UPS/IPA talks stalled, Mediators order recess

[BIGBROWNDC8]

National Mediation Board Puts UPS Talks with IPA in Recess
Thursday June 23, 12:46 pm ET


WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 23, 2005--UPS (NYSE:UPS - News) today
announced the National Mediation Board has ordered a recess in the company's
labor negotiations with the Independent Pilots Association (IPA).
There can be no strike or work stoppage while the parties are in recess.
UPS pilots are legally obligated under the Railway Labor Act to continue
working under the existing contract during any recess.

A recess often is a normal part of the mediation process, allowing the
company and the union time to re-evaluate their positions. It does not
prohibit the two parties from continuing to talk. While a recess has
occurred in previous negotiations between UPS and the IPA, the company
said it had hoped an agreement could be reached without a recess. Moving
forward, the federal mediator will continue to control the timing and
pace of negotiations.

"UPS pilots already are among the highest paid in the industry. The
company has presented comprehensive proposals that increase pay, improve
pensions, raise benefits and enhance vacations while also addressing
other quality-of-life concerns," said Bob Lekites, vice president of
UPS airlines and international operations. "While the company and the
union still have differences to address, UPS remains committed to continue
negotiations until an agreement can be reached."

To date, UPS has worked with the IPA to successfully address such important
contract issues as work rules, quality of life, safety and job security.


UPS continues to believe the federally prescribed negotiating process
will result in a contract that best serves the interests of its employees,
customers and shareholders.

"The company remains ready and willing to meet at any time or place
specified by the federal mediator," added Lekites.


Highest Paid??? makes me laugh...

 

[Wise Guy]

Highest Paid??? makes me laugh...


Yeah, ask the new hires how they like living below the poverty line. I wonder if the company really thinks the IPA membership will buy the stuff they put out? The strike authorization vote should have given them an idea of where the loyalty is. These guys really are something else.

Maybe we should join the FedEx chant: ONE MORE DAY OF RETRO PAY!

 

[BIGBROWNDC8]

Imagine if FedEx/DHL realize that this is an opportunity of a lifetime to take at a minimum 50% of UPS's market share while we go into recess. This is a competitors dream come true and its given freely to you from the largest/most trusted name in the business (Unless of course you work for Citigroup) .

FedEx could realize a huge profit by settling quickly with its pilots union and then taking the extra profit that they will surely have from all the soon to be UPS ship jumpers, to cover the increases in salary, pension, etc. Sure you give in to the "Evil Unions", but in the end its all about the bottom line and your bottom line will be higher. FedEx strikes me as the kind of company that is more interested in being successful and maintaining/growing their customer base than they are Union busting, and beating their chest, which is all UPS is really about. IMHO, UPS doesn't seem at all concerned that these delays will only cause there customer base to seek other "More reliable" avenues for their shipping needs.

But what do I know...

 

[FedEx1]

I'm curious... does anyone have any real numbers from the last UPS strike? How much business did Fedex really get? How much stayed after UPS was back at full speed?

I had heard that Fedex got so swollen so fast, it was unable to even service our regular customers in a timely manner, let alone the new ones. I guess Fedex is a little bigger now, especially the ground part. But the planes seem to be full- with the US mail and all. Not sure where we'd put the UPS business. So who knows?

I know from a pilot perspective, I wouldn't want to see UPS go on strike. However, Fedex seems to be big on bashing down the union- after all, most of the company is NOT unionized. I think MGT is worried the rest will want to be unionized if the pilots get too much.

Me, too Brown... what do I know?

 

[F18-FDX]

"UPS pilots already are among the highest paid in the industry."

Not because the company has given them an extra dime, mind you. Only because the rest of the industries wages passed UPS on the way down into the toilet. Gimme a break...f***ing management spin. Don't give them an inch IPA, we're all behind you!

 

[Below Mins]

IPA Press Release

NMB Puts UPS/IPA in Indefinite Recess
​

IPA Calls on UPS to Make its Last, Best and Final Contract Offer
​

IPA Leadership Seeks Final Authorization for Strike, Release
​

Thursday, June 23, 2005, (Washington, DC) – After 32-months in negotiations, the Independent Pilots Association calls on UPS to make its last, best and final offer on a new pilot contract.



“We are going to give UPS until the end of the month to pull together its last, best and final contract offer,” said Capt. Tom Nicholson, President of the IPA. “If UPS cannot, or will not, give us its last, best and final offer for our pilots to vote on, the IPA will pull together the highlights of UPS’s final offers on the five open articles and send that out to our pilots for a vote.”



A year after jointly requesting federal mediation, IPA and UPS have closed none of the five major articles that were open when the request was made. Those contract articles include Scope, Scheduling, Pension, Compensation and Health Benefits.



“These talks are in a logjam; we need for our pilots to weigh-in with a vote to let UPS know that what they’re offering won’t fly with our crewmembers,” said Capt. Nicholson. “In addition to voting on UPS’s final offer, we will also ask our pilots to give IPA leadership the final authorization to call a strike and request release from federal mediation.”



While the IPA cannot go into detail about UPS’s final positions on the open articles before they share them with their crewmembers, Capt. Nicholson had the following to say about UPS’s final position on each of the open major articles.

* Scope: “The last offer that the company put on the table would allow for outsourcing of American jobs to third-world carriers with questionable safety and customer reliability records.”

* Scheduling: “UPS has pulled the rug out from our negotiators who have diligently worked through otherwise productive scheduling discussions. The company has refused to provide industry standard rest facilities for crewmembers who fly some of the most challenging schedules, across multiple time zones worldwide, at all times of the day and night. ”

* Pension: “It’s about securing our pension and not allowing what happened to the employees at United Airlines or Enron to happen here. It’s also about achieving parity with the pensions with our counterparts at FedEx.”

* Compensation: “UPS’s final offer is minimal at best and a pay cut for a substantial percentage of our members.”

* Healthcare: “UPS’s final offer would increase our monthly out-of-pocket payments by more than 1,000%.”



The vote on UPS current contract offer and final strike authorization is expected in mid-August.

 

[flybrowntails]

i have already voted once--my vote has not changed.

100 PUUURRR-CENNT!

 

[BIGBROWNDC8]

“We are going to give UPS until the end of the month to pull together its last, best and final contract offer,” said Capt. Tom Nicholson, President of the IPA. “If UPS cannot, or will not, give us its last, best and final offer for our pilots to vote on, the IPA will pull together the highlights of UPS’s final offers on the five open articles and send that out to our pilots for a vote.”

The good ole LBFO... Ive never understood this concept here at UPS, If they send us one, I dont expect it to be any different than what they have been offering from the beginning, its starting to get interesting around here... I guess if I had to find a positive about this (Difficult to do) Id say its that we finally get to see details based upon the "Highlights" Capt Nicholson was talking about as to where we each side stood during the Mediated tallks.