Latest offer from FedEx management: We know it sucks here, we worked out an offer for you guys to go to PSA instead!

[Flyinthrew]

I’m not kidding unfortunately. This is from our VP of Flight Ops:

—————————————————
As I recently communicated, our Flight Operations are significantly overstaffed. Air cargo demand remains down, with decreased revenues and volumes similar to 2019 levels. Consequently, Bid Line Guarantees on most of our fleets are at or near minimums and will probably stay there for the foreseeable future. This low demand is not unique to FedEx but is an industry-wide issue impacting the major cargo carriers. For example, just last week, UPS announced it was revising its annual outlook downward because of the slowing global economy.



As you may have noticed, the passenger industry is not facing the same issues, and those carriers continue to hire pilots at a pace we haven’t seen in recent history with no apparent end in sight.



With that in mind, I want to make you aware of an opportunity that is intended to address the booming demand for passenger carrier pilots and that could help with our overstaffing at the same time. For years, we have had a very good relationship with American Airlines, and they have a healthy respect for the quality of our crew force. In light of their need for additional crew members, they approached us with a unique opportunity for FedEx pilots to be hired via an expedited interview process directly into the Captain seat at their wholly-owned subsidiary, PSA Airlines. The program is available through December 1 and highlights include:

• A $250,000 signing bonus
• Years of Service credit for Part 121 flying
• Guaranteed flow to American Airlines

While I understand that this is not something that will appeal to every pilot, for those of you who are frustrated with current flight hours, career progression, or have just been on the fence about available options, you may consider this unique opportunity enough of an incentive to make a move. Frankly, I was pessimistic about how attractive the opportunity might be when first approached, but the details are compelling.



More information can be found here: https://psaairlines.com/fedex-pilots.



I have always been passionate about our pilot hiring process and the selection of crew members for the future of FedEx. I know we have done that well. But sometimes career and family priorities change, and I understand that too. Just the other day, I received an email from a two-year legacy pilot (father flew here) who has made the difficult choice to leave FedEx for a passenger carrier. It was painful to read, but he believes he is making the best decision for his family situation, and I support him wholeheartedly.



A slowing economy, large customer contract negotiations, and slowing pilot retirements with an already overmanned crew force have forced me to accept the fact that I might be seeing more folks that I once personally called to offer a position at FedEx accept offers elsewhere. I have no doubt that FedEx will continue to navigate the turbulent market conditions that are inherent in this business and will remain a great place to work for pilots and others in the long term. That said, I certainly understand if some of you decide that your particular circumstances are leading you to pursue opportunities somewhere else.

Could you speak to how big the pilot group was before natural attrition started vs now?

Has there been an early out offered to the top of the list?

 

[mikecweb]

Could you speak to how big the pilot group was before natural attrition started vs now?

Has there been an early out offered to the top of the list?

There has been no early out offered, that would cost money. People are starting to leave. It's accelerating for sure. Now short staffed in two seats, Bus FO and 57 FO and probably still in the neighborhood of 10% overstaffed systemwide, ~500 pilots. This summer I think they realized the path to furlough may be impossible within the contract, super expensive if nothing else.
I think those that are sticking around really only need to worry about is prolonged contract negotiations and when hiring does resume, what is the quality of candidate that would choose this over anywhere else.
If the postal contract completely goes away, it'll be a whole different story.

Who knows, still a great job for some, can't imagine doing anything else. It's a great time to be a pilot so those that need/want to leave won't be on the street which is a very good thing.

 

[Maurus]

I hope not.

I'd rather not be unemployed.

Real people work at regionals.

True but if the regionals fail that means the hole formed would likely be filled by higher paying/better QOL jobs at mainline. I also wouldn't expect the RJs to disappear altogether either. Legacies have RJ pay rates for the ones they can staff.

 

[Maurus]

It doesn’t make any sense, annd really it doesn’t, unless you’re just saying goodbye to FedEx for good. I don’t think it’d be a paycut for that first year if you’re also first year at FedEx.

Losing mainline seniority is a pay cut. Much better to lateral or hold tight IMO. Going to PSA will only cause permanent damage to a FedEx pilot's career. PSA seniority is worthless.

Hell just look at how much your shop is hiring. If a FedEx pilot goes to PSA they will likely be ineligible for hire outside of flow. Lots of strings and career traps attached to that $250,000.

 

[Flyinthrew]

There has been no early out offered, that would cost money. People are starting to leave. It's accelerating for sure. Now short staffed in two seats, Bus FO and 57 FO and probably still in the neighborhood of 10% overstaffed systemwide, ~500 pilots. This summer I think they realized the path to furlough may be impossible within the contract, super expensive if nothing else.
I think those that are sticking around really only need to worry about is prolonged contract negotiations and when hiring does resume, what is the quality of candidate that would choose this over anywhere else.
If the postal contract completely goes away, it'll be a whole different story.

Who knows, still a great job for some, can't imagine doing anything else. It's a great time to be a pilot so those that need/want to leave won't be on the street which is a very good thing.

When 60% of the list is on topped out WB CA pay I guess it can be expensive to do the early out thing. However, that would be THOUSANDS of training events that don’t have to happen during furlough induced displacements, and the list would be more junior saving lots of LTD, sick, and vacation even if it didn’t drive wages down more effectively than furloughs.

 

[mikecweb]

When 60% of the list is on topped out WB CA pay I guess it can be expensive to do the early out thing. However, that would be THOUSANDS of training events that don’t have to happen during furlough induced displacements, and the list would be more junior saving lots of LTD, sick, and vacation even if it didn’t drive wages down more effectively than furloughs.

The path to furlough is super expensive before the first person even gets a notice. The CBA is lagging in pay and some other items but the furlough protection is fantastic.

 

[Flyinthrew]

The path to furlough is super expensive before the first person even gets a notice. The CBA is lagging in pay and some other items but the furlough protection is fantastic.

I would love to dig into FedEx’s furlough protection, because I think furloughs should be a thing of the past for any company that intends to stay in business. I honestly think that most modern managers would agree on a philosophical level. Unfortunately, it’s still like step one or two in most pilot union contracts for workforce shaping, and the way contract negotiations go nobody wants to touch it under normal circumstances.

 

[Boris Badenov]

I'm extremely curious as to how this all shakes out. Brown has (as most people in this conversation probably know) just given ~200 early-outs *before* peak, which no one I've flown with can really explain. Like, why wouldn't you keep them around for that extra month, THEN put them out to pasture? What do they know that we don't?

 

[JustinS]

Could you speak to how big the pilot group was before natural attrition started vs now?

The pilot group peaked around 5900 pilots (6,009 showed on paper, but they only update the list once a year contractually on July 1st so they only updated to add new hires). Right now the pilot group is probably around 5700 pilots. They were at 5800 pilots July 1st. They said they were overstaffed by 700 pilots around July 1st…

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Brown doesn't hate us. It just wants to get rid of us. I've always perversely appreciated the fact that it doesn't pretend (well, not very hard or convincingly, anyway) to be anything but a Big Corporation, with all that that entails. No surprises.

If you change “Brown“ to any air carrier the first and second sentences are still true.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

True but if the regionals fail that means the hole formed would likely be filled by higher paying/better QOL jobs at mainline. I also wouldn't expect the RJs to disappear altogether either. Legacies have RJ pay rates for the ones they can staff.

”What’s your view on scope?”

”Not one seat, pound, jet or job.”

”But!”

”No, I was ALWAYS this way.”

 

[Boris Badenov]

I hope not.

I'd rather not be unemployed.

Real people work at regionals.

I think the notion would be more like those real people would now be working at Legacies.

 

[Beep]

Man I thought brown hated us but this is something different. This is tacky, and that’s putting it lightly. Morale was not a part of the decision making process before sending this out to the pilot group.

Fingers crossed the F word doesn’t come to fruition but I hope this doesn’t become one of those things where AA won’t pick up FedEx folks but will try to staff their regionals with them.

At least they’re letting the pilot group know that in no way, shape, or form should they give one centimeter toward helping this management team achieve what they seem to be attempting to do.

Calculated cruelty is all this is, and a very arrogant form of it as far as I’m concerned.

 

[Beep]

Wow dude. Really?

I took that meme as a jab at not only Fed Ex management, but more specifically the person responsible for drafting and sending that arrogant, POS letter to you and the other Pilots there.

I know I don’t speak for everyone, but I’m pretty shocked that this letter was actually real, it seems more like a sociopathic negotiating tactic than a heartfelt message to me.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

I took that meme as a jab at not only Fed Ex management, but more specifically the person responsible for drafting and sending that arrogant, POS letter to you and the other Pilots there.

I know I don’t speak for everyone, but I’m pretty shocked that this letter was actually real, it seems more like a sociopathic negotiating tactic than a heartfelt message to me.

Communications from one party targeted at a very specific person or handful of people (which go out to everyone) are a real thing.

They never look particularly great.

 

[ERfly]

I just laughed when I read it yesterday (and then of course immediately went to our Facebook group to see how quickly the keyboard warriors got spun up...Spoiler Alert: It was fast!). One just has to look at the timing of the email. It comes out on a Friday afternoon, right before the company and ALPA restart mediated negotiations on Monday. Hm...

I didn't think he was this out of touch and it screams like his hand being forced from on high.

Of course, my phone did start blowing up from my former co-workers as I was walking into the sim yesterday.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

I just laughed when I read it yesterday (and then of course immediately went to our Facebook group to see how quickly the keyboard warriors got spun up...Spoiler Alert: It was fast!). One just has to look at the timing of the email. It comes out on a Friday afternoon, right before the company and ALPA restart mediated negotiations on Monday. Hm...

Red meat for the chattering classes and meme warriors, hooray!

 

[ERfly]

Red meat for the chattering classes and meme warriors, hooray!

I just go there for the memes.

They range from "Damn! That's pretty good!" to "You don't really understand what a meme is, do you?"

 

[GypsyPilot]

I just go there for the memes.

They range from "Damn! That's pretty good!" to "You don't really understand what a meme is, do you?"

I haven’t been on Jetflyers or any of the chat groups for over three years. I can’t even imagine how unhinged that has become.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

I just go there for the memes.

They range from "Damn! That's pretty good!" to "You don't really understand what a meme is, do you?"

I had to 30-day snooze a certain Meme Page after the, er, event at Horizon, and I’m grateful for the respite. Though I’m sure that the content is Pretty Darn Good (if not spectacular) regarding the “other” recent event charged under 49 USC 46504 (we are very good at making fun of ourselves). I also draw a sharp distinction between the two, but now I’m meandering. Anyway.

On average I like meme pages and aviation/airline meme content, and I have generated a fair amount of my own (I have memes older than certain peoples’ careers, in fact). I do think that some meme-people are •bags who are either unwilling to or incapable of productively contributing to the conversation, or simply aren’t consuming the same news or inhabiting the same reality as the Rest of Us. But that’s not exactly limited to the aeronautical or labor brand of politics neither.