Stepping outside the normal network flow of express shipments and passing them off to a strictly ground carrier chartered, structured and authorized as a ground ONLY carrier and in doing so passing off control of those express shipments to that strictly ground carrier for the sole purpose of improving margins and nothing else could and likely will raise questions and with good reason regarding Memphis Fats respect for the sanctity of that exemption and the rule of law that granted it to him.You really don't understand why Express falls under the RLA, despite it being discussed here, do you?
The main test as to whether Express is covered under the RLA is whether it's an airline. It is.
The secondary test is how much Express relies on an airline to operate. Completely.
If the House Transportation Subcommittee gets wind of how he's moving RLA exempt freight through a Taft Hartley ground carrier regardless of who owns it for no other reason that the fact that it makes him more money doing it this way and what he's now doing with that exemption could very easily call into question whether he is stilled entitled to that exemption.