Fedex Hiring Slowdown

[Ninerfan]

Folks,

Starting to hear some pretty persistant rumors that hiring (new hire training) will slow or stop over the summer. Crashpad roomie heard it indirectly from the incoming SCP.

 

[Huck]

You can thank Marion Blakey. And all the 58 year olds who talked her into it.

 

[1st Overnite]

I heard that if you are over 60 already, you can't come back to a flying position. Won't that get rid of a lot of retred F/E's?

 

[capt_zman]

Not until all the lawsuits are settled.

 

[El Pobre]

I would venture to say the "you can't come back to a flying position" would not include those that are still in a "flying position" ie: a flight engineer. They are still on the seniority list and they are still pilots...just like our new hire FE's are still pilots. There may be a lawsuit or two, but that is something that FDX and ALPA will have to hammer out....and lets just be clear....ALPA national pretty much rolls over everytime they see a fight....so it's probably safe to say that the over 60 FE's will be coming back...if they want to.

Remember Prater's motto: "LET'S TAKE IT BACK...(from all our junior pilots)"

 

[Ninerfan]

Economy

This could be Age 60 related, might be aircraft acquisition schedules too. I'm gonna venture to say that the driver here is the company's concern about where the economy is going as the year goes on. The accountants and finance folks rule this place.

 

[BoeingBoy]

I heard that if you are over 60 already, you can't come back to a flying position. Won't that get rid of a lot of retred F/E's?

Also parking all the 3-crew airplanes will get rid of the FE's, as the 75's show up and the 72's disappear, the DC-10 engineer seat is gonna get REAL senior!

 

[T Dub]

I was in the ops office the other day and LD (she sits outside of my ACP's office and deals with new hires) told me that there was going to be only one more new hire class until after the bid in May.

 

[Huck]

Lisa runs that place. SHE should be SCP....

 

[skykid]

Also parking all the 3-crew airplanes will get rid of the FE's, as the 75's show up and the 72's disappear, the DC-10 engineer seat is gonna get REAL senior!

A handful of 727-100s are going to go, that's about it.

Every over 60 pilot who stays to be an S/O is one less pilot hired off the street, and there are a bunch staying.

last year the hiring dried up before the bid as well so be patient.

 

[DLax85]

Buddy in my crashpad started in the 22 Jan new hire class....during indoc he was told the hiring would "slow" to one class of about 14-16 per month until the bid comes out, but not stop completely as it did from Jan to May last year.

Looking at the current training letter 727 FO training drys up in March, thus any new hires during that time period may even have a shot at a 727 FO slot straight off the street.

After the bid closes they may chose to train new hires in any "holes" (i.e. MD-11 to ANC like last summer) and then start again putting new hires in the 727 FO and SO seats ---- or perhaps direct to the 757, if any of those seats go unfilled on the bid.

Latest talk from the MEC President at the Feb mtg in Memphis was age 60 guys would continue in the backseats, but shouldn't expect to sit back up front when/if the FAA rules change --- he thought any proposed rule change would be "prospective" not "retroactive"....of course it's all a guess at this point.

Can't wait to see the size and timing of this next bid.

 

[SNIZ]

Update

Buddie of mine saw PD (Indoc coord) in the MD11 building yesterday. He said the class that started this week will be the last until after the bid.

 

[DLax85]

Buddie of mine saw PD (Indoc coord) in the MD11 building yesterday. He said the class that started this week will be the last until after the bid.

Any hints from PD re: the timing of the bid?

...still on track for "spring"?

Looking at last year's bid letter it was posted 2 weeks before the actual bid, with one practice bid in the middle....is that 2-wk lead time std ops?

Hopefully, they'll give some specific information re: any new foreign domicile well in advance.

 

[Deuce130]

I wouldn't get too excited about a euro domicile on this bid. I would think if it was coming anytime soon that someone would have posted better info on it recently. Since the rumors are pretty weak about where and when it would happen, I can't imagine it would come out on this bid, which I heard on another board won't happen until mid April. Now, a GSO domicile, that would be something to get up about! Of course, I heard that rumor is pretty dead.

 

[Deuce130]

Good rumors from the training dept today. Bid was originally supposed to be Apr 15, but is delayed until may 15 in order to get the 777 and 757 on there, with the first 18 57's going to a Euro domicile that's still undecided. It's true that there will be no new hire classes until after the bid, but the company is still trying to stick to the target of hiring 300 people this year. Still have 100 people or so in the hiring pool, and I think something like 20 in the "to be interviewed" pool. Good source, I think, though it's possible some things may have gotten lost in the translation from original source to second source to me. Anyone else?

 

[DLax85]

I think 757s will definitely be on this bid, but am really wondering on the European domicile.

I would imagine moving to Europe is a big decision for anyone, even if you're young & single (...though a great opportunity!) and that the company would need to fully explain the whole package --- city, schools, move package etc --- before they could get buy-in from pilots at all levels, especially Captains.

I've heard the rumors both ways re: the 757s --- Memphis based first, then Europe domicile....and Europe domicile first, then Memphis based.

My uneducated guess would be the first, with 757s replacing the A300s on the SIBA lines first --- then a transition to a full up domicile down the road when we confirm the 757 is the best jet for those ops....kind of a crawl, walk, run approach, but hey I'm just sitting sideways.

If the 757 is going direct to a European domicile, hopefully they'll give us more then 2 weeks notice on the bid.

Any smarter folks want to jump in with good intel/perspectives?

 

[SNIZ]

Taxes

I think the big question you'll need to answer is, "Do you want to pay European income tax?" I don't know what France is but Germany was around 40% a few years ago. Denmark, Norway...60%.

I'm telling my wife to get DOD Schools teaching job over there and maybe I can come over as her dependent. Might give us some shelter from those tax rates, anybody have experience with that?

I'll bet the 757 starts in Memphis for a couple of years to get the bugs out and then starts SIBA in Europe. Europe really isn't a growth market for us, I hear our Buses fly around half emply over there, thus the desire for 757s.

FWIW

 

[FDXCapt]

Section 24.B. Filling of Vacancies - Crew Position Postings

...If the 757 is going direct to a European domicile, hopefully they'll give us more then 2 weeks notice on the bid...

Our contract is a good source for answers to questions like this.

Section 24.B.1.c.
Each posting shall be published and remain available for bidding for the following minimum time periods:
i. 14 days for permanent vacancies or excesses at an existing non-FDA domicile;
ii. 28 days for permanent vacancies or excesses at an FDA base;
iii. 45 days for the initial posting of permanent vacancies establishing a new domicile (including FDA domicile);
iv. 10 days for temporary vacancies.

 

[DLax85]

Our contract is a good source for answers to questions like this.

Section 24.B.1.c.
Each posting shall be published and remain available for bidding for the following minimum time periods:
i. 14 days for permanent vacancies or excesses at an existing non-FDA domicile;
ii. 28 days for permanent vacancies or excesses at an FDA base;
iii. 45 days for the initial posting of permanent vacancies establishing a new domicile (including FDA domicile);
iv. 10 days for temporary vacancies.

Thanks for those nuggets of knowlege...very helpful!

 

[DLax85]

757 Foreign Domicile in Europe

I think the big question you'll need to answer is, "Do you want to pay European income tax?" I don't know what France is but Germany was around 40% a few years ago. Denmark, Norway...60%.

I'm telling my wife to get DOD Schools teaching job over there and maybe I can come over as her dependent. Might give us some shelter from those tax rates, anybody have experience with that?

I'll bet the 757 starts in Memphis for a couple of years to get the bugs out and then starts SIBA in Europe. Europe really isn't a growth market for us, I hear our Buses fly around half emply over there, thus the desire for 757s.

FWIW

After 21 years of active --- 13 of which were outside the CONUS --- I'm not looking to bid a foreign domicile until all my kids graduate high school.

Hopefully, they'll have all the bugs worked out in Europe by 2018 --- just in time to get my "high 5" and retire again.

...maybe....

I know, I know....the only constant in this business (and in life) is change!