Cargo Pilot Labor Disputes

Pilots at both FedEx and UPS currently are engaged in contract disputes with their employers.

An Associated Press article that appeared in a number of news media yesterday said:

UPS pilots have run newspaper advertisements prodding management to reach an agreement with them and have authorized their union to call a strike if necessary, and on Thursday they planned informational picketing outside company storefronts in several cities. At FedEx, the company has asked for a federal mediator to join talks with its pilots.

The major issues the companies and their pilot unions are grappling with in the talks include pay, pensions, work rules, health benefits and job security.

Unlike many passenger carriers, both UPS and FedEx are highly profitable.

"It's an apples to oranges comparison to compare us to the legacy carriers," said Brian Gaudet, a spokesman for the Independent Pilots Association, which represents UPS' 2,483 pilots. "We work for a strong and viable company that gets stronger every day because of what we do."