JetBlue Pilots Reject ALPA
08-16-2011, 05:10 PM
#1
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JetBlue Pilots Reject ALPA
WSJ UPDATE: JetBlue Pilots Reject Unionization For Second Time
16/08/2011 20:21 | JetBlue Airways Corporation
By Susan Carey
Of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
The nonunion pilots at JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU) voted down union representation for the second time in two years, rejecting the big Air Line Pilots Association union in balloting that concluded Tuesday, JetBlue said.
Of the 2,050 aviators who participated in the election, 1,193, or 58%, rejected ALPA. JetBlue said 834 pilots, or 41%, voted to join the union and 23 pilots wrote in other choices for union representation.
(This story and related background material will be available on The Wall Street Journal website, WSJ.com.)
JetBlue, an entirely nonunion discount carrier based in Forest Hills, N.Y., had campaigned to retain its current model of direct relationships with employees, claiming that collaboration brings better results than the traditional industry negotiation model. ALPA, an AFL-CIO member, represents pilots at United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL), Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL), Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK) and some smaller carriers. ALPA had no immediate comment on the election results Tuesday.
Efforts by an independent pilot union to organize JetBlue's then 1,800 pilots in 2009 fell short when only 33% of the eligible voters cast ballots, well short of the then simple majority needed for the election to count. Since then, the National Mediation Board, the federal agency that oversees labor relations in the airline and railroad industries, has changed its rules. Unions can be formed if a majority of votes are cast in their favor, even if the turnout is small. That controversial rule change, which some Republicans charge reflects "a partisan policy agenda" at the NMB, was expected to make it easier for ALPA to prevail.
JetBlue pilots have individual five-year, automatically renewing employment contracts with the carrier. The airline has never furloughed aviators or cut their pay, steps many other airlines have taken when they faced financial pressure.
-By Susan Carey, The Wall Street Journal; 312-750-4134
16/08/2011 20:21 | JetBlue Airways Corporation
By Susan Carey
Of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
The nonunion pilots at JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU) voted down union representation for the second time in two years, rejecting the big Air Line Pilots Association union in balloting that concluded Tuesday, JetBlue said.
Of the 2,050 aviators who participated in the election, 1,193, or 58%, rejected ALPA. JetBlue said 834 pilots, or 41%, voted to join the union and 23 pilots wrote in other choices for union representation.
(This story and related background material will be available on The Wall Street Journal website, WSJ.com.)
JetBlue, an entirely nonunion discount carrier based in Forest Hills, N.Y., had campaigned to retain its current model of direct relationships with employees, claiming that collaboration brings better results than the traditional industry negotiation model. ALPA, an AFL-CIO member, represents pilots at United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL), Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL), Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK) and some smaller carriers. ALPA had no immediate comment on the election results Tuesday.
Efforts by an independent pilot union to organize JetBlue's then 1,800 pilots in 2009 fell short when only 33% of the eligible voters cast ballots, well short of the then simple majority needed for the election to count. Since then, the National Mediation Board, the federal agency that oversees labor relations in the airline and railroad industries, has changed its rules. Unions can be formed if a majority of votes are cast in their favor, even if the turnout is small. That controversial rule change, which some Republicans charge reflects "a partisan policy agenda" at the NMB, was expected to make it easier for ALPA to prevail.
JetBlue pilots have individual five-year, automatically renewing employment contracts with the carrier. The airline has never furloughed aviators or cut their pay, steps many other airlines have taken when they faced financial pressure.
-By Susan Carey, The Wall Street Journal; 312-750-4134
08-16-2011, 05:25 PM
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WSJ UPDATE: JetBlue Pilots Reject Unionization For Second Time
16/08/2011 20:21 | JetBlue Airways Corporation
By Susan Carey
Of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
The nonunion pilots at JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU) voted down union representation for the second time in two years, rejecting the big Air Line Pilots Association union in balloting that concluded Tuesday, JetBlue said.
Of the 2,050 aviators who participated in the election, 1,193, or 58%, rejected ALPA. JetBlue said 834 pilots, or 41%, voted to join the union and 23 pilots wrote in other choices for union representation.
(This story and related background material will be available on The Wall Street Journal website, WSJ.com.)
JetBlue, an entirely nonunion discount carrier based in Forest Hills, N.Y., had campaigned to retain its current model of direct relationships with employees, claiming that collaboration brings better results than the traditional industry negotiation model. ALPA, an AFL-CIO member, represents pilots at United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL), Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL), Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK) and some smaller carriers. ALPA had no immediate comment on the election results Tuesday.
Efforts by an independent pilot union to organize JetBlue's then 1,800 pilots in 2009 fell short when only 33% of the eligible voters cast ballots, well short of the then simple majority needed for the election to count. Since then, the National Mediation Board, the federal agency that oversees labor relations in the airline and railroad industries, has changed its rules. Unions can be formed if a majority of votes are cast in their favor, even if the turnout is small. That controversial rule change, which some Republicans charge reflects "a partisan policy agenda" at the NMB, was expected to make it easier for ALPA to prevail.
JetBlue pilots have individual five-year, automatically renewing employment contracts with the carrier. The airline has never furloughed aviators or cut their pay, steps many other airlines have taken when they faced financial pressure.
-By Susan Carey, The Wall Street Journal; 312-750-4134
16/08/2011 20:21 | JetBlue Airways Corporation
By Susan Carey
Of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
The nonunion pilots at JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU) voted down union representation for the second time in two years, rejecting the big Air Line Pilots Association union in balloting that concluded Tuesday, JetBlue said.
Of the 2,050 aviators who participated in the election, 1,193, or 58%, rejected ALPA. JetBlue said 834 pilots, or 41%, voted to join the union and 23 pilots wrote in other choices for union representation.
(This story and related background material will be available on The Wall Street Journal website, WSJ.com.)
JetBlue, an entirely nonunion discount carrier based in Forest Hills, N.Y., had campaigned to retain its current model of direct relationships with employees, claiming that collaboration brings better results than the traditional industry negotiation model. ALPA, an AFL-CIO member, represents pilots at United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL), Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL), Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK) and some smaller carriers. ALPA had no immediate comment on the election results Tuesday.
Efforts by an independent pilot union to organize JetBlue's then 1,800 pilots in 2009 fell short when only 33% of the eligible voters cast ballots, well short of the then simple majority needed for the election to count. Since then, the National Mediation Board, the federal agency that oversees labor relations in the airline and railroad industries, has changed its rules. Unions can be formed if a majority of votes are cast in their favor, even if the turnout is small. That controversial rule change, which some Republicans charge reflects "a partisan policy agenda" at the NMB, was expected to make it easier for ALPA to prevail.
JetBlue pilots have individual five-year, automatically renewing employment contracts with the carrier. The airline has never furloughed aviators or cut their pay, steps many other airlines have taken when they faced financial pressure.
-By Susan Carey, The Wall Street Journal; 312-750-4134
Susan needs to mention that many 'other' carriers have existed for 80+ years. JetBlue has been around for less then 15 years.
Anyways, 2nd time ALPA has been voted down. Good Luck guys.
08-16-2011, 05:36 PM
#4
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Joined APC: Jan 2008
Posts: 533
I am certainly not saying pay cuts or furloughs will "never happen" at JetBlue, but for none of that to happen in this economy and to survive in a post 9-11 environment, and be profitable, you have to give them some credit.
08-16-2011, 06:41 PM
#7
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Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: A-320A
Posts: 18,563
Anyone who is looking at B6 as an acquisition just gave each other high-fives. You think ATN will fair badly think of what no contract and no union will get ya. I mean that with the most sincerity possible.
08-16-2011, 07:28 PM
#8
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Joined APC: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,503
Way to hit them with a partisan remark. JBLU pilots, see this for what it really is, an ALPA zealot who just put his foot into his mouth.
Canadair, I liked you and your views/comments better before you started leaning so far to one side. You used to balanced and insightful. This is just plain ball kicking. I'm disapointed as I thought more of you than this. Very distasteful and offensive. Way to represent us. Thanks.
Last edited by TheManager; 08-16-2011 at 07:43 PM.
08-16-2011, 08:45 PM
#9
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,001
Random JetBlue question:
The APC synopsis says:
"1.09% across the board pay raise except for new-hires"
Explanation please: B-scale, annual cost of living increase that happens every year (indexed to CPI or something?), recent management incentive to show why union isn't needed on property . . . what's the story?
So, for now, JetBlue continues in status quo. Any positive spin out there from, ya' know, the majority of JetBlue pilots who didn't want a union on property? Not looking to start a war, just want to hear 'the other side of the story', other than 'unions are bad, the company has treated us well, I don't need to pay 2% of my paycheck to get nothing in return' - there's got to be a unique perspective out there.
The APC synopsis says:
"1.09% across the board pay raise except for new-hires"
Explanation please: B-scale, annual cost of living increase that happens every year (indexed to CPI or something?), recent management incentive to show why union isn't needed on property . . . what's the story?
So, for now, JetBlue continues in status quo. Any positive spin out there from, ya' know, the majority of JetBlue pilots who didn't want a union on property? Not looking to start a war, just want to hear 'the other side of the story', other than 'unions are bad, the company has treated us well, I don't need to pay 2% of my paycheck to get nothing in return' - there's got to be a unique perspective out there.
08-16-2011, 08:56 PM
#10
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Joined APC: Jun 2007
Position: Beach Bum
Posts: 322
ALPA did nothing productive for my previous company except collect dues, collect money for a merger fund when there was no merger after all and when we asked for our money back they told us to basically get bent.
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