More strike info from Friday:
Friday October 16, 8:10 pm Eastern Time
FedEx union heads to consider strike vote
NEW YORK, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Union negotiators representing the pilots at FDX
Corp's (NYSE:FDX - news) Federal Express plan to ask union leaders on Sunday to
decide whether to seek a vote among the pilots authorizing a strike.
The request for such a vote follows on the heels of a vote asking pilots whether they want to reject volunteer overtime
work as the busy Christmas season approaches for the express delivery service.
The vote for that decision, due October 22, and the request for a strike authorization vote comes after renewed
negotiations between the FedEx Pilots Association and the company began to stall in September.
''The negotiators feel they have made very little progress. The company has really not come forward in any major area,''
said union spokesman Tony Hauserman on Friday.
The union has been trying to negotiate a labor contract for Federal Express pilots since 1993, but its members have twice
rejected tentative labor agreements reached with the company.
Most recently, pilots in March voted against a tentative four-year pact that offered raises of four percent the first year,
three percent after a year-and-a-half and four percent after three years.
''The company is essentially offering us that again,'' Hauserman said.
Hauserman said the union is also concerned about new work rules introduced by the company in June that govern flight,
rest and sleep schedules.
Hauserman said pilots found the new rules disruptive, and that the amount of pilots who called in sick rose significantly in
June.
Meanwhile, union memebership has swollen from 60 percent, and the FPA now represents about 94 percent of Federal
Express' pilots.
The FPA contends that Federal Express' 3,500 pilots have not had a significant pay raise in 10 years and that their
salaries rank seventh among pilot salaries at the seven largest U.S. airlines.
As an example, the FPA says, the highest-ranking captains at rival United Parcel Service [UPS.CN] earn nearly 15
percent more than the highest ranking captains at Federal Express.
Hauserman said Federal Express pilot salaries range from about $40,000 to $155,000 a year, excluding overtime.
Calls to Federal Express were not immediately returned. |
