The strike followed unsuccessful negotiations as the collective bargaining agreement expired over the weekend. Its specialty metals are used in aerospace, power generation, chemical processing, oil exploration and medical devices. Top of page Pilots union reaches agreement with Federal Express Federal Express Corporation and the FedEx Pilots Association, representing 3,600 pilots, reached a tentative pact after more than a month of bitter negotiations. The union is scheduled to bring the proposal before the full membership for a ratification vote December 22. The pilots rejected the company's initial offer of a 17 percent pay raise over five years, seeking instead a 5 percent retroactive increase and an additional 19 percent over the next four years, as well as retirement and benefit provisions.
Reports indicate the final agreement fell short of the pilots' expectations.
The pilots association threatened to shut down Federal Express with a strike during the holidays, but backed down when Federal Express chairman Frederick Smith threatened pilots with the loss of their jobs and made contingency plans with other air cargo companies to weather a strike. The agreement is the first labor contract with any section of Federal Express employees. Top of page Grocery workers ready to strike Super Fresh More than 1,000 grocery workers at 12 Super Fresh supermarkets in Delaware and Pennsylvania are slated to go on strike December 21 unless the company puts forward a new offer. Union members voted December 13 to reject the company's final offer by a 166 to 1 margin and proceeded to pass a strike authorization vote. The contract rejection centered on wage and benefit provisions.