NPA Forum shut down?

[ces152]

what is the address of BD's site, how do you become a member? I am a new F.O. and would like to take part

 

[Av8tor]

what is the address of BD's site, how do you become a member? I am a new F.O. and would like to take part

http://www.linepilots.com/

You have to apply for access

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Allied Pilots Association Files Complaint for Declaratory Judgment: "We Are Committed to Using Legal Methods for Mitigating Pilot Furloughs"

What does our pilot union do when the company threatens terminations in violation of our current contract? It does not got to court, file injunctions, or file a complaint to the federal mediator. What does the NPA do? It gives the company concessions in LOA 9. Then it freaks out when their fellow brothers get upset and sign a petition for Member ratification. So the NPA puts out a lot of propeganda against MEMRAT and shut down the main website where we can get information about what is going on at the company. And that is not even the most screwed up thing going on around here right now.

 

[717capt]

Allied Pilots Association Files Complaint for Declaratory Judgment: "We Are Committed to Using Legal Methods for Mitigating Pilot Furloughs"

What does our pilot union do when the company threatens terminations in violation of our current contract? It does not got to court, file injunctions, or file a complaint to the federal mediator. What does the NPA do? It gives the company concessions in LOA 9. Then it freaks out when their fellow brothers get upset and sign a petition for Member ratification. So the NPA puts out a lot of propeganda against MEMRAT and shut down the main website where we can get information about what is going on at the company. And that is not even the most screwed up thing going on around here right now.

Not that I'm a pro/against NPA person one way or the other, but why not post the entire article of APA's lawsuit instead of the headline. If you go to the thread devoted to the headline you will see that the APA is tryng legal means to ask AA pilots not to pick up open time. Thats all. It's not a court injunction to stop furloughs.

Lets say the NPA did file a court injunction for the firing/furlough thing. You think that it would have been heard rather quickly in court (say by Sept. 7th) or would it drag on for a while. Meanwhile our guys would have been fired and while the NPA was in court trying to turn "firing into furloughs", (which is probably the best they would be able to do by the way), the junior pilots would be gone. Then when hiring resumed if/ever, all management would have to do is just hire new people to replace the ones that were fired.

On a somewhat related note, the other day I was in the crew room and overheard a conversation between Pete and one of our failry senior Capts. This guy was ripping Pete for LOA # 9. Telling him that we shouldn't have done it. We should have negotated better stuff for the guys that would be left on the property ratherthan the 180 that would fired and on and on and on. I must say Pete handled himself very professionaly and listened to the senior Capts. concerns intently. Than the guy says " I really don't care about the junior pilots, all they are is just a number to me and management". Pete just looked him right in the eye and said "See my friend, thats the problem. To you they are just a number, to me they are all faces". The look on the senior Capts. face was worth it. He went on his merry way

 

[Lear70]

Did you kick him in the nutsack as he walked away? (The Senior CA I mean).

Honest to God, I only met 2 or 3 of these guys when I was there. Most of the CA's I flew with, even the senior ones, were class acts. Will be good when age finally removes the last of them who were affiliated with a certain other airline.

That aside, you have to admit, the NPA has NOT pursued ALL legal remedies to fix the many outstanding issues that keep popping up. They want to pursue a mentality of "mutual solutions to problems" with management.

That really doesn't work when management does what they do with our contract, with our schedules, with our pilots... all one has to do is look at the last 30 days of threats and intimidation to realize that "playing nice" isn't working.

I humbly submit: a new approach is needed...

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Not that I'm a pro/against NPA person one way or the other, but why not post the entire article of APA's lawsuit instead of the headline. If you go to the thread devoted to the headline you will see that the APA is tryng legal means to ask AA pilots not to pick up open time. Thats all. It's not a court injunction to stop furloughs.

Lets say the NPA did file a court injunction for the firing/furlough thing. You think that it would have been heard rather quickly in court (say by Sept. 7th) or would it drag on for a while. Meanwhile our guys would have been fired and while the NPA was in court trying to turn "firing into furloughs", (which is probably the best they would be able to do by the way), the junior pilots would be gone. Then when hiring resumed if/ever, all management would have to do is just hire new people to replace the ones that were fired.

On a somewhat related note, the other day I was in the crew room and overheard a conversation between Pete and one of our failry senior Capts. This guy was ripping Pete for LOA # 9. Telling him that we shouldn't have done it. We should have negotated better stuff for the guys that would be left on the property ratherthan the 180 that would fired and on and on and on. I must say Pete handled himself very professionaly and listened to the senior Capts. concerns intently. Than the guy says " I really don't care about the junior pilots, all they are is just a number to me and management". Pete just looked him right in the eye and said "See my friend, thats the problem. To you they are just a number, to me they are all faces". The look on the senior Capts. face was worth it. He went on his merry way

The APA thread was the next thread on this forum when I took the quote. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Furlough/Fire, who cares. You still are on the street either way. The only thing that LOA did was put an additional 20 people on the street that could have been in the training department. Just like LOA 8 put additional people on the street by making pilots do recurrent at home on their days off. Seems like the only thing the union has done so far is ensure more people on the street and reduce the benefits of the people who stay.

 

[RIDETHELIGHTING]

Loa 9 is what it is. But I just read we don't need to furlough any FA now and it went from we must furlough pilots to we may have to furlough. I still dont think we are going to furlough anybody. But then again I dont know much.

 

[Eagle757shark]

On a somewhat related note, the other day I was in the crew room and overheard a conversation between Pete and one of our failry senior Capts. This guy was ripping Pete for LOA # 9. Telling him that we shouldn't have done it. We should have negotated better stuff for the guys that would be left on the property ratherthan the 180 that would fired and on and on and on. I must say Pete handled himself very professionaly and listened to the senior Capts. concerns intently. Than the guy says " I really don't care about the junior pilots, all they are is just a number to me and management". Pete just looked him right in the eye and said "See my friend, thats the problem. To you they are just a number, to me they are all faces". The look on the senior Capts. face was worth it. He went on his merry way

Folks it is during times like these you see what kind of people you work with. Everyone can say how great everyone is when you are taking airplanes and hiring. But it is during a crisis you see peoples true colors. I've been furloughed and it hurts and I don't wish it on anyone. We live in some tough times right now. All I ask is when tough decisions must be made, be honest and treat people with dignity and respect. That is something that has been missing through all this!

 

[j41driver]

But I just read we don't need to furlough any FA now and it went from we must furlough pilots to we may have to furlough. I still dont think we are going to furlough anybody. But then again I dont know much.

I hope you're right but keep in mind that they've had 100+ FA's quit in the past few weeks or so.

 

[Lear70]

I hope you're right but keep in mind that they've had 100+ FA's quit in the past few weeks or so.

Yup.

Methinks they said that to:

a.) Accurately reflect the fewer people they are going to have on staff because so many have left and,

b.) Stop the mass exodus of flight attendants out the door. They're starting to have a hard time covering trips.

Hope the pilot furloughs aren't necessary, either. I've seen numbers posted that show they're needed and also numbers showing they're NOT needed. Who knows...

 

[PCL_128]

Phone calls were going out this morning to offer open time at 1.5x pay. Overstaffed? You be the judge.

 

[Lear70]

Welcome back...

Love the avatar.

 

[DonVerita]

1.5x pay should be the NORM for all open trips. When phone calls start going out because the trips still can't get covered, then those calls should be for 2.0x pay.

Let's face it. NPA is a dead dog as far as leadership, communication, contract writing (just see TA1 & TA2), contract enforcement, and progressive vision go. It's time has come and gone.

So I'll be the first to say it. It is time to de-certify NPA and go with a global union with deep resources and expertise. That means getting ALPA on property.

And before anyone says, "but..but..but" let me make three statements.

1. Duane Worthless is no longer running the show there. John Prater should be invited to come to ATL, get a big conference room at the airport, and hold at least 3 different sessions. In addition to this, he should put together a DVD and it should be mailed to every NPA member explaining exactly what ALPA can do for us.

2. Could ALPA be any worse than what we have now? Hard to imagine it could, but I seriously doubt it.

3. The current NPA leadership would be removed from office. They would have to run for the new MEC positions when ALPA took over. That would allow us to immediately weed out the weak reps. that are on the current BOD and give people with backbone the chance to hold an elected position.

Thoughts on this?

 

[PCL_128]

As a former ALPA organizer, I have to point out one problem with this: ALPA's policy is to not "raid" standing unions. In other words, they won't come in with a union drive until the NPA leadership requests it. I always had mixed feelings about this policy when I was doing organizing work, but it is what it is. If you want to bring new representation, then you'll have to get the NPA leadership on board before ALPA will take part.

 

[jehtplane]

As a former ALPA organizer, I have to point out one problem with this: ALPA's policy is to not "raid" standing unions. In other words, they won't come in with a union drive until the NPA leadership requests it. I always had mixed feelings about this policy when I was doing organizing work, but it is what it is. If you want to bring new representation, then you'll have to get the NPA leadership on board before ALPA will take part.

Petition?

 

[PCL_128]

Petition?

That's actually an interesting way that you could proceed. I'm not sure how ALPA would react to a drive being initiated by a petition rather than just a normal request from a union's leadership. It's never been done before, to the best of my knowledge. I think it might work, though. Probably a great way to piss off the NPA, based on the latest email we all got about this last petition. They don't seem to be in a pro-petition mood.

 

[jehtplane]

That's actually an interesting way that you could proceed. I'm not sure how ALPA would react to a drive being initiated by a petition rather than just a normal request from a union's leadership. It's never been done before, to the best of my knowledge. I think it might work, though. Probably a great way to piss off the NPA, based on the latest email we all got about this last petition. They don't seem to be in a pro-petition mood.

I have been extremely disappointed with the NPA since I have been here. No pilot left behind my @#$!
We have all been left behind. Poor communication, crap LOA's. The company played a great hand of poker and won.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Well we were not in a pro LOA mood and look where that got us.

 

[RadioClash]

It is way too much coincidence that the MEMRAT comes out and the NPA message board goes down.

I had high hopes for this new NPA leadership but I no longer have high hopes, I have no hope for them. I am extremely disappointed in both the NPA leadership and AT Mgt.

It seems to me that the NPA leadership has forgotten that the pilot group makes up the NPA. The NPA BOD wants total control over the pilot group and AT mgt wants total control as well but the pilot group is being left out in the process. Its difficult to convey. The pilot group wants a say in our daily happenings and mgt obviously says "no" and now the NPA BOD is also saying "no", the pilot group whom they are supposed to represent is being shut out. Reminds me of the song "Allentown" by Billy Joel..."and the union people walked away..."

As much as I do not care for ALPA maybe it is time to get them to come in...

If I was the NPA BOD I would want mgt to have to deal with 1600 pilots on issues (if the MEMRAT passes) rather than 4? BOD members who are going to roll over anyway.

 

[Clyde Frog]

As much as I do not care for ALPA maybe it is time to get them to come in...

.

I agree.