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<blockquote data-quote="Ricochet1a" data-source="post: 861179" data-attributes="member: 22880"><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #000000">It has been over a year since I’ve posted here, but I think I’ll chime in on part of what is happening now. </span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #000000">For those who have kept current with politics, the FAA reauthorization has been hung up in the Senate. The seemingly countless short term extensions (20 by my count) performed over the past few years have appeared to have come to an end. The Democrats are insisting on rural airport subsidies and nixing FedEx’s RLA status, and Republicans are insisting on removing both items from a long term reauthorization bill. Since many of the airport subsidies benefit small Nevada airports, and the Senate minority leader just happens to be from Nevada, this may have something to do with the failure to kick the can down the road for a twenty-first time. </span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #000000">Due to the lack of another short term extension, more than 4000 FAA employees have been furloughed and airport construction in most locations has come to a halt. There was an average of $50 or so savings to the air traveling public due to the inability to collect those taxes which fund these FAA projects, but the airlines appear to have jumped their fares by an equivalent amount given the opportunity that presented itself. The furlough started last Friday. </span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'">Last year the Teamsters basically decided that they had to have Express removed from the RLA completely if they were to put the resources into attempting unionization drive at Express – they got burned in the late 90’s with Express Couriers. The administrative change in the definition of a majority wasn’t enough for the Teamsters, therefore their (and coincidentally) my walking away from the fight. The Teamsters are focusing their efforts on the drivers of FedEx Freight and the “real employees” of FedEx Ground (the terminal handlers) at this time. Quite simply put, not enough Express Couriers signed union cards in 2009 and 2010 on a national basis (required under RLA rules) to even make a certification drive worthwhile for the Teamsters. There was enough that if voting were to be held on a local basis (majority determination on a station-by-station basis), there was confidence at least one-quarter of Express stations would’ve voted to certify, but there wasn’t enough signed cards to justify a national campaign. </span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #000000">Whether Express is reacting to the possibility of the FAA bill going through with its RLA status being pulled (thus opening itself up to organizing on a station-by-station basis), is open to debate in a public venue such as this. However, Memphis has been brushing off its contingency plans that it made up over two years ago (again, coincidentally…). </span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #000000">Those still at Express have been experiencing a rash of idiotic changes in operating pattern that even the local management is puzzled as to why they are being directed to do so. Start times being pushed back when freight is sitting in the building, a disregard for meeting service and concern only for bottom line productivity, route restructuring that defies logic (outside an engineer’s spreadsheet) and more changes. The only consensus that is being made in the non-public discourse is that FedEx is experimenting with changes to operation plan to iron out any potential faults if it does indeed go to its contingency plan in the event that the threat of unionization becomes real.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #000000">The issue as it stands is whether in the greater debate that is occurring right now (debt ceiling and size of federal government spending) if the FAA bill will become a bargaining chip thrown into the mix, or if the Senate stands its ground and requires both rural airport subsidies along with nixing FedEx’s RLA status for the Express side. The informed political speculation is that the airport subsidies will stay (too many powerful Senators have a stake in this program) and that the proposed change in the RLA status will be nixed. </span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #000000">If FedEx loses its RLA status, look at my past posts in late 2009 and early 2010 as to the ramifications to Express employees – you’d better sign union cards damn quick and prepare to shut down Express. If Express keeps its RLA status, still expect changes to the operating structure since FedEx views the current economic climate NOT as just a temporary downturn, but as the new normal. In this new normal, FedEx is only making a 5% profit – it wants a 10% profit. We all know where that extra revenue is going to be coming from and where it is going to be spent.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'">Best of luck to those who are still holding out… </span></span></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ricochet1a, post: 861179, member: 22880"] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000]It has been over a year since I’ve posted here, but I think I’ll chime in on part of what is happening now. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000]For those who have kept current with politics, the FAA reauthorization has been hung up in the Senate. The seemingly countless short term extensions (20 by my count) performed over the past few years have appeared to have come to an end. The Democrats are insisting on rural airport subsidies and nixing FedEx’s RLA status, and Republicans are insisting on removing both items from a long term reauthorization bill. Since many of the airport subsidies benefit small Nevada airports, and the Senate minority leader just happens to be from Nevada, this may have something to do with the failure to kick the can down the road for a twenty-first time. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000]Due to the lack of another short term extension, more than 4000 FAA employees have been furloughed and airport construction in most locations has come to a halt. There was an average of $50 or so savings to the air traveling public due to the inability to collect those taxes which fund these FAA projects, but the airlines appear to have jumped their fares by an equivalent amount given the opportunity that presented itself. The furlough started last Friday. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Last year the Teamsters basically decided that they had to have Express removed from the RLA completely if they were to put the resources into attempting unionization drive at Express – they got burned in the late 90’s with Express Couriers. The administrative change in the definition of a majority wasn’t enough for the Teamsters, therefore their (and coincidentally) my walking away from the fight. The Teamsters are focusing their efforts on the drivers of FedEx Freight and the “real employees” of FedEx Ground (the terminal handlers) at this time. Quite simply put, not enough Express Couriers signed union cards in 2009 and 2010 on a national basis (required under RLA rules) to even make a certification drive worthwhile for the Teamsters. There was enough that if voting were to be held on a local basis (majority determination on a station-by-station basis), there was confidence at least one-quarter of Express stations would’ve voted to certify, but there wasn’t enough signed cards to justify a national campaign. [/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000]Whether Express is reacting to the possibility of the FAA bill going through with its RLA status being pulled (thus opening itself up to organizing on a station-by-station basis), is open to debate in a public venue such as this. However, Memphis has been brushing off its contingency plans that it made up over two years ago (again, coincidentally…). [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000]Those still at Express have been experiencing a rash of idiotic changes in operating pattern that even the local management is puzzled as to why they are being directed to do so. Start times being pushed back when freight is sitting in the building, a disregard for meeting service and concern only for bottom line productivity, route restructuring that defies logic (outside an engineer’s spreadsheet) and more changes. The only consensus that is being made in the non-public discourse is that FedEx is experimenting with changes to operation plan to iron out any potential faults if it does indeed go to its contingency plan in the event that the threat of unionization becomes real.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000]The issue as it stands is whether in the greater debate that is occurring right now (debt ceiling and size of federal government spending) if the FAA bill will become a bargaining chip thrown into the mix, or if the Senate stands its ground and requires both rural airport subsidies along with nixing FedEx’s RLA status for the Express side. The informed political speculation is that the airport subsidies will stay (too many powerful Senators have a stake in this program) and that the proposed change in the RLA status will be nixed. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000]If FedEx loses its RLA status, look at my past posts in late 2009 and early 2010 as to the ramifications to Express employees – you’d better sign union cards damn quick and prepare to shut down Express. If Express keeps its RLA status, still expect changes to the operating structure since FedEx views the current economic climate NOT as just a temporary downturn, but as the new normal. In this new normal, FedEx is only making a 5% profit – it wants a 10% profit. We all know where that extra revenue is going to be coming from and where it is going to be spent.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Best of luck to those who are still holding out… [/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] [/QUOTE]
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