These guidelines will solely establish practices that will protect FOPA affiliates from termination or repercussions from management and give basic guidelines to protect the pilot work force from mergers or acquisitions as well as any deductions in current benefits or compensation. This agreement will not change any current benefits and will be void upon a voted contract by the pilot work force; these are just guidelines for formalization of the FOPA organization. Upon managements agreement Bob Tyler will be asked to release the compensation plan he had announced before the Teamsters filed with the NMB. If management will not sign the Formalization Handbook agreement, FOPA founders will continue with the card campaign and file with the NMB for an official vote and except any repercussions imposed by Flight Option’s management. Upon receiving 35% of the pilot’s cards, FOPA will file the application with the NMB for an election. If the FOPA vote receives 50% plus 1 with the NMB, FOPA will then officially represent the Flight Options pilot work force. FOPA will then initiate a nomination period where any pilot interested in representing the pilot workforce will be able to submit their name. The applicants will complete the FOPA form 107, this form will state their background and why they should represent the pilots. The applicant information will be forwarded to the pilot group for review. Upon the review deadline an election will be held within the pilot workforce narrowing the representation group to 20 pilots (five pilots per future fleet type) and 5 president applicants. Application forms will be disseminated again. The pilot work force will then vote for 4 pilots to represent the pilot work force and one president to represent FOPA and act as a liaison between FOPA and Flight Option’s management. Initially, the elected FOPA reps will represent a variety of fleet types, as the company moves on with the go foreword plan of four aircraft types the reps will stream line their representation to a specific type of aircraft. The new FOPA representatives will then meet with the FOPA founders to formalize the association and establish the pass over from the founders to the elected positions. The association will then compile a list of concerns and requests from the pilot work force. Once a list of concerns is compiled the association will schedule an orientation with management representatives. At this orientation, FOPA representatives will begin negotiations with Flight Options management on a formal contract. During negotiations, FOPA reps will take into consideration all current competitive contracts.
In other words, they will attempt to do exactly what we have already done with the NMB, and what we have already done with Net Jets' very successful 1108. The only difference is, these pilots have no national support system in place. They have no money to fight for a contract - and since they cannot file for NMB voting in of their plan can't happen for 12 months, the company does not:
A) even have to recognize them, because they have no legal enmity or authority, and
B) This same "entity" that is not a legal enmity has no money to fight them for not bargaining in good faith. They would not even have the money to file simple grievances when the company "wrongs" the pilots with their little "FOPA workbook", which by the way, would NOT be a legal contract, only an "agreement", which would take money, OUR money, to fight in court with. Considering we are only 800 pilots, legal fees alone could eat our dues up in grievance processes, leaving no funds for negotiations.
Note: This is NOT a problem for the IBT 1108, because although we are technically an "in-house" union of Flight Options pilots, ELECTED by Flight Options pilots (not done in a hostile take-over of self-representation like they are proposing), because WE don't pay ANY dues until AFTER contract negotiations are COMPLETE. These guys can't do the same thing, not unless they are willing to spend more than their own yearly salaries in legal fees - probably 10 times more.
FOPA Schedule:
FOPA will begin distributing cards for a 35% collection to the NMB – March 6, 2006
Pilots apply to be FOPA reps – April 6, 2006
Pilots elect preliminary applicants – April 17, 2006 thru April 20, 2006
Pilots vote for final FOPA reps - May 1, 2006 thru May 4, 2006
Announcement of FOPA reps- May 8, 206
FOPA reps conduct orientation meeting – May 15, 2006. FOPA reps meet with management at end of June, 2006.
This proposed schedule is incredibly not possible. You cannot vote to have RLA-protected employee leadership NOR start negotiating for a contract for at least 12 months after a previous vote attempt. These guys have obviously never read the Railway Labor Act. They should consult a lawyer, because this information could place them in court for spreading lible.
If the vote were to fail, we could do NOTHING to have any kind of representation for 12 months. Period. No matter what you call yourselves, or how you think you could come up with said elections. The RLA, and the NMB is clear on this.
This schedule is a proposal and dates may vary due to Teamster activity.
You're right - like a successful vote and we start ELECTING Flight Options pilots to represent us, only with legal, RLA protection and an RLA-enforced contract, not this... whatever you want to call it plan.
However, the time line for FOPA agreements is within 6 months of being voted as the representation of Flight Option pilots, which is excessively less than any Teamster contract negotiation. It may also take longer than 30 days to complete a card campaign; however, this is the initial goal of FOPA.
So they are saying they can do in 6 months what the 1108, with professional assistance from the best labor law firm in the country, did in 10 months... Yes, it is a "goal" - one that would never be reached because the NMB won't allow it for at least 12 months anway. But go ahead and make it one of your goals.
Benefits for choosing FOPA:
-One voice from pilot to management. One point of contact from management to the
pilots.
Just like our 1108 will be. The only difference is that our pilots pick the leadership instead of these "people", whoever they are, usurp the power over our pilots.
-No drawn out negotiation between Teamsters and Flight Options management
Now let's get serious. If these "leaders" could just walk in and ask management to "sign here" and make a new contract, and they DID sign it, do you think it would be something our pilots would vote on? Do they really think we would let them decide what's best for us and not even let us vote on it? Again. These people miss the point on what elected leadership, and having pilots vote on a contract is all about.
-Benefits and compensation packages will be created quicker
But nowhere near the industry's standard,
-Represented by line pilots that pilots will elect with no outside political influence.
But not before these anonymous pilots get in charge first, and get their little workbook to be signed by management and setting in stone a contract without our input, or us ELECTING them to do so. With their plan, the elections for the leaders would take place AFTER they consult with management about our quality of life issues - all of them.
-Each fleet will have a point of contact to voice their opinion.
However, with no national support, the in-house association would not have any funds to file and fight grievances with the company. Grievances mean lawyers, and lawyers cost money. With the IBT, we don't ever have to worry about grievance money, or contract negotiating money. It's paid for, and if our own funds don't handle it, we have the national coffers of 1.4 MILLION members' monthly dues.
-NO initiation dues or expected donations to the organization, unlike the Teamsters
Which means that the pockets of these FOPA founders must be lined with gold, because negotiating a contract, and enforcing a contract, are both very expensive ventures. This should be a heads' up. Someone's trying to sell us ocean-front property in Arizona.