Hey Colgan!

[suupah]

When the union is voted in, the Employee Handbook Policy/Procedure Book, would be our 'temporary contract.' Same rules would be in place concerning hot reserve pay, run-ups, repos, etc. until we could negotiate and vote in a contract.

The BIG difference here is that as soon as the union is voted in, if you feel the company does not follow what is in that book, you would be able to file a grievance against them through the union. You are shorted 5 hours of pay? File a grievance and let the union take care of it. Also if you were called into HQ to discuss something with management, you would also be able to bring in a union rep. Colgan pilots will have IMMEDIATE protection under ALPA.


This is NOT a movement against the Colgan Family.

This is a movement for OUR protection as Colgan Pilots.

While this sounds great on paper, one of the conerns I have with it is that at pinnacle and mesa you hear of piles and piles of grievances against the company which don't amount to much.

how do grievences get turn into solutions?

 

[redflyer65]

Usually in the form of an LOA to either fix the problem, or a pay out to the pilot if it is won.

All you have to do is look at the Air Wisconsin situation where the company stole the concessionary agreement money and never gave it back. ALPA stepped in, filed the greivance (it does take time to work throught the system), and the pilot group won. Every pilot at Air Whiskey is looking at some pretty substancial retro check.

The dues go for sooo much more than contract negotiations. Just as someone said earlier, you also have representation at every level of a dispute. How about these committees.....aeromedical , scheduling, retirement/insurance, and hotel. You get alot more than just a contract for the 1.9%. That's why the company hates it, they would just continue to feed you crap and have you ask no questions. Good luck guys.

 

[DrewBlows]

What has ALPA done for Comair, ASA, Mesa, Air Willy and all the others? Not a Fu2kin thing. Vote them in Colgan you will be fighting for your lives also, but the best thing about it is you can give ALPA your money.

Since you asked...

ALPA managed to negotiate a contract, while Comair was in bankruptcy, which has about half the concessions of the original company offer. In the 14 months, or so, it took to negotiate the contract, everyone was collecting full pay.

Lets do the math. I took the biggest concession at 13% (most took 7.5%). The original company offer was a 22% hit. That's a 9% difference from what the company would have imposed if ALPA wouldn't have been around. Subtracting my 1.95% dues, I'm still ahead 7.05%. Pretty good return on investment, no?

Oh, I almost forgot...ALPA (actually the Comair MEC) negotiated in the deal an $82.5 million bankruptcy claim, which will pay every pilot on property MORE than they are scheduled to lose over the next four years, immediately after Delta exits bankruptcy (exact schedule hasn't been set). The money goes into our 401(k) tax free, and we are free to leave Comair any time. That's a nice little bonus (if you want to think of it that way).

 

[suupah]

What can we expect our management to tell the pilots in the coming weeks about a union in their efforts to thwart it?

 

[suupah]

Seems to me that the #1 objection from pilots against a union at Colgan is the union dues.

 

[DrewBlows]

Seems to me that the #1 objection from pilots against a union at Colgan is the union dues.

If ALPA can't negotiate a 1.95% raise for Colgan, then they would have a point. I'll go out on a limb (not really) and say that ALPA will be able to guarantee greater than a 1.95% raise for your first contract. It's an investment that more than pays for itself.

On another note, a unified Pinnacle/Colgan pilot group would benefit both groups. It's bad enough that mainline pits regional vs. regional, but it's even worse when the regional pits it's own pilot groups against each other.

 

[ifly34]

ALPA has done pretty well for AWAC. Contract '99 (The contract we shoulod ALL have). A strong MEC who yes, were hoodwinked into concessions in '03. And without ALPA resources, we would not have been able to greive the concessions injustice and WIN. I know, we still don't have a remedy settled, but that's just a matter of time.

With out ALPA, you have NO RECOURSE at all. ZERO! Sorry MELIT, but you really don't have a clue, do you?

Peace.

Rekks

So it has been 4 years and no remedy yet!!! And you think that is progress! I wonder who doesn't have a clue!

 

[redflyer65]

In the Colgan world you would have NEVER seen that cash. Well I guys you would have seen it rolling down the road as a new car for the Colgans as they head to their new vacation homes....

Suupah, You will see the company pull out every stop to thwart you guys from unionizing. It will blow your mind. Just sit back and watch the mantra and in the back of your mind wonder "why must these guys really not want a union sooo bad?" The answer is control and money in their pocket. Plain and simple.

Don't believe their lies. And there will be plenty....

 

[WildBlue]

So it has been 4 years and no remedy yet!!! And you think that is progress! I wonder who doesn't have a clue!

This is typical of an anti-union bias....expecting every issue to resolved in short order. The point, sir, is that the Air Wisc guys are going to get their money. In your world it would be OK to be in a position where they just bend you over and, if you complain, you're fired.

Every union that represents airline workers has to contend with the slow process mandated by the RLA. Talk to the Teamsters, AFA, APA.

You don't like ALPA or maybe all unions. Fine. You must like just getting whatever management wants to dish out. You probably don't complain when your dispatcher shorts you on fuel. Same mentality. Cheers.

 

[dingo222]

In the Colgan world you would have NEVER seen that cash. Well I guys you would have seen it rolling down the road as a new car for the Colgans as they head to their new vacation homes....
....

THat's funny, 2nd yr FO's just got a 13% raise without a union.