ALPA Welcomes CommutAir Pilots!!!

[PCL_128]

Release #08.025
May 20, 2008

CommutAir Pilots Vote ALPA
NMB Election Results Show Overwhelming Support for Union

WASHINGTON – The National Mediation Board (NMB) announced today that the pilots of CommutAir have selected the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) as their bargaining representative. According to the NMB, 107 of 118 eligible voters cast a ballot in support of ALPA, well above the threshold required for certification. Prior to the election, the CommutAir pilots were unrepresented.

“We welcome the CommutAir pilots into ALPA, and applaud the strength and unity those pilots showed by voting in a strong, international union as their representative,” said Capt. John Prater, president of ALPA. “We look forward to their active involvement in all of the Association’s activities.”

Capt. Shawn Marcin, one of the leaders of the CommutAir Pilots ALPA Organizing Committee who attended the NMB vote count, added, “We thank all of our pilots who supported the drive, and all of the ALPA volunteers who gave their time and energy to make this happen. Our goal now is to focus that energy on negotiating a collective bargaining agreement that protects our pilots and allows CommutAir to continue growing.”

CommutAir operates as Continental Connection, flying to 23 destinations throughout the Upper Midwest and Northeast from its base in Cleveland. Approximately 135 pilots fly the Bombardier Q200 for CommutAir.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilots union representing 55,000 pilots at 40 airlines in the United States and Canada.

# # #

Contacts: Pete Janhunen, Linda Shotwell, Molly Martin, 703/481-4440 or [email protected]

 

[rickair7777]

US Airways: OUT

CommutAir: IN

Anybody sense a trend here?

 

[PCL_128]

US Airways: OUT

CommutAir: IN

Anybody sense a trend here?

Yeah, the retards are leaving and the intelligent are joining.

 

[WalterSobchak]

Yeah, the retards are leaving and the intelligent are joining.

Yet another stellar example of great ALPA recruiting. Just insult those who aren't members...that will reel them in!

(I know, I know...the level of insanity with the USAPA thing is extremely high...)

 

[labbats]

What's 2% of $18/hr?

 

[SkyNation]

when will they get their raise? how much will it be? also, how much new flying will this help them win?

 

[PCL_128]

Yet another stellar example of great ALPA recruiting. Just insult those who aren't members...that will reel them in!

(I know, I know...the level of insanity with the USAPA thing is extremely high...)

I'm not insulting those who aren't members. I'm insulting USCABA supporters specifically.

 

[PCL_128]

when will they get their raise? how much will it be? also, how much new flying will this help them win?

Win flying? What the hell does that even mean? Management procures flying, not pilots.

 

[Gemboy75]

We asked for ALPA, they didn't recruit us. Furthermore, the drive, which ALPA did help with, was truly unnecessary. I would have bet that if we voted the day after we proved to the NMB that there was enough interest to seek representation the totals would've been the same.

We are trying to do the best for ourselves and our families and also help out the future bottom feeders that come to work here.

What we have done is nothing that the all ALPA members current and former have done in the past for themselves.

Any pilot group now a day that is actually trying to raise the bar should be commended and any organization that will stand besides that pilot group to help facilitate that change should be commended as well.

As far as a time line for success. Well we have nothing to loose really we fly to 23 cities as of today we are the 2nd lowest paid 37 seat carrier out there and the other perks such as travel and 401k health care are weak at best, and I'll just not even bother with our work rules, things that most carriers just take for granted. Anything, no matter how long it takes will be an improvement a drastic improvement.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

things that most carriers just take for granted.

The ability to understand what one has and not take it for granted is lost on too many... pilots included...

 

[WalterSobchak]

I'm not insulting those who aren't members. I'm insulting USCABA supporters specifically.

C'mon, PCL...you rip on non-ALPA members on here daily...and you're not the only one. You and Rez do a great job of acting like fratboys taunting the people who decided their money was better spent not buying their friends.

That said...

We asked for ALPA, they didn't recruit us.

Now that's something I can respect. The majority felt the need to organize and the sought the option they felt best fit their needs...as opposed to a minority wishing to organize and ALPA National jumping after them with dollar signs in their eyes.

I wish all you guys at CommutAir the best in negotiating a contract that fits what you are looking to obtain.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

C'mon, PCL...you rip on non-ALPA members on here daily...and you're not the only one. You and Rez do a great job of acting like fratboys taunting the people who decided their money was better spent not buying their friends.

I think our efforts are intended to suggest that voting and self government are American traits founded by our orignial countrymen. Why would one choose not to participate?

The ability and right to represent and govern yourself is not a right that is shared by many on this planet. No one shares it as fully as us Americans.

To ignore or justify not exercising those rights seems to counterproductive to ones future. At the very least handing over control of ones own career will most likely result in dissatisfaction.... which is currently true..... and reality.

 

[PCL_128]

C'mon, PCL...you rip on non-ALPA members on here daily...and you're not the only one. You and Rez do a great job of acting like fratboys taunting the people who decided their money was better spent not buying their friends.

Not true. I'm not even an ALPA member on active status anymore. I don't "rip" non-ALPA pilots. I do rip anti-union pilots, however, because they are a detriment to my career and my profession. There's a difference between non-ALPA and anti-ALPA.

Now that's something I can respect. The majority felt the need to organize and the sought the option they felt best fit their needs...as opposed to a minority wishing to organize and ALPA National jumping after them with dollar signs in their eyes.

ALPA never seeks to recruit pilot groups. When I was an ALPA organizer, we had a policy that we would only seek to organize pilot groups that approached us first. This is in stark contrast to unions like the Teamsters that are trying to raid unions. When your pilot group had a drive, it was because a large group of your pilots came to us and asked for our assistance. We weren't the ones that approached them, they came to us.

 

[DX Rick]

I'm not insulting those who aren't members. I'm insulting USCABA supporters specifically.

You paid for your job at GIA and turn around and have the nads to call the USAir pilots "SCABS"???

YOU PAID A REAL SCAB FOR A JOB!!!
You're so die hard ALPA but you've refered to Air Tran as your "Dream Job", a NON ALPA carrier!!!

You're nothing short of a scum bag.

 

[EMB170Pilot]

You paid for your job at GIA and turn around and have the nads to call the USAir pilots "SCABS"???

YOU PAID A REAL SCAB FOR A JOB!!!
You're so die hard ALPA but you've refered to Air Tran as your "Dream Job", a NON ALPA carrier!!!

You're nothing short of a scum bag.

with a vagina

 

[CopilotDoug]

Come on guys! Why make it personal!?! Sure, PFT128 is all of the above, but why hate??? Can't we all get along?!

 

[N2264J]

Re: ALPA Welcomes CommutAir Pilots!

Yeah, the retards are leaving and the intelligent are joining.

You left ALPA, right?

 

[CA1900]

Zing! :laugh:

 

[PCL_128]

You left ALPA, right?

I'll give ya that one. That was pretty damned good. :beer:

 

[Cardinal]

A chorus of dispatchers ragging on ALPA, how original.

Nothing better to do? I don't make it a habit of trolling Flight Attendant boards mocking their representation nor the lack thereof. It just doesn't affect my world enough to really care.