AirTran pilots considering switching unions

[Rez O. Lewshun]

I'd go for the Pilots union instead of the industrial union....



AirTran pilots considering switching unions

By KELLY YAMANOUCHI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, December 05, 2008
AirTran Airways pilots are set to consider whether to switch representation from their independent union to the Teamsters or to the Air Line Pilots Association.
The National Pilots Association, the independent pilots union at AirTran, represents more than 1,600 AirTran pilots and is weighing whether to merge with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a large industrial union, or the Air Line Pilots Association, the nation's largest pilots union.


The Teamsters and ALPA will each deliver presentations to the board of the National Pilots Association next week and will discuss terms for delivering presentations to the broader National Pilots Association membership.
That would be followed by a referendum to determine which of the three unions AirTran pilots prefer, and potentially a vote on a merger.


"The NPA leadership desires nothing but the best for our pilots as far as representation and we are, at the request of our pilots, exploring all options to strengthen their representational bargaining agents," said National Pilots Association president Mike Best.
But the plan for a referendum and potential union merger could be derailed by ongoing campaigns to collect authorization cards for the Teamsters and for ALPA, each to petition the National Mediation Board for an election to take over representation.
AirTran executive vice president of operations and corporate affairs Stephen Kolski said the company does not plan to participate in the matter of who the pilots choose to represent them. "If there's going to be a change, when that change happens, we'll bargain with the replacement union," he said.


Underlying the efforts to explore a switch of representation are the unresolved contract talks between AirTran and its pilots, who have been haggling over a new contract for years and are in mediation on the matter. The company is currently seeking a 12.5 percent reduction in pilot costs, according to the union. Last year, the pilots recalled the union's then-president and vice president, and subsequently voted to reject a proposed labor contract.

 

[luckytohaveajob]

Just make sure you all replace all the union leadership with fresh blood regularly.

Recall often and regularly.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Just make sure you all replace all the union leadership with fresh blood regularly.

Recall often and regularly.

Well yeah.... it seems we love to be reactionary. Take the financial bailout and the Big Three loan bridge...

How about we be proactive and do a little bit on the front end rather then allot on the back end...

IOW, how about staying engaged in your career politics and electing officers on the front end and KEEPING THEM IN CHECK, instead of being apathetic and suddenly demanding recall.....



just saying....

 

[Tweaker]

Maybe "global warming" is real... I agree with Comrade Rezbot!

 

[Flying the Line]

Maybe "global warming" is real... I agree with Comrade Rezbot!

Even if global warming is not real, pollution is real. Turn off Fox News and grow up.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Well ALPA probably just lost a few votes because Rez endorsed them......

 

[Captain Morgan]

If you're going to go with a union, go with ALPA. I've paid dues to both and there is a night and day difference. ALPA has always been there for me through any situation I've ever had. Good luck getting a call back from Teamsters if you need something. ALPA serves airline pilots, they know airline pilots, they are the most appropriate choice for our profession. Teamsters is a money-making scamster organization. Good luck!

 

[rajflyboy]

Who cares what union you have if you still have those Smucks in the training department!!

 

[Browntothebone]

ALPA sux.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

ALPA sux.

After comparing the company friendly UPS pilot contract to the pilot friendly FDX contract... and asking yourself which one you'd prefer to work under....

Why would you say that?

 

[CopilotDoug]

After comparing the company friendly UPS pilot contract to the pilot friendly FDX contract... and asking yourself which one you'd prefer to work under....

Why would you say that?

Dude...give up your company friendly vs. Pilot friendly contract garbage. It's a false argument implying that both organizations (ALPA and the IPA) are bargaining against the same Management Group. And for that matter, it implies that the IPA and ALPA are representing the same pilot group.

Neither one of those statements is true, so the whole "Pilot Friendly" and "Company Friendly" position is subjective, i.e. it's up to your own personal interpretation. You're pro-ALPA??? You don't say!

 

[JoeMerchant]

Hey Rez....other than FedEx....name one ALPA contract you consider to be better than UPS's contract....

 

[Plug]

Doesn't NPA already receive a lot of resources from ALPA?

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Doesn't NPA already receive a lot of resources from ALPA?

Yes, and they pay for those resources, as does the in house pilot unions at American, UPS and SWA.

In addition, ALPA provides these resources and services to many international pilot groups as well...

For a time, ALPA was doing this for free, however, in the interest of its members not subsidizing an in house union members, ALPA formalized a fee based service.

 

[PCL_128]

Actually, the NPA stopped receiving these services from ALPA earlier in the year. The NPA cut our ties with ALPA, and now we're trying to contract with other vendors for services. Not good.

 

[Max Powers]

There will always be bull cacca at the local level for all unions. To counter act this "bull cacca" you need a strong national bureaucracy that can help you lead the way. And most importantly in ALPA you have first rate attorneys. In my eyes the Attorney is the most important thing. At my previous company our attorney was always seen or heard from at NPA she doesn't even come to explain the new TAs that where offered to us.

In other words we need alpa....yes they have done some dumb things but those are stupid acts are at the local level.

 

[twepilot]

even the best most expensive atty can't defend a POS contract.

RV

 

[BSkin]

There will always be bull cacca at the local level for all unions. To counter act this "bull cacca" you need a strong national bureaucracy that can help you lead the way. And most importantly in ALPA you have first rate attorneys. In my eyes the Attorney is the most important thing. At my previous company our attorney was always seen or heard from at NPA she doesn't even come to explain the new TAs that where offered to us.

In other words we need alpa....yes they have done some dumb things but those are stupid acts are at the local level.

My god, thanks for saying that!

 

[CopilotDoug]

Just make sure you all replace all the union leadership with fresh blood regularly.

Recall often and regularly.

This is a KEY point

Two guys by the name of Kleiner and Pilarski did a study on the impacts of elections on benefits. They compared 2 unions in the same region. In short, one Union recalled it's leadership 8 times in a 30 year period. The other plant had 3 presidents over the same 30 year period (The only time a president left was to move on to a bigger, better opportunity, such as a political apointment...they were not voted out by the membership)

It was found the benefits received by the Union with a high recall rate for leadership were far better than those received by the Union with the steady leadership. It was apparent the high recall rate (in other words, holding elected leaders accountable) kept a fire under their ass to do the will of the membership.

 

[PCL_128]

The Kleiner and Pilarski study is a joke of a "scientific" study. There was no significant sample size. The two unions you mention, both blue-collar unions in California, were the only unions observed for this "study." No conclusions can be drawn from such a limited sample size. To get any real data, a wide-scale study would be needed.

The truth is, recalls and turnover are usually a bad thing. You need experience in office, not starry-eyed newbies that don't have a clue what they're doing. You should find elected leaders that do a good job, and keep them for the long haul.