310skying

not the second coming, but he’s who we have for the next five years, so if you want to get it done work with what you have. Also I’ll take 10 mill in the bank and representation that actually works here instead of Dan wells and being broke.

310skying

who got you those resources? oh wait, AR and breaking away from 1224. It’s funny how you and Marg both refuse to look at the whole picture and pick a narrow view that supports your anti union gripe of the moment. Also we haven’t lost 6 in a row, we’ve lost some, won some. Some of the losses are good because it means we need to get those back and solidified in the new contract

Spdbrd

Okay, so if AR (or someone else) is on long-term UB, that frees up one additional spot (as to my knowledge there are two elected union reps currently on short-term UB). How does that enable them/us to “think bigger”?

The facts are that this won’t happen until we have a new contract, with a Union Business section that isn’t so restrictive. It’s amazing they manage to get anything done at all under the current language.

310skying

you realize all you did was verify the specifics that I was trying to spell out: we don’t have unlimited FPL. And I’d rather Andrew get paid for his time so I’m in favor of him doing monthly FPL. We are also paying for much more than urban, we are also paying for costing and other consultants as well as support from national.

progress is being made and has constantly been made since we left 1224. And even before we see our first TA you are screaming that we should be spending all our money right now! Be paitent, give it a chance and complain if you don’t like the TA.

We all voted on this, sorry you don’t like it, but you will get more chances to vote

Spdbrd

I think once we have a new contract the assessment stops automatically. During the Union Town Hall a few months ago the finances were discussed and AR communicated that he hopes that the Union’s financial position will be such that an assessment will never have to be charged again. It’s available on the Union website if you weren’t able to watch it live.

Be Realistic

Marg and others - Bashing the way the EXCO select their bases and how they bid is a waste of your time and ours. Its how it is done. Don't hate the players, hate the game, or better yet, don't hate either, and just keep asking good questions of our union and demanding the best from them.

There are union stewards who are so far up AR's butt, its rather sickening. "Best update ever, what a wonderful video. You're the greatest'! seriously, what is with those comments? He is not the messiah, or the second coming. He is who we have right now to get the job done. If he gets 150 hrs, I don't care if he gets results. I have publicly called him out in the past and will continue to do so, but overall he's our best shot right now, and we aren't going to replace him.

File grievances or don't file, I don't care. But its all you have right now and it may come down to the company doing some sort of mass settlement like $500 per grievance with merit. Then you would get nothing. Somehow these 5000 will need to be settled.

Of course I wish he would stop spending our money on those tacky bag tags that just line another pilots pockets, and those hideous Christmas ornaments. That's stupid and a waste but big picture we have to put our trust in him for another 12 months. If we don't have results by then we need to find another slate to run against him in the election which is 2.5 years from now.

Note to the EXCO if you read this - send us a good contract to vote on. If its less than 500 pages you are wasting our time. Every rule needs to be spelt out so there is no confusion, no two ways to read it. Anything less and we all need to vote it down, all 15 that are left here in 12 months! And please, no more positive updates - they only serve to stop someone on the fence leaving. It gives them false hope. No more signing agreements with the company to 'pledge we will work hard for a new contract". That was amateurish. All that did was to slow attrition in the busy months. That was exactly what the company wanted and needed. Stop doing silly things like that.

G4slumdod

Yeah we voted for it and it ends when we get a new contract. My point is there is enough money and the environment has changed so the union should end the assessment. I would never never vote for another assessment. Wish I hadn't voted for this one

Spdbrd

Considering where we are at with negotiations, and the company we’re dealing with, I don’t think there is such a thing as “enough money”.

akulahunter

Soooo, I guess you are in all of the committee meetings and in the room for negotiations? Seems like you have a lot of insider information on what the dynamic is amongst our negotiators.

News flash! No one on the company side has ever done a Section 6 negotiation either. On top of that, none of them have ever worked with pilots in their previous positions. FAs and Pilots are the same right?

As far as the NMB, at least the union has a guy in the room that has negotiated several airline contracts and been in front of the NMB multiple times. Company? I'm sure they will hire a real attorney when we get to that stage, but for now, the union is stuck dealing with the same aholes who have been making our lives miserable for the past few years. You don't think the union will retain a specific RLA guy if it gets to that point?

You realize if, with our current CBA, we have two people off all of the time, that leaves room for ZERO other union business (other than a few carve-outs for specific jobs, i.e. negotiations). That means NONE of the committee guys can utilize union business, none of the stewards, no one. I imagine that it is pretty complicated just trying to figure out how all of the people who need to be on union business can be during a week/month etc.

I hate being in a position to defend AR, but seriously... That's about the dumbest thing I've seen you write and you spread idiocy like covid. I agree, AR took a job, but how many of those "a lot of people" would have gotten the union through the last two years without concessions? How many of those "a lot of people" would have already settled for a crappy contract with wages almost equal to JetBlue? The man definitely isn't a saint nor is he perfect, but I think you are delusional if you think that more than a handful of guys would have gone through covid without giving away our pay, work rules (what few we have), or both. Need evidence? Go back and read FB and this forum during the furlough discussions.

You complain about the use of Union resources. The only reason we even have resources is that we broke away from 1224. Go back and compare the money we had then and compare it to now (excluding the assessment). Just straight-up dues. Those "a lot of people" that have done the job before AR allowed 1224 to us as a piggy bank. Those guys' actions were borderline criminal, and probably on the other side of the line.

As far as his line in PGD, do you complain about managment and instructor pilots also? Take a look at the bids and the seniority list bud. AR doesnt bid. He uses Flight Pay Loss for pay and the seniority list has him as N/A. Why PGD? Not a clue, he could be in any base as far as I know and it wouldn't be any different. Have you emailed or called to ask him why he bids PGD? or do you just complain on an anonymous forum?

Last shot. MEC Chairs at the Legacies make ~$500k-$600k a year. They are the highest-paid pilots at their airlines. They get paid at the highest rate in the contract. Ever wonder why they have ridiculous rates for airplanes they don't even have on property, bingo! I agree that we need to flesh out our union and that there needs to be some serious delegation going on, but 2118 is a toddler. Delta didn't start with 500 union reps, they grew into. I'm assuming we will also.

9easy

Skywest, Gojet, Mesa, Commutair, et al just passed contracts within this summer with 75% pay increases. This was done out of necessity, not NMB bargaining. If a company wants to get a contract done, they can do it. Allegiant is next on the food chain after Skywest, and the 737s are coming. Time is ticking.