Mediators Summon FedEx, Pilots Union

Negotiators for FDX Corp.’s Federal Express and the union representing its pilots will be in Washington this weekend at the request of federal mediators, but that does not mean negotiations will resume to reach a contract and avert a potential strike during the peak holiday shipping season. “At the request of the [National Mediation Board], we have been asked to brief them regarding the background and the status of the negotiations and we intend to do so,” said Gregory Rossiter, a spokesman for Memphis, Tenn.-based FedEx, the world’s largest express air package carrier. The union said it will also return to Washington at the request of the board. Negotiations for a first-ever pilots’ contract at FedEx broke down Oct. 30. The union said it is prepared to resume talks, while the company said it will respond to any written proposal the union makes. The union said that it would mail strike authorization ballots to its 3,200 members, but later delayed the mailing to help restart negotiations. FedEx shares rose $1.19 to close at $54.44 on the NYSE.