Mine was a yes

[joe_pilot]

2100 last night. I've been a fence sitter until recently.

Anybody else debate what felt like forever over this?

No matter what happens, I hope everyone will come together (at OO and elsewhere) instead of being divided.

Good luck to all.

Fly Safe.

-JP

 

[79%N1]

what on earth are you talking about?

 

[BoilerUP]

what on earth are you talking about?

Methinks Skywest ALPA vote...

 

[joe_pilot]

Methinks Skywest ALPA vote...

Yup..

 

[rightseatjocky]

I just voted yes for the ASA Ta

 

[utahpilot]

joe_pilot
I am also waiting until tonight to vote. what pushed you over the edge? this has torn me up,and I wish it was easier to decide. it's hard for people who aren't here to understand but I've talked to lots of guys who feel the same way I do.

 

[rtmcfi]

joe_pilot
I am also waiting until tonight to vote. what pushed you over the edge? this has torn me up,and I wish it was easier to decide. it's hard for people who aren't here to understand but I've talked to lots of guys who feel the same way I do.

If you have any friends, or old captains that you respected that have moved on to the majors, give them a ring. They have the least to gain/lose by your vote. You can trust them for unbiased info more than the OC or Mmgnt. Good luck with your decision.

 

[PositionandHold]

If anything, you are voting for job protection.

 

[Gr82Aviate]

If you have any friends, or old captains that you respected that have moved on to the majors, give them a ring. They have the least to gain/lose by your vote. You can trust them for unbiased info more than the OC or Mmgnt. Good luck with your decision.

Those of us that are still here have no reason to be biased either...think about it, we really only want what we think is best for this pilot group, and maybe have a little insight after being around the company long enough to seperate the BS from the truth!

 

[joe_pilot]

joe_pilot

I am also waiting until tonight to vote. what pushed you over the edge? this has torn me up,and I wish it was easier to decide. it's hard for people who aren't here to understand but I've talked to lots of guys who feel the same way I do.

I was really at a deadlock, thinking “yes” one day and “no” the next. The kicker for me was JA’s letter talking about Teamwork. It really pi$$ed me off, to be honest. No, I didn’t make an emotional decision, it just made me think about my responsibility to my pilot group. In the end I decided yes. ​

Like many decisions in my life, I really try to weigh the pros and cons of the different alternatives. Typically, the more important the decision, the more time I spend educating myself and evaluating each of my choices. ​

Some of the cons against the union I came up with were:​

• 1.9 less gross pay​
• Difficulty in removing the Union once in place​
• Conflict of interest between Mainline versus Regional Carriers​
• I dislike the “rah, rah”, “management is evil”, “workers unite” extreme* mentality​
• To a degree, stifles my employer’s ability to react to a rapidly changing marketplace​
• Potentially adds a layer of bureaucracy between me and my management team​
• Though rare, the Union does protect the jobs of people who deserve to be fired.​

Here are some of the Pros on my list:

• Enforceable contract
• Help with certificate actions​
• Help with wrongful termination​
• Loss of medical benefits​
• Formalized grievance process​
• Prevent whipsaw with my ASA fellow pilots
• Industry solidarity*​
• Process to work towards better contract: i.e. work rules, pay, etc.​

*I know some of you are probably offended and shocked that I don’t believe management is inherently evil, but I tend to take a more moderate point of view.​

I believe that there have been very few, if any, evil OO management decisions. The CEO of a publicly traded company’s first responsibility is to his or her shareholders. Period. They are replaced, otherwise. Though there have been a number of my fellow pilots that were treated despicably, this was usually by individuals who hold management positions. That being said, our pilot group deserves better (in the ways that I listed above). This is because in a business where the biggest variables are fuel costs, on-time performance and customer satisfaction, no other group of people affect the bottom line more than the pilot group.​

Looking outside of my own company, I do see that there has been an erosion of quality of life, pay and even respect for us as pilots. The events surrounding September 11th were a legitimate reason for and are one of the biggest root causes of why this started. But as the industry has recovered and the shareholders, CEOs and Lawyers have had their pay return to normal, what has happened to the pilots? ​

I do think that there are some common needs and goals that all pilots share. Fatigue, to name just one. Because of this, I believe all of us working together offer the best solution for change, even if there are the complications that I listed.​

As always,​

Fly Safe.

-JP​

​

 

[jayme]

Well said, JP.

I decided a while ago how I would vote, but fairly recently I got a phone call than convinced me I was right to vote yes.

The FAA called my cell phone (SGU gave them the # without notifying me first) to discuss an aborted takeoff. I just woke up and it caught me off guard, so I spilled my guts. After my explanation I got a "Huh. Well, thanks for your time." I immediately wished I could have said "Let me talk to my union rep first, and I'll get right back to you." I could have talked to the SAPA folks, but then I thought about how one of the SAPA executive board members hung Don Douglas out to dry in court. In the end I did everything right, so I still have my certificates, but it was a rude awakening.

 

[Andy Neill]

Well said, JP.
....The FAA called my cell phone (SGU gave them the # without notifying me first) to discuss an aborted takeoff. I just woke up and it caught me off guard, so I spilled my guts. After my explanation I got a "Huh. Well, thanks for your time." I immediately wished I could have said "Let me talk to my union rep first, and I'll get right back to you."

What you SHOULD have said (as I taught in Basic Indoc) was "I report to the company. The company will tell you what you need to know." When there was a SKYW nosegear up in Dallas, a management type told the crew to go ahead and depart the area. The FAA was livid when they got there without a crew to talk to. They got over it.

 

[SkyNation]

Joe

awesome post. I agree with what you said more than some here would believe.

 

[asapilot]

What you SHOULD have said (as I taught in Basic Indoc) was "I report to the company. The company will tell you what you need to know." When there was a SKYW nosegear up in Dallas, a management type told the crew to go ahead and depart the area. The FAA was livid when they got there without a crew to talk to. They got over it.

To support your point, your issue is with the company more so than the FAA. Skywest should be disclosing it and providing the necessary information and it shouldn't really involve you directly unless there was a FAR violation or other regulatory/safety issue.

In the case of Dallas, I'm sure the FAA was upset with the company for not having the crew available for answers rather than with the crew for not being in the area.

 

[jayme]

Andy, the FAA got my number from SkyWest. If what you are saying is SkyWest policy, they shouldn't have given the FAA my #.

However, my point was that I wished there was somebody I could call whose #1 prioriy was to protect me.