AirTran Strike Vote...98 percent say YES!

[terrehautesux]

AirTranNocontract

 

[DonVerita]

What does ATN stand for? I have been a member for over a year now and get the ATN-MEC emails but no one has ever explained that to me... AirTran something? No one I have asked seems to know. They just shrug.

ATN is the 3-letter designator assigned by ALPA for AirTran Airways. Just as DAL is to Delta Airlines and UAL is to United Airlines.

 

[BILL LUMBERG]

Hey AT gang,

You need help walking the picket line? I'll be there. Anybody who votes a contract down and then walks the line gets my respect......

Even you Kharma!!!!

 

[waveflyer]

It's a good point- the mediators promote this snail's pace- I get that W had his labor agenda- an underfunded understaffed nmb under Obama is inexcusable. There are usually very small windows of profitability to get things done- these delay tactics are completely biased to one side and need to be stopped.

There better be one hell of a RETRO check included in this. And I hope every one on AT's property understands why retro is important- retro must equal the amount the contract would be worth if it were signed the day the old one became amendable or there is a huge financial incentive to delay. It needs to be value of contract plus interest if you have any desire to not be delayed to death next time

Good for you AT- you have my support as well

 

[njcapt]

Great results on the strike vote, guys. Stay strong.

 

[maxblast72]

if you have any desire to not be delayed to death next time

I think next time the Airtran pilots approach an amendable date to their contract, things will be alot different than 2005. I doubt there will be a failed TA, recall of union president and vice president, and the changing of unions during the middle of negotiations next time around. I doubt there ever would have been a 97.5% yes/96.2% participation for a strike vote under the NPA. I am not saying ALPA can or will cure all of our problems here at Airtran, but the structure and resources they have brought to our effort over the last 12 months are signficant.

 

[waveflyer]

True enough- my point was retro. I doubtthat your mgmt doesn't have a certain union busting law firm on retainer that knows how to divide a pilot group- part of the tactics is to get the union to bend over and put out TA's like that- the incompetent union, IMHO- I know it's not my airline- so you guys do your best and what's right for you, doesn't change the Retro argument. If you don't get a retro check equal to the amount it would be worth if it were signed on time- it rewards management. And incentized them to do it again. It should be simple math- not a negotiated item.

 

[Ludicrous Speed]

Think there's a lot of stuff y'all can accomplish with a 98% vote. Congrats Airtran pilots! Stay strong!

 

[no1pilot2000]

I admire AirTran pilots for showing unity in their strike authorization vote. Voting 98% to authorize a strike is amazing.

However, what will be the tipping point where the pilots say to AT management, the flying stops and walking the picket line, full time, begins?

 

[TurboAWD]

Just like previous performance is not a good predictor of upgrade times, what has happend with Section 6 negotiations over the last several years is not a good predictor of what is going to happen the next few years.

The NMB has changed. Great contracts will still not just fall out of the sky, but things ARE different.

 

[maxblast72]

However, what will be the tipping point where the pilots say to AT management, the flying stops and walking the picket line, full time, begins?

It is really out of the pilots hands for now (unless you believe in illegal job actions that are barred by the RLA). It is up to NMB, our negotiating committee (who is being steered by the MEC and ALPA strategists), and the company's negotiators. The NMB will determine if and when an impasse has been reached and extend a proffer of arbitration to both sides (which could start the cooling off period if either side rejects arbitration). Seems like the company's negotiators are pretty good at making sure just enough progress is made to keep the NMB from declaring an impasse. But there is a limit to how long this game can go on before the NMB declares an impasse. When and how that limit will be reached is the key question right now.

 

[MILPILOT17]

It is really out of the pilots hands for now (unless you believe in illegal job actions that are barred by the RLA). It is up to NMB, our negotiating committee (who is being steered by the MEC and ALPA strategists), and the company's negotiators. The NMB will determine if and when an impasse has been reached and extend a proffer of arbitration to both sides (which could start the cooling off period if either side rejects arbitration). Seems like the company's negotiators are pretty good at making sure just enough progress is made to keep the NMB from declaring an impasse. But there is a limit to how long this game can go on before the NMB declares an impasse. When and how that limit will be reached is the key question right now.

Nice post! Good luck.

 

[no1pilot2000]

How long can these battle lines shift back and forth between the pilots and management, before there's an actual strike? What happens to Air Tran if the pilots do go on strike?

 

[Eagle757shark]

How long can these battle lines shift back and forth between the pilots and management, before there's an actual strike? What happens to Air Tran if the pilots do go on strike?

If AirTran goes on strike, only management knows what they will do during a strike. Management can prevent a strike by negotiating and giving the AirTran pilots a fair contract. The pilots have presented their full proposal. Management has had this proposal in their hands since March 2010. The ball is in their court. They haven't even presented a full counteroffer almost three months later. For years and months, management complained that they wanted to see a full proposal on the table. There has been a full proposal on the table for almost three months. They know what we want, it's all on the table now!

 

[GuppyWN]

Pay up or shut up.

Gup

 

[maxblast72]

How long can these battle lines shift back and forth between the pilots and management, before there's an actual strike? What happens to Air Tran if the pilots do go on strike?

Considering that Airtran's pilots costs would go up around $60-80 million/year with a new contract plus the one-time cash outlay of $40-50 million for a retro check, our management will try to delay the process as much as possible (and our management knows the RLA very good and until about a 16 months ago, was real happy with the NMB's boss). Now that the strike vote authorization results are out, the pilots of Airtran need to keep the pressure on by showing up at SPC events to let management know how serious we are. Legally, that is about all we can do. Picket and continue to negotiate until the NMB declares an impasse. Any activities barred by the RLA (sickouts, slow taxi campaigns, or writeup campaigns) could only delay our release (and thus delay the exercising of our ultimate leverage) as the NMB could side with the company that we are not following the RLA.

Timeline could end of being anywhere from a couple of months if the NMB agrees that negotiations are moving too slow (due to company obviously) to another year if we get put on ice by the NMB for illegal activities. Fornaro is stating (see bottom of article below) that he doesn't believe that the strike vote will affect summer bookings. Of course, we as pilots don't have access to the current passenger bookings so we really won't know until the Q2 and Q3 results are out whether he is telling the truth or not.

http://www.jsonline.com/business/94343334.html

 

[Lear70]

I don't think that the general public has the first clue what's going on, and will continue to book their travel with whoever is cheaper, as they always do...

 

[waveflyer]

Which means he'll have a lot of explaining to do if he let's this get to a strike when record profits are on the horizon this summer

 

[no1pilot2000]

I read the article. Fornaro looks like a Mafia Boss.

 

[fly4funcrj]

I don't think that the general public has the first clue what's going on, and will continue to book their travel with whoever is cheaper, as they always do...

Why would the public know? Are there articles in the usatoday? Local news stations? CNN? billboards all over the nation? Unless information concerning your situation is made easily noticeable to the regular joe... No one outside of the aviation industry really knows anything about it.

This is not a jab at airtran, but a general observation. Who flies on airtran? Not the super wealthy but the average person.. maybe even some nascar folks who couldn't book swa (sorry guys, couldn't help it). Get a banner and have it towed by a nascar event...baseball game.... at other sporting events..