The majority rules with a union on the property. That does not stop management from trying to divide our pilot group into smaller sub-groups. They are hopeful that we will decide that the 700 pilots, the F/O's and IP's will be sold out buy the majority. Why would they think for a minute that we would do that at ASA? Well, because there are other airlines that have done this very thing. When our 700 rates were negotiated the company refused to go above approx. 58% of Captain Pay for F/O pay rates. Our negotiators refused no settle for less than 60% and after hours of no progress our CNC pulled down already agreed too hourly pay for Captains and made the F/O pay 60%. Their vision was to show ASA management the importance of that issue by taking the money from the captain and bringing up the F/O to 60%.
The IP's have shown a lot of resolve over the past 18 months. Some of the IP's identified themselves as management. It took management to prove to them that they are only LINE PILOTS assigned to the training department and nothing more. The company converted many of these IP's to trade unionist with their concessionary talks in IP meetings and then at the bargaining table. Once again the company misread the ASA pilots as nothing more than typical sell outs this time selling out the minority IP's. We will once again pass the test by not allowing management to steal from the 700 pilots and the IP's and reallocate there money to the middle majority. If we fail this simple test of unity it will certainly encourage this dimwitted management to take this to a strike.
When the strike ballots are sent to each pilot make sure you send the company a message. We will not bend, break, sell out the minority, or walk away from the table with out having at least what SkyWest pilots have + a very small percent more. We will not prostitute ourselves for growth and we will show our SkyWest brothers and sisters that they have nothing to fear that we will under bid them for growth. They must certainly understand that we have been tested several times and our pilots know there is no winner in a race to the bottom. We will have a written document that is as strong as our pilots resolve. Let Jerry and Bryan know that their large profits have not gone unnoticed in SLC or ATL. They need to stop playing monkey see monkey do and place their energies in dragging ASA into the 21st Century and then set this airline on a course that is based on mutual respect and a true partnership for the future. If they want to compete with bottom feeders then let them take the money from their pockets because the employees are not involved in paying for the sins of the father.
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