Here's an idea: if being a union rep is such a wonderful, cushy job, why don't you run for office and take advantage of all these supposed perks? I mean, if it's such a great gig, guys should be tripping over themselves to get to the meeting to get nominated, right?
But of course, reality is a different story. Your reps are usually flying full schedules plus doing their union work on most of their days off, leaving little time for fun and family. They are usually working through lunch and hurrying through eating a Chick-Fil-A sandwich, not dining on lobster. They are usually working 16 hour days when they get trip drops, not lounging around relaxing.
Time for a reality check, folks. Being a union rep is a crappy job, not a cushy gig. That's why few people keep doing it long-term. Only a handful of really dedicated people can last longer than one or two terms before burning out. Show some respect for the people that are working hard to make your lives better. There are a lot of great people working for the ASA pilots.
Why don't I become a union rep??? Same reasons I don't fix my own car when its broken or cut my own grass! But I expect the person I am paying to do a good job and to give me my moneys worth of service.
Does it matter "why" I don't want to cut my own grass? My lawn service guy has never asked me that? He simply does the job I am paying him to do. My mechanic has never asked me why I don't become a mechanic and fix it myself. He, too, just does the work he is being paid to do.
If I ever crash a plane and kill someone...I am going to tell their spouse they should have became a pilot and flew the airplane themselves.
And I never forced him to cut grass for a living. He made that choice just as I decided to be a pilot. Some decide to be union reps and some don't. But that does not change the expectations that come with each job!
I know some of our reps work hard. I know there are long days on occasion. But I am not stupid either! 4 or 5 different months I have been paired with some of our union reps. Every time we would end up flying about half the month together because he was dropping trips for union stuff.
Now, I am all for our union reps getting paid and being able to drop trips to do union work. I understand the need for that. But when its my dues that are paying for it, I EXPECT to be represented. I am not paying for them to represent the company.
My dues are paying for it and they tell me their day is more valuable than mine? They can negotiate a 6 hr day for them but can only negotiate a 4 hr day for me?
Don't use the union to your advantage so you don't have to fly a 4-day across the weekend while I and da-mn near every other pilot is getting raped on the line and then give me some lame as-s reason why the company needs to do this. Or tell a reserve pilot to tough it out, he's on reserve.
How about our union at least calling bullsh-it when the company tries to explain how 14 hr 4-day (with several 3 hour sits in atlanta) is more efficient 20 hr 3-day? That would be a nice starting point!
