G4slumdod

If this EV thing is true it is likely just AR funneling money our of the union through EV and splitting the take. Are you allowed to quit the union? There was a guy in Vegas that didn't pay dues

captnate702

we are a closed-shop so if you quit the union you quit Allegiant. It’s right there in our contract. You better believe union negotiators weren’t gonna agree to anything less.

EV was introduced to a new hire class as part of the union, they did a dog and pony show telling new hires how lucky they are to have the most dysfunctional and expensive union in the industry.

PilotPoster

New guy here, so expect an ignorant question, but why don't union reps ever get on here to discuss? It always seems like everyone has to base their information on rumors and speculation. Wouldn't it make more sense to keep solidarity and confidence by telling everyone how things are going? For instance when is the next meeting regarding negotiations, what are the topics to be hashed out at said meeting? None of this stuff should even lend a shred of mystery to allow for the spiraling that often happens on these forums. I haven't even started yet and regardless if the issues discussed on these forums are real or not, the perception of them is enough to do harm. Seems easy enough for the union to peel back the curtain and garner more support.

Be Realistic

Its nothing short of shocking that EV is now working for the union again after moving on to AA. I met him in when staying in the same hotel when he was in new hire at AA. He said some pretty scathing things about AR - Considering how he used to have his nose so firmly implanted in AR's rear it really surprised me to hear him talk like that. He also affirmed that I had made the best choice in leaving as the G4 negotiations were a smoke and mirrors show.

tom11011

Its not a good look especially considering his resignation letter last year.

UgotHired1st

This guy gets it.

BlueSkiesAhead

I guess the question at this point is, is there anything that we can do about all of this? The election seems to have been a complete disaster. Are there legitimate options to explore change, or are we just stuck complaining for the next few years?

Margaritaville

I wonder if AA is aware that an American pilot is moonlighting as a union rep/consultant/negotiator or whatever for a competing airline that he quit. I think I'll ask around the shop and see what the flight office thinks of this. I'd be shocked if they gave him permission. Sounds like a yuge conflict of interest.

pipercub

Many pilots do stuff like this, even in our union card drive at least one guy was a United guy. You see pilots consulting for hiring, resume, prep and maybe taxes. He is not flying for G4 so AA could care less. None of this is different than a pilot having any other side job or company.

captnate702

Somethings that go beyond keyboard warriors and actually take time and effort:

1. Start an ALPA card drive so the Airline Division starts paying attention to the shenanigans that have been going on. IBT is still in control, even though they have let AR run around like a kingpin for the past two years. This is probably the most effective way. If IBT thinks they might lose us to ALPA, they will start monitoring AR; we might not be huge in numbers, but our dues are more than a blip on the Airline Divisions bottomline and those dues will increase by ~50% when we get our contract - its not chump change to the Teamsters.

2. Start a petition to implement recall rights into the bylaws and constitution and take the petition to the Airline Division. Nothing concrete might happen but it should probably be the first step and the least volatile. Not sure anything will come of it, but if we get enough signatures and a petition the Airline Division might force be able to force it somehow. One thing is certain, complaining to AR and the E Board will get us nowhere. At this point all complaints have to go straight to the Airline Division (Joe Ferreira) to get something done.

3. File a DFR against the Local. AR has done enough to harm us as a group but I'm not sure what the DFR would be. I've never filed one, but when I was involved in prior unions, anytime a DFR got filed it was a serious matter and got people's attention.

4. Support our fellow pilots who have left union leadership; the NC members and stewards who have resigned. And really support RJ and others in union leadership who have not resigned but are fighting for real change and being black balled for not bending the knee to the supreme leader. RJ deserves our support and I am super impressed that he has committed to staying in the leadership while publicly pushing back against our supreme leader's antics. I'm pretty sure I would have just resigned and gone back to the line - it takes real stones and integrity to do what RJ has done and is doing.

5. Continue to hound supreme leader and union leadership to do what they were elected to do (allegedly elected): serve and represent us. We pay supreme leader's salary, benefits and apparently his $100k home office. He works for us and we need to remind him of that every chance we can. We cannot let AR believe that we will just accept his shenanigans and corruption.

The silver lining in this (and my hope) is that fighting AR and his corrpution will unite the pilot group so that once we get our own house in order we will be more united and ready to fight management for the contract we deserve. The election results were disappointing; we have an apathetic pilot group. Hopefully this drama and possible corruption will stir the pilot group to wake up and be more active. Its a shame that we have to clean our own house before we can work towards achieving the contract we all want and deserve.