Agreement Must Still be Approved By Pilots

The  Master Executive Council (MEC), the governing body for FedEx at the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), has approved the tentative contract agreement made with the world-wide package delivery company last month.

They unanimously recommended ratification by the roughly 4,100 pilots employed by FedEx.

As ANN reported in August, negotiations had been going on for over two and half years, often heated, with issues being primarily not the pay, but the benefits. A contract had not been reached since FedEx pilots agreed to unionize and join ALPA in March of 2002.

"If ratified by our members, FedEx pilots will have a contract that acknowledges their hard work and contributions to an industry-leading company -- in pay, pension benefits, healthcare and retiree medical coverage," said Captain David Webb, chairman of the FedEx MEC, according to UPI.

ALPA released a statement that "the new agreement provides industry-leading pay, improved retirement benefits for pilots through changes in both the defined benefit and defined contribution plans" and "strengthened and enhanced work rules."

The voting among the rank and file membership begins Sept. 18 and pilots will have 30 days to make their decision.

FMI: www.fedex.com, www.alpa.org