WN Pilots sign petition for SWAPA to lower dues

[Dude]

Some of our guys have signed a petition to lower our dues by 10% (now 1%).

I was wondering what some here thought of that.....if you were in their shoes?

For the record, I think our dues are great considering the rest of the industry and I feel like we are represented well, but that's me and not 6000 other dudes.

 

[njcapt]

You get what you pay for.

Unfortunately, what you paid in the past got you Carl Kuwitsky.

Maybe someone should propose a resolution to raise dues.

 

[BlueBlood]

I never minded paying ALPA. Well, maybe a little. I don't pay now and wish I had the kind of representation you have. A buddy of mine over there doesn't complain much, so I guess that is a good indicator.

Dues suck. Getting disciplined unfairly sucks more. Getting fired sucks the mostest. Having programs and people that help the line pukes makes it nice though.

 

[Dude]

NJ,

Are you at NJ or WN?

What do you know about Kuwitzky?

 

[N1atEcon]

Since he can't even spell El presidente's name right I am going to assume he is NJ.

 

[turn&pull]

Since he can't even spell El presidente's name right I am going to assume he is NJ.

None of us can spell his name...

 

[airlinepilot]

Clearly we have too much $$$$ to spend when Carl could afford to hire a CPA (good idea) to take the treas position and then added extra VP position which icost us $200K for a Capt's pay.....we don't need more representation but we do need BETTER representation.....and the side letter the boys signed concerning TA2 (that we should have voted on) it living proof!!! Just my thoughts.....

 

[RedDogC130]

I am against the dues reduction...WHEN...SWA goes after another company we will wish we had that surplus to deal with the integration of the other pilot group.. Ask the AM West/USAir guys how much that cost them between lawsuits, etc.... saving 1% out of a paycheck is not worth the headache we can have in years to come.

 

[Whataburger]

Some of our guys have signed a petition to lower our dues by 10% (now 1%).

I was wondering what some here thought of that.....if you were in their shoes?

For the record, I think our dues are great considering the rest of the industry and I feel like we are represented well, but that's me and not 6000 other dudes.

Doesn't this belong on the "Pune."

I voted to lower dues.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Some of our guys have signed a petition to lower our dues by 10% (now 1%).

I was wondering what some here thought of that.....if you were in their shoes?

For the record, I think our dues are great considering the rest of the industry and I feel like we are represented well, but that's me and not 6000 other dudes.

I would gladly switch my 1.95% for the 1%...What a deal...That's a lot of Nathan's hot dogs!

 

[njcapt]

NJ,

Are you at NJ or WN?

What do you know about Kuwitzky?

Neither. NJ was the IATA code for Vanguard Airlines.

My impression of Carl is one of a glass tower propagandizing leader perfectly willing to throw WN pilots under the bus when he finds it politically useful (see Jan McCall). His move to cut representation in a ham-handed effort to save money should have been seen by everyone to be just what it was - political gamesmanship. I don't trust the guy and my friends who are at WN don't either.

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Gary Kelly has been very public about his desire to "take advantage" of strategic opportunities. We all know what that means. We need to have that money in reserve if/when that "strategic opportunity" presents itself.

Knowing that we have that hanging over our heads, it would be very short sighted to vote ourselves a dues reduction at this point in time.

I will not sign the petition, and if this comes to a vote, I will vote "NO"

 

[airlinepilot]

I am against the dues reduction...WHEN...SWA goes after another company we will wish we had that surplus to deal with the integration of the other pilot group.. Ask the AM West/USAir guys how much that cost them between lawsuits, etc.... saving 1% out of a paycheck is not worth the headache we can have in years to come.

I agree with what you are saying but my vote to reduce is a vote against a MEC I see that is just building a larger, not better, Bureaucracy. If we needed to save more money then we don't need a 2nd VP at 200K each year.

 

[Whataburger]

The more they make, the more they'll spend. Especially Carls travel budget.

Any BOD will tell you that the Big Bad Wolf is out there. They want your money. First the Big Bad Wolf fund was a million, then a couple million, then five million. What's next 10, 15, 100 million? For every $200 we get assesed later will equal $1,000,000. When the big bad wolf comes, you can have my money. If this were ALPO: bag sticker = "No Wolf, No Money"

 

[PCL_128]

What exactly does SWAPA do with all of their money? I once heard Carl say that they didn't have a single grievance on file. If you're not in contract negotiations, and you aren't having to fight grievances, and the company generally treats everyone pretty good, then I'm a bit curious what SWAPA does with its dues money. Even at just 1%, SWAPA brings in roughly $8 million in revenue each year. For what, exactly? I'm not criticizing, I'm just curious. I could probably burn through more money than that here at AirTran, but we're also dealing with a management team that is as hostile as can be imagined.

 

[GuppyWN]

Neither. NJ was the IATA code for Vanguard Airlines.

My impression of Carl is one of a glass tower propagandizing leader perfectly willing to throw WN pilots under the bus when he finds it politically useful (see Jan McCall). His move to cut representation in a ham-handed effort to save money should have been seen by everyone to be just what it was - political gamesmanship. I don't trust the guy and my friends who are at WN don't either.

Well that about sums it up!

I can honestly think of ZERO times when Carl made a public stand for the representation of "his" pilots. He is paving his road to DC with our dues.

Gup

 

[Cobraair75drvr]

Joesephina,

This is the Major's board. Shouldn't you be on the regionals board? Please do us all a favor and convince your peers to drop ALPA. Please form your own union because I am tired of my 1.95%(which btw is way more than any asa pilot) covering you leeches. Put your money where your mouth is and leave.

I would gladly switch my 1.95% for the 1%...What a deal...That's a lot of Nathan's hot dogs!

 

[scoreboardII]

Carl doesn't throw pilots under bus, not even deceased ones....

 

[JoeMerchant]

Joesephina,

This is the Major's board. Shouldn't you be on the regionals board? Please do us all a favor and convince your peers to drop ALPA. Please form your own union because I am tired of my 1.95%(which btw is way more than any asa pilot) covering you leeches. Put your money where your mouth is and leave.

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

We're not going to drop ALPA...We're just going to stay and raise he!!...I don't want to leave anymore...

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

[ATRCAPT]

I see both sides. I don't particularly like paying dues, in fact I don't particularly like unions, but having worked for a non-union airline in the past I see them as a necessary evil. Personally, I think Carl sees our pilot group the way Al Gore sees climate change: he doesn't give a sh!t in the wind either way, but he's sure going to figure out how to profit from it. Having said that, Gary does seem to be a bit merger happy, and if that happens I don't want an underfunded union fighting for my seniority. Tough call.

 

[Mach 80]

>>Clearly we have too much $$$$ to spend when Carl could afford to hire a CPA (good idea) to take the treas position ....<<<

A $75,000/yr CPA is a lot cheaper and knows more about handling multi-millions of dollars than a $200,000 pilot holding the treas position. I'd much rather have a professional CPA running it than an airline pilot, plus it saves money -- maybe in more ways than one.

 

[JR Man]

How do we fund Harry Reid's re election if we cut our union dues!?

 

[JoeMerchant]

How do we fund Harry Reid's re election if we cut our union dues!?

Don't worry...ALPA will pick up the slack and fund his re-election....

 

[waveflyer]

why would you NOT want to fund harry reid's re-election? Because if you guys go nuts and don't get behind politicians who support unions and a middle class- we'll see another round of this career going to sh_t. It really is your choice.

 

[JR Man]

Democratic party has had congress for four years and the white house for one. How is the middle class and airline industry? Sh_t comes to mind.

 

[JoeMerchant]

why would you NOT want to fund harry reid's re-election? Because if you guys go nuts and don't get behind politicians who support unions and a middle class- we'll see another round of this career going to sh_t. It really is your choice.

Do Harry and Obama support business? If the economy and the airlines don't make money, all the pro-labor govt in the world won't make a difference....I don't understand how you left wingers expect to negotiate more money and better work rules from business's that are losing money...Very strange....

The career changed when Carter signed the Deregulation Act of 1978....That career is never coming back as the revenue will never support it.

 

[Scope out RJ's]

why would you NOT want to fund harry reid's re-election? Because if you guys go nuts and don't get behind politicians who support unions and a middle class- we'll see another round of this career going to sh_t. It really is your choice.

You see this is what happens when inbreeding takes place!
I'm sure you'd like to get behind the politicians like reid.
The good news is that you'd at least be giving it to him!:laugh:

 

[jhill]

Neither. NJ was the IATA code for Vanguard Airlines.

My impression of Carl is one of a glass tower propagandizing leader perfectly willing to throw WN pilots under the bus when he finds it politically useful (see Jan McCall). His move to cut representation in a ham-handed effort to save money should have been seen by everyone to be just what it was - political gamesmanship. I don't trust the guy and my friends who are at WN don't either.

First of all this shouldn't even be discussed on this forum. If you don't work here and I asume from this post you don't who gives a Damm what you think of Carl or anybody else for that matter. Nunyadambizness.

 

[airlinepilot]

>>Clearly we have too much $$$$ to spend when Carl could afford to hire a CPA (good idea) to take the treas position ....<<<

A $75,000/yr CPA is a lot cheaper and knows more about handling multi-millions of dollars than a $200,000 pilot holding the treas position. I'd much rather have a professional CPA running it than an airline pilot, plus it saves money -- maybe in more ways than one.

Guess you didn't notice my (good idea) concerning hiring a CPA....????? I just don't think we need 2 VP's

 

[njcapt]

First of all this shouldn't even be discussed on this forum. If you don't work here and I asume from this post you don't who gives a Damm what you think of Carl or anybody else for that matter. Nunyadambizness.

Let's review this.

You signed on to an open aviation forum to castigate someone who legitimately answered a question posed by one of your pilots as to what they thought of your BOD President. Not caring for the answer, you state that it shouldn't be discussed in the first place. I guess you are entitled to your opinion, but no one else is.

If you sincerely think this shouldn't be discussed on Flightinfo, report the post to a Mod and have it reviewed. Unfortunately for you court records are public, so if others want to gain a little perspective on the PHL deice incident, they could look here and see how SWAPA, led by Captain Kuwitzky, kicked a First Officer to the curb in an effort to get rid of someone management decided was a 'bad apple'.

Carl's meddling with the negotiating process leading up to TA2 is why you are saddled with an unexceptional contract and an implementation schedule that might be complete by the time you open Section 6 the next time around. Fortunately for the enlightened members of your association, the next election for President is just around the corner. I suggest that you and your fellow pilots take the election seriously and not let it become a rubber stamp for the next back-slapper in line.