Pilots at American cargo airline FedEx Express have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract after voting in favor of a strike. The union representing the pilots, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), confirmed the possible deal earlier this week.

The news comes after two years of negotiations, as the union said conversations about a new contract began in May 2021. Last November, the airline reportedly filed for mediation with the National Mediation Board to help advance the negotiations.

No longer plans for a strike

In a statement on its website, FedEx said it was satisfied with the tentative deal.

“We are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with our pilots as we continue delivering outstanding service to our customers around the world.”

FedEx Boeing 777 freighter
Photo: Daisuke Shimizu | Shutterstock

Last month, FedEx pilots authorized the ALPA to call a strike if the negotiations remained stagnant, according to FreightWaves. The strike would happen if the airline had exhausted all procedural steps in the talks under federal labor law. However, conversations regarding higher pay had not yet occurred. The airline and union had only resolved disagreements regarding retirement and scheduling practices, according to officials.

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Agreement timeline

Terms of the agreement have not been released since it is still being finalized. The FedEx Master Executive Council (MEC) must review the terms and approve the deal. When the agreement was announced initially on Tuesday, the FedEx MEC reportedly had not seen the terms, according to FreightWaves.

After the executive council approves the agreement, the airline’s pilots will hold a ratification vote. According to Capt. Chris Norman, Chair of the FedEx ALPA MEC, the agreement being reached was a long time coming.

“For more than two years, our pilots have demonstrated their unwavering support of our Negotiating Committee, and just two weeks ago voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike,” Norman said in a statement obtained by Memphis ABC affiliate, WATN. “This tentative agreement represents the culmination of a tremendous effort, and would not have been possible without the solidarity, patience, and determination of every FedEx pilot.”

FedEx aircraft landing on runway
Photo: Denise Kappa / Shutterstock

The MEC will reportedly meet in Memphis, Tennessee, where the airline is headquartered, in the coming days to determine whether it will endorse the tentative deal. It comes less than a week after hundreds of FedEx pilots picketed outside of the airline’s air operations center in Memphis to express their frustration over the slow pace of the negotiations, according to FreightWaves.

“Throughout the negotiations process, it has been the unity of our pilots that moved the needle and helped deliver this tentative agreement,” Norman explained. “We thank our pilots for their continued professionalism and willingness to show up and be counted when it mattered most.”

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Moving forward

The new contract news comes after FedEx introduced cost-cutting measures in March. The airline announced it would reduce flights and ground several aircraft due to ongoing low demand for parcel and freight shipments. The carrier is also focused on modernizing its aging fleet, with at least six McDonnell Douglas MD-11s scheduled to be retired this year.

FedEx pilots last signed a labor contract in 2015, according to FreightWaves. If the tentative deal is completed, the airline will join its competitor, United Parcel Service (UPS), Delta Air Lines, and Hawaiian Airlines, which have already reached collective bargaining agreements this year.

Sources: FreightWaves, WATN