AAI removes negotiating chairman

[Lear70]

They were able to get their lackeys into the MCO and MKE LECs because anyone worth having does not want to be associated with the union because of all the childish crap going on.

Interesting interpretation. If memory serves, their "lackey" they wanted in MCO got soundly defeated by the CA and FO rep who are now serving as the MCO LEC.

As far as others who didn't get involved, for me it wasn't any "childish crap" going on, I just have better things to do with my time than to babysit a process that I'm going to have very little control over if I was the MCO FO rep (the MC stays autonomous and contract enforcement will continue whether I'm there working issues or not).

It's just not worth the irritation for an office that's going to last a year and a half or two more years, not to mention the angst involved if things don't go the way AAI pilots want for an SLI. Even though the reps won't have had anything to do with what got negotiated or arbitrated, they'll still bear the brunt of the hostility if it doesn't go well. Who needs that kind of irritation?

I think apathy is a better word for why our pilots with extensive previous union experience are steering clear of volunteering. There's not much real change that can be affected and it's just not worth the aggravation.

 

[PCL_128]

Interesting interpretation. If memory serves, their "lackey" they wanted in MCO got soundly defeated by the CA and FO rep who are now serving as the MCO LEC.

I think he's referring to the "12 Angry Men's" and AC's lackeys.

 

[Lear70]

I think he's referring to the "12 Angry Men's" and AC's lackeys.

Ah,,, you're right. My brain substituted MEC for LEC. Guess I need more coffee.

I don't know if I'd call ANYONE currently serving someone's "Lackey". I don't know the MKE reps, but of the MCO reps, I know that they're voting to keep the MC autonomous, and that's what I'm primarily concerned with.

Don't get me wrong, we all know that the pilots are very highly engaged in what's going on with SWA, but internal politics are polarizing to most people and unless it affects them personally, they just tune out.

 

[MILPILOT17]

Varying answers, depending who you talk to. The MEC didn't put out an email explaining their reasons, so most of the line swine don't know and, given the apathy here, don't care to know.

One of the answers I got was that he wasn't doing any of the contract enforcement work which was his primary duty now that he wasn't negotiating it anymore. He and the now-Chairman of that committee are the most knowledgeable about the current contract and what was intended in each section, therefore they needed to be working the enforcement issues (and there are many) and a few are saying he wasn't.



Not yet. The Negotiating Committee won't be involved until AFTER arbitration, if it comes to that, to negotiate the implementation issues that transition our CBA into yours. Not that we will influence YOUR CBA in any way, but ours will have to slowly be changed to mirror yours during integration so that there's not a big pay disparity in our own ranks as our pilots go over, our schedules can be tweaked to mirror and work into yours for connecting passengers, lots and lots of things will need to change with our CBA and who better to negotiate that than the people who negotiated our CBA and know it best?

The Vice-Chair is now the chair, so there's still continuity of knowledge. Nothing to flip out about, but I imagine LH was put on notice to get current and simply run the union on a daily basis, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see him resign after he gets current.

Light bulb flickering?

 

[redflyer65]

With TO being removed it's 'business as usual'. Now less than a month this happens? I'm not sure too many are 'tuning' this out because it could affect them..

 

[BlueBlood]

"The Negotiating Committee won't be involved until AFTER arbitration..."

Interesting default you have there. I know you went on to say "if it comes to that", but the fact that you chose arbitration as a default instead of a negotiated deal says a lot.

My friends tell me that they would have never imagined a negotiated deal until they spoke to their NC.

 

[Lear70]

"The Negotiating Committee won't be involved until AFTER arbitration..."

Interesting default you have there. I know you went on to say "if it comes to that", but the fact that you chose arbitration as a default instead of a negotiated deal says a lot.

Ummm... it's not a "default", it's as per the Process Agreement...

In the event of a NEGOTIATED settlement (reached through negotiations OR mediation), our Negotiating Committee won't be involved. The timelines and changes to our contract, including pay and benefits, scheduling rule changes, everything will be part of a NEGOTIATED PACKAGE by our Merger Committee and SWAPA's NC that will INCLUDE the Integrated Seniority List, and the *WHOLE PACKAGE* will go to vote. When we vote on an SLI agreement, we vote on all the timelines of integration as well, all in one YES or NO vote (I'm assuming SWAPA members will be voting on the whole package as well, and not just the ISL).

*IN THE EVENT* we can't come to an agreement, even under mediation, and it goes to arbitration, the ISL, including any fences (or whatever portions of those two that our negotiators couldn't iron out) AND the date that integration begins, are given to us by the arbitrators in their decision. THEN our Negotiating Committee meets with SWA management (not SWAPA, although they're allowed to have a rep present) and negotiates integrating our contract into yours, including dates that pay happens, other benefits, scheduling changes, etc, etc. During that time period SWAPA will also be meeting with SWA management (not us, although we're allowed to have a rep present as well) to determine 717 pay rates, international overrides (if any), international per diem, and other items that will need to change in YOUR CBA.

That's all straight out of the Process Agreement. Again, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I TRULY hope for a negotiated agreement, and my post wasn't a statement one way or another, sorry you interpreted it that way, it was just explaining how and when (if) our NC will be involved straight out of the Process Agreement because one of your pilots asked.

My friends tell me that they would have never imagined a negotiated deal until they spoke to their NC.

Your friends where? AAI? or SWA? Trying to figure out whether you're talking about the SWAPA NC or the AAI MC (Merger Committee).

I've spoken with the AAI MC quite a bit over the last few months; they recognize the difficulty in finding something that's fair and will pass vote on BOTH sides of the aisle, but recognize the NEED to do so and not leave something so important up to 3 people who aren't personally involved and have nothing to lose from how it's integrated, and they're very hopeful that it can be done.

They're very smart individuals and very committed to that goal, but I don't envy them their job right now. Eat, sleep, and breathe SLI for a year of your life and be forever praised or forever vilified, depending how it goes and how you're affected...? No, thank you. But they'll never buy a beer when I'm around, that's for sure, no matter how it goes.

Thankful for all your work, guys! (and yes, a couple of them do read this board both in our MC and your NC) :beer:

 

[Dan Roman]

.

They're very smart individuals and very committed to that goal, but I don't envy them their job right now. Eat, sleep, and breathe SLI for a year of your life and be forever praised or forever vilified, depending how it goes and how you're affected...? No, thank you. But they'll never buy a beer when I'm around, that's for sure, no matter how it goes.

Thankful for all your work, guys! (and yes, a couple of them do read this board both in our MC and your NC) :beer:

That's the essence of all union work, no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, there is always going to be some who sit on the sidelines waiting to monday morning QB you. It's so often someone who needs to take the displeasure they have with their own self created situation in life and direct it at someone else.