A very effective alternative to a strike

[BOOZENEWS]

With a lot of the majors nearing contract renewal time and the talk about strikes and the debate about the legality of it I believe a good alternative that the pres, congress or a court could not stop would be for all crews to simply tanker fuel whenever possible and cruise lower and faster when weight limits allow. Just 10% more fuel burned on the flights would hurt them where it matters a lot more than just raising the pay scales would. Also run the APU instead of using ground for AC and elec when at the gate.

What do you think?

 

[mannyaplus11]

I'm sure dispatch would have something to say to you.
Playing Devil's advocate: Isn't this cutting off your nose to spite your face?

 

[twepilot]

things like this make my blood boil. Rogue idiots working counter to the work of their own union. What do you expect the response will be from mgmnt. when you ask for a raise?

RV

 

[frog_flyer]

You're gonna ask for pay raises while the profit margin shrinks?

Maybe do it when management makes it clear that they're not ready to put a decent offer on the table.
​

 

[EMB170Pilot]

With a lot of the majors nearing contract renewal time and the talk about strikes and the debate about the legality of it I believe a good alternative that the pres, congress or a court could not stop would be for all crews to simply tanker fuel whenever possible and cruise lower and faster when weight limits allow. Just 10% more fuel burned on the flights would hurt them where it matters a lot more than just raising the pay scales would. Also run the APU instead of using ground for AC and elec when at the gate.

What do you think?

Brilliant!

 

[Hair-on-Fire]

With a lot of the majors nearing contract renewal time

who? .....

 

[atrdriver]

You're gonna ask for pay raises while the profit margin shrinks?

Maybe do it when management makes it clear that they're not ready to put a decent offer on the table.
​

Guys, read what he said. He said as an alternative to a strike. DOesn't that kind of mean that management isn't willing to make a decent offer??

 

[Okie Pilot]

Very Bad Idea!!!!

In the early years of my airline life, many people told me to remember not to burn the house down that you have to live in, or not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg, take your pick.

I flew with a union rep at my first company when I was a young FO. His advice was, stay out of trouble, work within the contract, and help line the company's pockets with money (fuel savings, etc). Obviously, when contract times come up, the union is going to take as much as possible from the company's pockets.

He said one of the toughest things that the union has to fix is behavior like this, hurts the image of the pilot group.

Lastly, by doing doing what you recommend, you set a poor example for the guy/girl sitting next to you, and may find yourself on the bid around list.

 

[twepilot]

Great post...Only one thing I could add to that...and thats HOOK "EM HORNS MF'er...sorry lost it there for a bit...

RV

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

How you going to get 100,000 pilots with 100,000 different agenda that belong to over five different unions and some non union to play along?

 

[Okie Pilot]

We will see what happens this fall at the Red River Shoot-Out!!!!

BOOMER SOONERS!!!

 

[twepilot]

Your on my friend!!!

RV

 

[BOOZENEWS]

Playing Devil's advocate: Isn't this cutting off your nose to spite your face?

Isn't striking the same thing though? It costs the company a lot of $$ to have the planes parked, doesn't it.

 

[BOOZENEWS]

You're gonna ask for pay raises while the profit margin shrinks?

Maybe do it when management makes it clear that they're not ready to put a decent offer on the table.
​

I can understand if in Ch 11 but if the airline is profitable doesn't it give a reason for mgmt to come to the table. No?

 

[Okie Pilot]

If the pilot group decides to go on strike, then that group has excercised every option, and it is their last tool available. They have hit a wall of progress. The line has been drawn. It takes a long time normally to get there.

I have never been on strike, and hope that I never do. I will go if it is required, and have voted for a strike vote during contract talks. But that too, is a tool, to motivate that company.

Neither side wants a strike, both sides lose.

 

[klr1395]

In this climate and in my opinion most mgts would state that there is not much to give if the profits are to be MAINTAINED; ie most do not put their employees' needs and QOL as high priorities. In otherwords instead of fostering higher employee morale/productivity/cust. service (because of course none of these things are relevant to a successful business), cheap labor is the ONLY way to profitability. Mgts will use this as their excuse (ala Amr, LCC et.al..).

 

[Snapshot]

....the talk about strikes and the debate about the legality of it....
What do you think?

I've never heard of a debate about the legality of a strike. What is illegal is Wildcat actions such as you are suggesting.

American pilots can give you 45.5 million reasons to avoid your advice.

 

[jetflier]

I've never heard of a debate about the legality of a strike. What is illegal is Wildcat actions such as you are suggesting.

American pilots can give you 45.5 million reasons to avoid your advice.

...now if on one particular day, every flight arrived late... or blocked out late......would that be considered a wildcat ?

It would certainly get the word across.

 

[AA767AV8TOR]

American pilots can give you 45.5 million reasons to avoid your advice.

Guys,

I’ve got to be honest with you. After reading some of the responses to this tread, I fully understand why our profession has cratered over the last 25 years. Just burning a bit more gas and keeping the APU’s running has pilots wringing their hands and scurrying for the exits.

For your information, there is an all out assault on our profession by every management team in the industry and the ATA. Management wants pilots to be one notch above a long-haul truck driver. In fact most long-haul truck drivers with a sixth-grade education are making as much if not more than many of our folks at the regional airlines. Beginning wages for pilots are bottom of the barrel.

Managements will lie, cheat, and steal at every opportunity from us, but a lot of you are still naïve enough to want to be the nice guy and play by the rules. Fact is, most managements will not begin to bargain in good-faith until they start feeling the financial pain. Why should they?

Snapshot, AA pilots never paid anywhere near the $45.5 million dollar fine. AMR knows it had a great deal with APA and didn’t want to bankrupt the union. Had they taken the fine, most likely we would have gone back to ALPA and who knows what would have happened. As it stands, AMR was able to gain $660 million per year in concessions (most value it in the $800 million - $1 Billion range) in 2003. We probably won’t get a new contract until 2009 or 2010. You do the math.

We all have lost a lot of ground. If we want to get it back, it will take hard ball negotiations and tactics. Don’t plan on management to roll over for us.

AA767AV8TOR

 

[Ty Webb]

Well put, AA767AV8TOR. Some of the rest of you need to grow a set.


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