Pilots at FedEx Express have approved a new six-year agreement giving them pay increases and improved working conditions, while colleagues at UPS are voting on whether to strike over the lack of a pay deal.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), with some 52,000 members at 30 North American airlines, announced that a majority of the more than 4,000 FedEx pilots approved an agreement struck between the union and the company in August.
The new agreement provides across-the-board increases to hourly pay rates and new-hire compensation, a significant signing bonus, retirement plan enhancements, work-rule improvements, and other positive modifications. It will go into effect November 2015 and will become amendable in 2021.
“With the ballot to approve or reject the agreement open for nearly a month, our pilots did their due diligence to analyse and evaluate this agreement. In the end, the majority felt we achieved an agreement that brings improvements and recognises our contribution to the success of FedEx,” said Captain Chuck Dyer, chairman of the union’s FedEx Master Executive Council (MEC).
“The drive to this agreement was led by our Negotiating Committee, chaired by Captain Scott Larsen, and backed by ALPA’s professional staff, subject-matter experts, and our elected representatives. We worked closely with the National Mediation Board and FedEx management to achieve an agreement that was acceptable to all parties involved,” he added. The agreement was achieved after more than a year of negotiations.
Meanwhile, the Independent Pilots Association (IPA) said voting will close at 10am Eastern Daylight Time on Friday (October 23) in the ongoing strike ballot involving UPS pilots and the result will be announced shortly afterwards. Voting started on October 1.
The IPA, which represents the 2,528 UPS pilots, is asking pilots to authorise a strike following more than four years of fruitless negotiations. If approved, the five-pilot Executive Board of the Independent Pilots Association will have the authority to formally request a release from federally mediated negotiations with UPS, and the discretion to conduct a strike once mediation is concluded.
Last month UPS played down the likelihood of any strike action by its pilots and stressed it remained committed to negotiating for a contract that is good for our employees, our customers and our company”.
UPS and the IPA have been in talks since 2011 over a new pay and working conditions contract to replace an agreement which dates back to 2006 and remains valid pending a new agreement.
