This is an artilce posted in Air Cargo World. What pressure? The results of the IPA pilots vote will be announced on 8/31/06 at 10:00am. If I were on the ALPA negotiating team I believe that the results of this vote would be critical in the direction of our negotiations with Fed Ex Mngt. Seeing since UPS Mngt was prepared to offer UPS pilots $267/hr!!
JMO
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]FedEx, Pilots Under Pressure[/FONT]
FedEx Express and its pilots face a crucial period in their long-running contract negotiations, a company spokesman said, as the two sides press to settle their differences.
The Air Line Pilots Association union said the federal mediator is pushing for movement in the 28-month talks, and an ALPA leader said FedEx has suggested terms in recent weeks that would include more money than previous offers.
Maury Lane, spokesman for the Memphis-based airline that operates the world's largest cargo fleet, said the company and union go back to the negotiating table for federally mediated talks the last two weeks of August, and that those two weeks "will be critical."
Lane also said that unlike times past, when he or other FedEx officials would often comment on union actions or contract offers, from here on out "the only discussions we'll be having will be with the pilots at the table and not with the media."
That change in tone follows a recent agreement between rival UPS and its Independent Pilots Association, which is now holding a ratification vote. UPS has not released details of that deal, but reports based on union leaders' briefings to members list salary hikes and signing bonuses that caught FedEx pilots' attention.
In the FedEx talks, union officials said in a recent update message to members that during bargaining sessions in late July "it became apparent that the mediator would like to instill an increased sense of urgency in the parties to conclude the process."
Union leader David Webb told Traffic World that formal offers remain about where they've been since before FedEx took the talks into mediation last year, with tentative agreements on only 16 of 31 contract sections.
But he said both sides have been exchanging less formal "term sheets" on what the other side could accept, and FedEx recently "suggested that they have additional monies" to bring to the table when formal talks resume.
Asked if the company and pilots were exchanging new offers, Lane said that "FedEx will not comment on that" under its new stance of leaving comments for the talks themselves.
"Our desire is to reach a contract agreement as fairly and quickly as possible," he said.
Webb earlier said the two sides were about $400 million apart on a four-year contract. He said the new company offer would narrow that gap, but would not say by how much.
The union's update message, however, also assured ALPA members that "while we share the mediator's desire for an expeditious end to the process, rest assured we will not sacrifice our cornerstone issues for the sake of expediency."
JMO
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]FedEx, Pilots Under Pressure[/FONT]
FedEx Express and its pilots face a crucial period in their long-running contract negotiations, a company spokesman said, as the two sides press to settle their differences.
The Air Line Pilots Association union said the federal mediator is pushing for movement in the 28-month talks, and an ALPA leader said FedEx has suggested terms in recent weeks that would include more money than previous offers.
Maury Lane, spokesman for the Memphis-based airline that operates the world's largest cargo fleet, said the company and union go back to the negotiating table for federally mediated talks the last two weeks of August, and that those two weeks "will be critical."
Lane also said that unlike times past, when he or other FedEx officials would often comment on union actions or contract offers, from here on out "the only discussions we'll be having will be with the pilots at the table and not with the media."
That change in tone follows a recent agreement between rival UPS and its Independent Pilots Association, which is now holding a ratification vote. UPS has not released details of that deal, but reports based on union leaders' briefings to members list salary hikes and signing bonuses that caught FedEx pilots' attention.
In the FedEx talks, union officials said in a recent update message to members that during bargaining sessions in late July "it became apparent that the mediator would like to instill an increased sense of urgency in the parties to conclude the process."
Union leader David Webb told Traffic World that formal offers remain about where they've been since before FedEx took the talks into mediation last year, with tentative agreements on only 16 of 31 contract sections.
But he said both sides have been exchanging less formal "term sheets" on what the other side could accept, and FedEx recently "suggested that they have additional monies" to bring to the table when formal talks resume.
Asked if the company and pilots were exchanging new offers, Lane said that "FedEx will not comment on that" under its new stance of leaving comments for the talks themselves.
"Our desire is to reach a contract agreement as fairly and quickly as possible," he said.
Webb earlier said the two sides were about $400 million apart on a four-year contract. He said the new company offer would narrow that gap, but would not say by how much.
The union's update message, however, also assured ALPA members that "while we share the mediator's desire for an expeditious end to the process, rest assured we will not sacrifice our cornerstone issues for the sake of expediency."
