FedEx reaches “tentative agreement” with pilots
FedEx pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), have announced that they have reached a “tentative agreement” with FedEx management on an amended collective bargaining agreement.
The negotiations have been protracted: FedEx and the pilots started “interim” discussions back in 2011 and “formal bargaining” begin in January 2013. In October 2014, FedEx management filed for mediation with the National Mediation Board (NMB), and negotiations have since been conducted under NMB guidance.
Terms of the tentative agreement are not being released, as they first must be reviewed and approved by the FedEx ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC). If approved by the FedEx MEC leadership, the tentative agreement will be then subject to a ratification vote of over 4,000 FedEx pilots. If ratified, the contract would become amendable in 2021.
In a statement issued by the ALPA yesterday (20 August), FedEx ALPA Master Executive Council chairman Captain Chuck Dyer commented: “The MEC has a rigorous process when it comes to evaluating these types of agreements, and we look forward to fully vetting this tentative agreement.”
News about the tentative FedEx agreement was welcomed by Captain Robert Travis, President of the Independent Pilots Association (UPS pilots) – who also took the opportunity to prod FedEx’s rival, UPS.
In a statement posted by the IPA, Capt. Travis said: “We congratulate our pilot peers and FedEx on reaching a new tentative collective bargaining agreement. While we have not seen the details, the IPA will refrain from commenting on the merits of the tentative agreement until the ALPA ratification process has been completed.”
“If approved, however, the FedEx pilot contract will bring labor peace to our largest competitor. In sharp contrast, UPS management has created a bitter standoff with its pilot employees, unnecessarily dragging out contract talks for four years. UPS must not allow itself to be left behind by FedEx.”
“The IPA calls on UPS management to work with its pilots to expeditiously achieve an agreement.”
