MrFedEx
Engorged Member
FedEx has made no secret of the fact that they want to retire their MD10 fleet ASAP and replace it with 757s and 767s. You remember this plane, right? These were the old DC10s we were buying up until 2005 or so, and converting them at tremendous cost into freighters with an MD11 cockpit. In other words, eliminating the flight engineer, and installing new avionics into a 3-engine fuel hog. Not very smart, but they'd be flying for another 20 years according to Fred. Well, I guess not. He had to sign-off on this bone-headed strategy, and now we'll be converting PAX 757s and 767s that are early versions being retired by the majors.
Guess what? This will cost a boatload of money. Fred has already leveraged Boeing on the new aircraft he bought, because Smith had a deal where his options would be nullified if any new legislation (amending the RLA) was passed that made it easier for employees to organize. I would expect he has similar language for any additional Boeing orders.
This is a double-whammy because Fred gets Boeing lobbying clout along with his own. Plus, my guess is that the PAX 757 and 767 conversion work will go to a right-to-work state provider that also has lobbying clout, as in they want those non-union conversion jobs and dollars pouring into their states.
The net result for us is more investment into aircraft and less into hourly workers, so don't be expecting any decent raises or benefits any time soon. Fred will pay for all of this out of our back pockets, and we'll also pay for his stupidity in investing n MD10s.
FU, Fred.
Guess what? This will cost a boatload of money. Fred has already leveraged Boeing on the new aircraft he bought, because Smith had a deal where his options would be nullified if any new legislation (amending the RLA) was passed that made it easier for employees to organize. I would expect he has similar language for any additional Boeing orders.
This is a double-whammy because Fred gets Boeing lobbying clout along with his own. Plus, my guess is that the PAX 757 and 767 conversion work will go to a right-to-work state provider that also has lobbying clout, as in they want those non-union conversion jobs and dollars pouring into their states.
The net result for us is more investment into aircraft and less into hourly workers, so don't be expecting any decent raises or benefits any time soon. Fred will pay for all of this out of our back pockets, and we'll also pay for his stupidity in investing n MD10s.
FU, Fred.
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