ALPA sues SKYW

[homerjdispatch]

You are still the boil on the a$$, of a crack whore.
PUTO
PBR

And to quote Artic flier...Thats intelligent!

 

[PBRstreetgang]

And to quote Artic flier...Thats intelligent!

Don't you have a series of dogs to blow in between whatever it is you do? Oh yeah, you blow dogs for a living.
Howz dat
PBR

 

[Exskydiverdrivr]

I swear newman sounds like a mgmnt type. I still think someone in SGU is yankin our chain. Or is it D'Angelo re-incarnated?

 

[igneousy2]

This is actually two seperate questions.

Question #1: Do I as a Skywest pilot want to be represented by a union?

yes or no?

Question #2: Which of the several union options out there do I want to represent me?

ALPA, Teamsters, TWU, start your own (i.e., SWAPA or APA), etc.

When you think of it this way the question becomes easier.

What does having a union get you?

1. A contract
2. The right to enforce that contract with court assistance if necessary
3. the right to bargain collectively
4. the right to utilize "self-help" to "bargain collectively"
5. the right to only be terminated for "just cause"

These are things that are only available to an individual employee if they belong to an employee group that has filed notice with the NMB that they are represented by a recognized union. Otherwise you are governed by applicable state and federal laws which basically means that as long as an employer does not discriminate against you based on gender, religion, race, etc. they can do whatever they want.

Many of the arguments I am reading on this thread are very valid crticisms of ALPA and specific MEC's within ALPA, however, offer no help in answering the more basic question of should their be a union or not.

A union is a group of people that agree to utilize their collective power to gain improvements for the whole. It is NOT a service that you buy. ALPA national is a resource that your elected MEC utilizes. The actual makeup/strength of that MEC would be up to YOU - the Skywest pilots. A union (ALPA or whatever) is only as good as the collective efforts of the entire group.

You can ask what happened to Delta's contract, what about United, what about Alaska. The more relevant question is what WOULD have happened had they not had a union.

How about these questions - why doesn't Skywest operate 737's for UAL or DAL? Why does Alaska still have a pension? Why does DAL still have one of - if not - THE highest pay rates amongst the pax airlines? Why does UAL have a 9% B fund and a 6% C fund in place of their pensions? Why haven't all of the ASA pilots been fired? What do you think would have happened if these airlines DID NOT have a legally enforceable CBA?

There are pilot groups that are rightfully not happy with ALPA - US East, American Eagle, ComAir that I can think of off the top of my head. There are many pilots on these properties that would decertify ALPA in a heartbeat if given the opportunity - but don't think for a second ANY of these pilots would CONSIDER becoming a non-union carrier.

Good luck