I suppose so, but the core event precipitating this debate was the company's incompetent mishandling of the Sap 2 issue. They negligently overlooked a bug (feature) in the system, blamed the pilot group for behaving like individuals with normal self-interest when it blew up, and arbitrarily applied a fix that bypassed the Association - in clear violation of the contract.
Oh, I'm not blaming the Association for the origination of the problem,,, not in the slightest. I realize where it started, I just don't like how they dealt with it.
I agree that Allen and the Association could have mitigated the problem a lot more judiciously (rolling back the Sap 2 bids to a certain coverage level and compensating the affected pilots) but the blame belongs with the company, not Allen.
Sorry, I just don't agree. The Association had NO business... ZERO, ZILCH, NADA, NO business giving the company relief on a contractual item that directly affected pilots as substantially as this did without consent of the pilot group.
Yes, I did email AP about it as soon as that initial letter came across saying they had OFFERED the company that solution. I never received a response back.
So far, about 2 people out of 10 on this board said they agreed with the NPA's decision. While hardly a scientific poll, I bet those numbers decline quickly if you're one of the affected to maybe 1 in 10 or even 1 in 20.
Would Dave handled the situation any better? I don't know. I'm one of the 'new guys' you talked about who had Dave for indoc, but even if Dave let me borrow his clubs and have a poke at his wife I'd be wary of electing someone so closely aligned with management.
heh heh... nice visual.
I don't know, but I doubt he'd have done any different.
It's a difficult choice, but I'd rather see the company backed into a corner where they have to offer triple pay or better along with all the other incentives until someone finally scoops up the open trips rather than force people who were able to bid it off on their initial and sap I bids to come in and work after they had made family plans.
It was simply a bad decision by the NPA.
AirTran is my sixth airline and my seventh bargaining unit, and I have never seen pilots so unfocused on their representation. I was hoping that the xmas massacre would help unify the pilots, but I guess that is too much to ask.
Nope... if anything, it probably divided the group into even MORE of a fractured unit. Now not only do we have the senior people vs the junior people vs the CA's vs the FO's, now it includes all of those vs the people who had Christmas off and were forced to work vs the people who didn't work vs the people who support the NPA's decision vs the people who don't.
The higher voter turnout (73% isn't bad as far as elections go) is probably representative of a lot of people getting more involved because of getting hosed for the Christmas debacle just to realize that there aren't any viable alternatives.
Just to stir the pot a little, I managed to get xmas off and am wearing a Santa beard and hat to avoid detection until my show on the 26th. Merry xmas, everyone.
Nice... I'll be looking for you while I'm sitting ready reserve from 1200 - 1800 in the lounge. "LOOK! THERE HE IS! JA HIM! JA HIM!!!" LOL
