UPS to begin pilot furloughs this weekend

By Aaron Karp | May 21, 2010

UPS Airlines will furlough 54 pilots Sunday and may cut around 250 additional pilots by year end, according to both the company and the Independent Pilots Assn. representing the cargo carrier's 2,800 pilots.

UPS said in February that it would begin furloughing "at least" 300 pilots in phases beginning this month unless it could "find a solution with the pilots' union that would avert or mitigate the layoffs before they take effect" (ATWOnline, Feb. 9).

Last year, the company and IPA reached agreement on "a variety of voluntary steps" to cut $90 million in costs, in exchange for a promise from management that there would be no furloughs through April 1 of this year. But UPS said this week that lower demand, a more modern fleet requiring fewer pilots and raising of the pilot retirement age from 60 to 65 in December 2007 necessitates its first-ever pilot furloughs.

"At a time when the number one issue for most Americans is creating jobs, UPS is creating unemployment," IPA President Robert Thrush said. "What makes this furlough truly unfortunate is that our pilots took it upon themselves to give up pay and benefits to produce…guaranteed savings for UPS, enough to keep these 300 pilots employed well into 2011."

He charged that management earlier this year "mockingly [held] out hope that the furloughs may be mitigated, averted or eliminated" so that it could "shamefully attempt to place blame on the pilots for somehow failing to act."

Discuss this news 17

21 May10:41

As usual, the pilots want

By James A. Petrie IV

As usual, the pilots want their cake and eat it too. I doubt it but one of these days a pilot should really have to run a company and make a profit. Their inability to connect with reality has always amazed me.

21 May10:53

As usual, management wants

By Robert de Pilot

As usual, management wants their cake and eat it too. I doubt it but could one of these days, management really have to fly a jet through inclement weather, in foreign terrain to a successful, safe landing? Their inability to connect with what really happens beyond the board room has always amazed me.

21 May11:16

My guess is that the

By distrusting management

My guess is that the management could foresee this plan if they did the proper planning. They got their savings through cuts. That doesn't change the fact that they have too many pilots. They are just using the chance to lower the headcount and save even more, which usually turns into bonuses. Using circumstances to get what they want. With these current ethical choices, no wonder nobody believes management when they speak.

21 May11:54

Robert, I completely agree

By Alejandro

Robert,

I completely agree that flight conditions are not necessarily considered from the board room. And the impact on persons and families should always be a part of the decision. Yet these type of decisions should be made from a perspective of financial health not operating conditions or risks.

They are separate issues. A complicated flight is not avoided by having additional pilots or additional dollars in the paycheck. These are solved in other ways like having the adequate Crew and invest continuously to build and strengthen their abilities through proper training.

21 May14:34

Pilots truly amaze me,

By Anonymous

Pilots truly amaze me, supposedly they are an educated group but boy o boy, where the heck do get the idea that they "deserve" something?...I work and get paid what the market pays for someone with my skills, no union, no nothing; I work and I get what I negotiated with my employer; If they don't want me anymore they'll just get rid of me. If I want more money, and they don't want to give it to me, am free to go somewhere else...

21 May16:38

Mr. the IV any Mr.

By ABKAP10

Mr. the IV any Mr. Anonymous,

You guys amaze me. You just have no clue! Arrogance and ignorance is a dangerous combination!
Working $100 million machines in all kinds of weather, terrain etc where one mistake will cost lifes and millions of dollars is a $200.000 dollar job.

21 May16:45

Before making a comment about

By Anonymous

Before making a comment about another professionals career it would be wiser to educate oneself about it. When you do not first do this you show your ignorance to the world.
Whether or not you think it is a good idea pilots at most airlines are employed under a seniority system.
Therefore, if one wants to leave and go somewhere else they must start over at the bottom. There are no lateral moves in this type of aviation.
Your industry is obviously different. So please, in the future, educate yourself about a subject you feel the need to express your opinion about.

21 May22:40

UPS Mgmt are a bunch of

By Dano

UPS Mgmt are a bunch of greedy rich old men who, truly obnoxious at heart, want nothing more than to pick a fight with their pilots to prove how powerful mgmt is. The pilot/mgmt relationship there is absolutely horrible and this is sure to make it worse. The 'other' cargo carrier might be smaller and less wealthy but they have TONS more class.

22 May12:15

You really should know

By Brown Bleeder

You really should know something about the topic before you comment. UPS is unlike any airline in the world. Money is NOT the issue at all! This is an insanely profitable company that has always operated at somewhat short staffed levels and expecting most to do a significant amount of overtime.

22 May14:52

It truly amazes me that

By Edward

It truly amazes me that people make comments about a situation which they have no information about the actual facts. This furlough is simple logic. Since 2006, UPS has flown less block hours every year thru 2010. The company has retired 3 fleet types; 727, 747-100/200 and the DC-8 all three man crew aircraft. Since the age 65 rule UPS has retained about 200 pilots over the age of 65. The retired fleets are slowly being replaced by 747-400F and 767-300F all of which have not been delivered. Thus more capacity less airplanes! For over a year UPS had 140 pilots that did not work one single day, average pay and benefits around 170K. They are just now being retrained. Basic economics, too many pilots to fly the yearly block hours. I am sorry it is just business!!

22 May14:56

I meant to say UPS has

By Edward

I meant to say UPS has retained 200 pilots over the age of 60!!!

23 May13:24

Too true. Check the airline

By krd123.openid.com

Too true. Check the airline industry over the past 30 years. However, not just the pilots exhibit this attitude, but most unionized workers do. Perhaps the entitlement mentality, so prevalent today, started with the strong-arm approach of the unions. It is not just pilots, (long ago) steel workers, auto workers, communications workers. I sold to the education industry for 26 years. Pre and post unionization. I can guarantee that one of the most destructive influences in education was the intrusion of unionization. Of course, it was necessary because management (boards, principals, and legislatures) continued to demand more with no more, or even less compensation, so the unions were probably necessary. But consider the difference in an adversarial vs. cooperative relationship. By my observation, it was night and day --- before and after unionization.

23 May22:48

Can you imagine how much

By Daniel K.

Can you imagine how much could be done if both sides put a fraction of that enegry twords producing for their customers?

24 May08:04

Furloughs are the risk that a

By Anonymous

Furloughs are the risk that a anyone takes when working in the airplane business. They are a nasty fact of a professional aviation life. Date of hire can be a god send or a cruel sentence. My best wishes to those headed for the beach. I have been there, many times.

24 May17:32

1) FedEx has more "class" ?!

By IguanaDC3

1) FedEx has more "class" ?! Are you drunk, or just ignernt? They detest ALL things union; always have, always will. Perhaps you meant Polar, or Atlas, or those other stalwarts of our biz', i.e. American Int'l, Kalitta, DHL, Airborne/ABX, Kitty Hawk, etc etc yada yada blah blah. Long live Brown.

2) Artificial protection of top performers AND lazy bums alike, otherwise known in Aviation & Gov't as "seniority" and in Education as "tenure", is immoral, as it's patently unfair for obvious reasons & is the 1 element which weakens the contributory effectiveness of those respective "gigs", as well as their macro-productivity AND the degree of trust which the rest of the working citizenry has (not) for those who hold those gigs.

Perhaps someday we'll ALL be merit-rated, based upon our performance, rather than on how long we stuck around with 1 company not because of loyalty but instead cuz we were too lazy (or gutless) to seek better gigs elsewhere, go figure.

Thanks for indulging, komrades.

---

25 May14:01

You forgot to mention "...a

By Anonymous

You forgot to mention "...a system of seniority as part of the collective bargaining agreement that the pilots voted in".

Talk about having your cake; you are complaining about a system you helped create. (Assuming you are a pilot)

UPS flight crew are some of the highest paid in the industry and should have little to complain about. In case you haven't noticed the economy has been in the toilet for a couple of years. I'm sure if the UPS pilot's union were given a choice of accepting a pay reduction to retain jobs or accept furloughs they would vote to keep the pay.

And before you accuse me of not being educated about one's career, I'm married to an airline pilot and the son of an airline pilot. I've seen enough ALPA magazines in my lifetime to make the world's largest roll of toilet paper.

11 Dec03:58

Looks like the pilots were

By Anonymous

Looks like the pilots were right this time, UPS suspended pilot furloughs at 109 and will not come close to realizing the cost savings the IPA offered.