FedEx pilots, management reach tentative agreement after years of bargaining

FedEx pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), reached a tentative agreement with FedEx management on an amended collective bargaining agreement. The parties have been actively negotiating since 2011. Discussions started in 2011 under a special interim discussions agreement that had originally been made by both parties to assist in narrowing the field of open items in order to conclude formal bargaining in a timely manner. Formal bargaining began in January 2013 when Section 6 openers were exchanged with management. On October 31st, 2014, FedEx management filed for mediation with the National Mediation Board (NMB), and negotiations have been conducted under NMB guidance. The new agreement is subject to review and finalization of contract language. Terms of the tentative agreement are not being released, as they first must be reviewed and approved by the FedEx ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC). If approved by the FedEx MEC leadership, the TA will be subject to a ratification vote of over 4,000 FedEx pilots. If ratified, the contract would become amendable in 2021.