FedEx pilots union picks new leader after rejecting tentative deal
2:07 pm Thursday, November 02nd, 2023
(This Oct. 30 story has been corrected to specify that Billy Wilson is the new chair in the headline and in paragraphs 1 & 2)
(Reuters) – The FedEx Master Executive Council, the governing body of the delivery firm’s unit in the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), said on Monday it had elected a new chair after union members rejected a tentative contract with the company in July.
ALPA elected Billy Wilson last week to serve as chair for an interim term running through March 2025, replacing Chris Norman, who was instrumental in shaping the tentative agreement that union members voted down over pay and job security issues.
The union represents 6,000 pilots at FedEx, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“I am committed to bringing all of our pilots together as we reestablish negotiations,” Wilson said in a statement.
Wilson called for compensation that is commensurate with pilots at other airlines, where commercial pilots have won significant raises, reflecting their bargaining power in an era of staff shortages.
Wilson said FedEx pilots transported vital goods when businesses shut down in the early days of the COVID pandemic.
“We paid a heavy price for this while the company made historic profits,” he said, adding that quality of life, work rules and retirement are also key issues for ALPA members.
The tentative FedEx deal rejected by pilots included a 30% pay rise and a 30% increase to their legacy pensions.
American Airlines pilots, represented by the Allied Pilots Association (APA), in August ratified a deal that raises their compensation by more 46% over the four-year duration of their contract.
(Reporting by Priyamvada C in Bengaluru and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Devika Syamnath, Alexander Smith and David Evans)
