Shockwaves

New rumor.................No more recalls until 2013. I guess the lifting of the JA/Open time ban is working. Should of gone to school to be a Proctologist. Getting in 18 holes a day takes on a very new meaning.................at least it is steady work/career.

SlickTiger

Think it is time to consider a career change. Probably decrease the stress level dramatically.

Hope this is not true. I am lucky to have the Reserves but bumming continues to get more difficult.

CactusCrew

That could bring the definition of the "Brown Stain" to a hole new level ...

Sideshow Bob

Of course Europe isn't on the rim of the bowl, China isn't slowing, manufacturing in the U.S. hasn't dropped off, unemployment isn't up, and Fed Ex's profits aren't off and UPS doesn't step over dollars to pick up dimes and do things out of spite and desire to control...

Oh wait...they all are, and they do.

geeitup1

Personally I like the FedEx 4a2b clause. And not because I'm a UPS furloughee. But one thing I have figured out after a brief 5 year civilian aviation career with 4 airlines, 5 aircraft types and 2 furloughs - is stability of the pilot supply/demand helps every pilot in the industry in the long run. Whenever there is a dump of pilots onto the market after a furlough, our collective "value" takes a dump too - for all commercial pilots, worldwide. And you can bet airlines managements are better able to exploit our lower value in a down market than pilot groups can attempt to make up in any sort of up market.

BrownClown

Then we may as well take a giant paycut because UPS will figure out a way/excuse to stay in 4a2b indefinitely. (of course I personally don't advocate either with this company)

757upspilot

Exactly. They will just over hire or soak up short staffing as they are now to stay in the 4a2b mode. They will rotate it thru the fleet types so that people will never have a full year. They will then offer stabilization of income thru an across the board compensation reduction, then they will start the cycle all over again.
Neither layoffs or 4a2b is desirable .

Busboy

I'm not sure why UPS would "overhire" just so they could stay in 4A2b, perpetually. What would be the advantage of doing that? Paying benefits to unnecessary employees?

You guys do understand that FDX's 4A2b, is just a reduction in minimum credit hours per month? In other words, we get the same rate/hr...Just less of them. Sure, during 4A2b, we get paid for less hours/month, but you get more days off.

So, I don't have a problem with the concept of 4A2b...That is, shared pain to keep guys off the street. But, I do have a major problem in the way it was instituted at FDX. As in, some seats, bases or fleets shared little or no pain at all, no limit on carryover trips(allowing some crewmembers to continue to earn 110hrs+ each month while others were earning 60+/-), etc.

I think 4A2b can be a good thing, with the proper language that protects the pilot group from both, management abuse and themselves.

FDXLAG

Exactly, putting more pilots on the payroll to stay in 4A2b is a bad business decision. Your fixed expenses per pilot stays exactly the same (vacation, sick bank, retirement (+), health insurance, training, and anything else you can think of) and your productivity per pilot goes way down. While the decison to cut someone loose instantly cuts fixed costs and increases productivity.

Gunter

The company has avoided the higher BLGs, in most seats, that they were known for before 4a2b was used. The periodic high cost of draft and volunteer has been replaced with buy ups when needed. No rush to train at off site locations and pay flexes draft as the economy or retirements pick up. There is also the part time nature of contract instructors that limit their extra use.

I think this manning model helps fill the FDAs with new hires. Think about the poolies who I'm sure are being told, "We have a HKG/CGN slot in 3 weeks or you can wait until we stop buying up lines. Could be 3-6 months if the economy cooperates, maybe longer."

A side benefit is DPs and other nasty pairings are more likely to be flown when hours are scarce. Fewer sick calls?

They might also be surprised by the current slowdown in shipments. That's their story and they're sticking to it.