They are offering a negation of bargaining rights to everyone staying. That must never be accepted. A good deal for a small percentage of pilots that Fs the vast majority is not a good deal. It's a fantastic deal for the foks to be able to jump the seniority list, so the union should allow upgrades picked by management? This is no different.
It's no different?! It is completely different. It's voluntary. If you don't want it, you don't put in for it. If you want to walk away with some cash and never come back, put in for it. There are many pilots who are making top 10% salary that would love to do this who are in their 60's and ready to retire. This could let them do so earlier. Most if not all of those who were furloughed have been furloughed at least once before, and with the massive down sizing of the company and it turning into an on demand charter service, most of them probably have no interest in coming back, especially when they are just placed eventually on the bottom of Flexjet's list and still subject to the next Ricci fiasco that will ensure furloughs. The VSP is a great kick-start to help pad that situation for those pilots who have suffered the most since the 1108 has been on board since day one.
There is absolutely nothing detrimental to it, except the FUD from union leadership about throwing out the CBA, which is ludicrous and there is no legal precedence that that has ever happened. None. It is nothing but union propaganda and posturing to increase pressure on the company to negotiate.
In fact, there are many airlines who are doing things to help pilots out that are not in an LOA for the benefit of the company and helping pilots in the process. A few good examples are most unionized regional airlines (over a dozen), including PSA, piedmont, Republic, American Eagle, Express Jet, Gojet, Trans States, Mesa, Compass, Endeavor, the list goes on - are giving signing bonuses of up to $23,000 just to get pilots to apply because they are so short of pilots, with nothing in their CBA allowing that to happen and in order to stay competitive, or as time catches up, some LOA's are now happening after the fact that the company already started doing it. An interesting fact here, the only union balking at this is Republic's pilots, who are Teamsters. The ALPA carriers have not complained. Gojet airline's pilots, also Teamsters, have not complained. The Republic teamsters union 357 sued over the fact that with the signing bonus the year 1 pilots are making more than year 2 pilots. Understandable. That should be fixed. And the company started paying pilots to work on their days off money that was not negotiated. Fair enough. But did the CBA get thrown out because the company is adding signing bonuses with nothing in the contract to do so? No. It did not. Was there any language in the law suit purporting that it would, or any talk from union leaders stating those kinds of ludicrous statements of the CBA being thrown out if it was allowed? No. There was not. Do you think ALPA would allow a company to do something that would jeopardize their CBA just happen? And Gojet, Teamsters, are doing it. No, this is a unique "view" and is nothing but rhetoric in the bloody battle between EV, LH and management. And it is costing pilots who will be furloughed money for stupid reasons only to try to force the company to negotiate.
Instead of filing an injunction, the union could have ran the other direction with it. The union could have taken that ball and ran with it ensuring that in the JCBA the company adopt this new "precedence" and always give a VSP when they furlough. The union already is applying maximum pressure with lawsuits over the company's failure to negotiate. The furloughed pilots' VSP did not have to be sacrificed.
But no, the union took Ricci's juicy bait and did the worst thing the union could do to destroy the union's solidarity and ensure a successful decertification when the time comes. Bad news is raining almost daily at flight options, and barring a retraction of the union on balking at the VSP, I don't see the union recovering from this one. KR could not ask for a better outcome.
Did I mention I am a MiGs? The union minions have accused me of being an FoK or even management. But the fact is, I supported this union right up to the VSP. I supported the citation Air deal, I've supported most of the tough if immature and emotional responses of the new union leadership that muddied the waters and barely by the narrowest of margins pulled off a victory in adding Flexjet's pilots and keeping the 1108. Although not a member of any committee I talked with my P2P rep monthly at least and kept abreast of what was going on, and supported the union's efforts talking with flight options and then Flexjet pilots when appropriate at the FBO's. I did not do any overtime while we had pilots on furlough, etc. etc. I was a good little union pilot and did what was expected and did what I was told.
But the more ridiculous BS rhetoric I hear defending this poor decision, and the lies of why it was so important that are so blatantly obvious and ridiculous in merit, the more it pisses me off, makes me to not trust our union leadership anymore, and makes me even more upset with the 1108 and its leadership. And I know from hearing the banter at the FBO's that I'm not the only one feeling this way. And yet, the VUH has been virtually silent since the injunction was announced. A massive, sudden decrease in VUH activity from both pilot groups. That alone should be a big, huge red flag for the union. No one has anything to say anymore, even after the company gave a heads up of very bad news approaching and we all know that means way more furloughs are coming. You can hear crickets in the VUH it's so silent.
