FDXLAG

Nope serious about that part. You may want to ask your block rep for the official denial, but if you disapprove I would tell him anyways. Not that that would change anything.

4A2B

So call my rep and tell him I disapprove about a rumor? How about we use the process and vote when and if the time comes instead and base that vote on the facts at hand. Surely (insert joke) they are not doing any major change without an LOA.

FDXLAG

Little selective reading there isnt it. I believe I said call your rep and ask about a rumor. Then I said he will probably deny it. But If you think that the company and the union shouldnt be telling guys where they have to be on their day off, I suggest you tell your rep that.

No vote required. All it takes is SS's approval. But I dont care, I'm not bidding it.

Unknown Rider

Does anyone know how many days it takes to claim the expat exclusion?

FDXLAG

Bona Fide Residence & Physical Presence Tests - Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

TonyC

For starters, I'd be happy if the entire MEC and MEC Officers would follow through on their commitment to engage in a pervasive communications campaign. The fact that four of our brethren pilots were wrongfully terminated should be ever-present on every FedEx pilot's mind. Every time you put on your uniform, hang the ALPA lanyard around your neck, and offer your services to our employer you should be mindful of their plight.

The communications should be not only supportive of the process (the RLA requires that we support the process), they should demonstrate absolute, unwavering support for the pilots themselves. Instead of trying to be slick politicians trying to preserve their own political positions, the MEC Officers should try being leaders determined to get the pilots' jobs back.

Communication needs to go both ways -- to The Company, and to the pilots. The Company needs to understand that it's not business as usual as long as they have taken hostages, and the pilots need to understand why the plight of a handful of Hong Kong pilots is important to ME TOO.

Until the mess in cleaned up, until The Company agrees to abide by the current standard, the one in the FDA LOA, the one in the CBA, the one we signed up to, and the one the pilots were complying with, stop wasting time, stop wasting resources on developing alternate standards. The only item on the agenda for every "Interim Discussion" session should be "Return of Hostages" until they are returned and restored. The Company is playing us, and we're playing along. 2 years after openers, and they still haven't presented their proposal for Retirement. 2 years after openers, and they still don't believe Accepted Fares is a problem. 4 pilots fired, and we're talking about a way for pilots to report their activities on their days off?

The second arbitration hearing concluded yesterday. Some people would have you believe that all we can do is provide legal support through the arbitration process and cross our fingers and hope for the best. Those people also remind you this could all be solved if those stubborn pilots would just accept the Company's offers and sign on the dotted line. Those people lack the courage and character the terminated pilots have demonstrated by refusing to admit wrongdoing where there was none. The solution is not the arbitrator or a signed confession, the solution is FedEx coming to the realization that they've messed up, and reversing the terminations. They can do that ANY DAY.


I think those would be steps in the right direction, and once a body is pointed in the right direction, forward steps produce progress.






.

4A2B

Well that and a bag of chips and you will have...hold on...a bag of chips. If you think that the actions outlined by you, even if executed to a T, would produce a better result of getting the Company to admit error and bring back the pilots then I would like some of what you are inhaling.

We are supporting the pilots as any pilot in need, and for you to think that this was a tactical move to simply take hostages then I guess we will have agree to disagree. Black helicopters do exist, just not here. The Company has been steadfast that the pilots in question have been stealing and the arbitrator will decide if that is true or not based on the evidence.

The Walrus

The Company was fairly steadfast that the implementation of 4A2B was done legally too.

Gunter

Very much so. And it paid off nicely for them despite a partial loss in arbitration.

Gunter

You mention that we are legally required to operate within the requirements of the RLA but you just give it lip service. THE RLA LIMITS OUR OPTIONS. Not just in theory but in fact.

You say hold up all negotiations until an issue they've dug in on is resolved then, in the very next breath, you complain about the pace of negotiations. I can't keep up with you bouncing from one complaint to the next. The only common theme I see is your desire to blame those you don't like for either direction the union takes. Please explain how us not coming to the table will help the HKG terminated pilots. I'm sure the federal mediator, if we go that route, will view that dimly as well.

I don't think the company is casually "playing" us. They are very serious and this is not a game. The company has their fangs out and they won't stop unless legally required to do so.

Honestly, how long have you worked here? You don't seem to know how the rest of the company works.