goods, etc. inaccessible and locked up in a storage unit somewhere?
Is his residence larger than 1000 square feet?
Is his residence constructed entirely of concrete, including all interior walls and ceilings?
Is his residence filled entirely with secondhand or IKEA type furniture?
Is his kitchen too crowded if there is more than one person standing in it?
Does he have a yard or any exterior space at all attached to his residence that belongs to him?
Is he at risk of having his housing payment fluctuate by 40% annually, and thereby risk have to move to a new apartment every year?
I'd be willing to bet that my answer is exactly the opposite of the SCP's answer for each and every one of those questions. Yes, my apartment in Hong Kong is my primary residence, and in my case, it's my only residence... but it's not my home. I live in an apartment that feels more like a college dormitory than a home. My goal here... is to point out the inadequacies of the FDA LOA.
I abide by an FDA LOA that discourages pilot's to put down roots, to invest mentally and emotionally, to really settle in, in anything other than a temporary way. I abide by an FDA LOA that severely restricts my choice of residences and restricts how I live in that residence.
Yes, I knew what I was signing up for when I bid HKG... but it is absolutely no surprise to me that other FDA pilots have other homes around the world. Probably in places they feel that they truly belong, probably in places where they have roots or family or friends, probably in a manner that when they visit these residences they feel like they're home. It's ironic that the four pilots that were terminated were probably some of the most committed of any to living and working in HKG for the remainder of their careers.
One would think that FedEx would want pilots and their families to stay in an FDA long term and not discourage them from making the FDA truly their home and their primary residence.
The FDA LOA is a manufactured document. It's a document that was made up by us, the company and the association. And clearly, it's broken. Clearly, it does not allow for the reality of the real life situations of pilots and their families. Clearly the scope of whatever a 'primary residence' is, is too narrow. Clearly, it does not allow pilots to want to stay in HKG long term, which just costs the company more and more money in turnover over the years.
But there is a solution. Put emotions aside, think about the big picture. Fix the FDA LOA. Reinstate the terminated pilots. It's not that hard.
In Unity
06-08-2012, 01:19 AM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: MD11 Kitchen Bi*ch
Posts: 263
It would seem that the FDX management is now caught in their own "Catch 22" trap. Lying on official documents or deliberately attempting to mislead the facts are terminating offenses. If they reinstate the 4 HKG pilots, they would have to back pedal in such a way that they don't back into the 800 pound "Truth" Gorilla with them in the dark room.
You gotta dance with the one who brung you. Let's see how long FDX executive leadership continues to dance with the senior ops managers...
Last edited by vagabond; 06-08-2012 at 06:05 AM. Reason: fixed quote formatting
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