FedEx Pilots Nix 30% Pay Hike Offer

Pilots for FedEx have rejected a tentative labor deal. But that doesn’t mean they’re about to walk off the job just as UPS is threatened with its own strike by 340,000 drivers and other hourly ground workers, Chris Isidore reported for CNN.

Photo Insert: The FedEx pilots who belong to the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) voted 57% against the proposed contract.

The FedEx pilots who belong to the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) voted 57% against the proposed contract, which was reached in May and endorsed by union leadership.

The proposed contract would have provided for a 30% pay increase, as well as a 30% improvement in pension benefit. Major objections from the rank-and-file are not yet clear.

But even with the “no” vote, the 5,200 FedEx pilots won’t be able to go on strike any time soon.

They work under a different labor law than most private sector employees, who are allowed to go on strike when their contracts expire, as is the case with the Teamsters at UPS, who could be on strike as soon as August 1.

FedEx pilots are covered by the Railway Labor Act, which despite the name, covers both rail workers and airline employees. Those are two of the most heavily unionized US industries, and the law places considerable hurdles in the way of any union that wants to strike.

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