FedEx pilots have marked four years since the start of their contract negotiations, expressing dissatisfaction with the prolonged process. The pilots are currently working under a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that was signed on November 2, 2015. The FedEx Master Executive Council (MEC) of the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), aims to secure an industry-leading contract focusing on enhanced retirement benefits, pay rates, and quality of life improvements.
The FedEx Corporation and ALPA entered into a Protocol Agreement on March 24, 2021. This agreement aimed to focus discussions on specific sections to reach a Tentative Agreement by May 2022. Both parties opened eight sections each of the CBA for negotiation. An initial agreement was reached in May 2023 but was rejected by the pilot group in July 2023 due to concerns over scope provisions, economic issues, and quality of life concessions.
Since October 2022, federal mediation has been involved in the case. During this period, FedEx has undergone corporate changes under a cost-saving initiative called “DRIVE” and a strategy named “One FedEx,” which seeks to integrate air and ground operations. As part of these changes, FedEx closed a pilot base in Europe and outsourced European air operations involving mainline 757 aircraft to foreign carriers.
The pilot group expressed disappointment with FedEx’s approach during initial negotiations and expects future contracts to reflect collaboration and growth in international market share. Capt. Jose Nieves, chair of the FedEx MEC, urged management “to reassess the impact of recent optimization decisions and collaborate with us on a way ahead—a future that balances safety, productivity, and quality of life in a challenging operating environment.”
According to the National Mediation Board overseeing these efforts, both parties met twice in April for mediated negotiations with more sessions planned.
ALPA is recognized as the largest airline pilot union globally since its founding in 1931 and represents over 79,000 pilots across 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines.
