How does any union MAKE the company do something?
How do you know its not one of their highest priorities?
Weren't you listening on the Southwest conference call? I asked the SWAPA president what THEY do when the company does something like this (very rare). His answer was:
"Everything. You make it public. You make it ugly. You do WHATEVER it takes, and let the chips fall where they may".
In other words, you don't "play nice" with the company for over a year, afraid to "rock the boat" so that they'll throw the pilot group a bone. You take the fight TO the company, and if the company doesn't like it, then that's really too bad.
I've had this conversation with Mike on more than one occassion. Specifically, I've asked why we, unlike most other unions, are signing side-letters giving the company relief on ANYTHING while we have contract hostages on the street.
His answer: "I'm not holding up ANYTHING that benefits the pilot group for the concerns of two guys." That's wrong.
There should be NO side letters, NO T.A.'s, NO relief of ANY kind given to the company by the union until hostages are reinstated. That's STANDARD UNION OPERATING POLICY at EVERY major, unionized carrier in the business...
Except ours, of course.
Has the npa not followed procedure and protocol?
Have they followed procedure? Yes, the NPA has done what's required of them to keep them out of a DFR suit (barely). Nothing more. Unlike another pilot who was recently terminated and was IMMEDIATELY placed on FULL Flight Pay Loss until reinstated.
Protocol? As in "what is normally expected of a union"? No, just the minimum required by law. Reference example above.
Those of us that will be supporting you want to know these answers.
RV
Now you know. My thanks to you and all the other AirTran pilots for your support. My hope is that ALPA *WILL* make it a priority, and that Don and I will, at the VERY least, no longer be held up from grievance by the company and, at best, reinstated with full back-pay in the near future.
