Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 26, 1995 TAG: 9511270061
SECTION: NATL/INTL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NASHVILLE, TENN. LENGTH: Short
But the company that delivers nearly 2.4 million items each working day promised it would operate as usual, continuing to honor a money-back guarantee for on-time deliveries.
``Our operation did run normally this morning, and customers should expect normal delivery,'' Tom Martin, a spokesman for the Memphis-based company, said several hours after negotiations broke off at midnight.
In the first possible sign of a slowdown, FedEx on Saturday kicked at least four pilots off its property - including one who was allegedly accused of moving too slowly down the runway, said Anya Silecky of the Air Line Pilots Association.
She said she could not provide details, but added that one pilot was told to surrender an employee ID badge.
Martin confirmed there were a few incidents, but also didn't have details.
``All I can say is that we communicated very clearly that if any pilots engage in illegal activities, and a slowdown certainly would qualify, we would take disciplinary action,'' he said. That could include firing pilots.
Pilots had been negotiating for their first contract with the package hauler since the union won certification in 1993. The company rejected the last offer before a federally ordered ``cooling-off period'' ended at midnight.
Neither side could say when talks might resume.
by CNB