Company Tactics for Busting Union Drives...

[XPOO]

...and leave the important stuff to the real pilots!

ALPA...gives hamburgers and lineards to the new hires telling the poor pilots that came from flight instructing that a union is important in order to become a real pilot.

So, are you saying PBR can't be a real pilot because he doesn't work for a unionized airline yet? Somehow, I think we all knew that already, but thank you for the clarification.

 

[jea]

Why can't all of you anti-ALPA folks understand that ALPA will be what you make of it. You will elect the people who work for you. If you have such a strong pilot group, it will be a strong union. At least ALPA has a good foundation of resources to work with.

For all that have been disappointed with ALPA in the past years, understand that these were in times of economic hardship in the industry. Companies used bankruptcy laws and threats to achieve goals. People were afraid for thier jobs and careers, and most of these concessionary contracts were voted in by a majority. The times are changing, record profits and load factors. Almost everyone is turning a profit. It's time to get back what you gave up. Having a union will provide you the tool to do so. I can really see union companies gaining back more than non-union companies. I cannot stress that if you have any confidence in your pilot group, then get a union on property and start reaping the rewards.

of course union companys are getting back what they gave up... look at ASA they are nearly up to what we have at SkyWest... (package) and thats after what 5 years of negotiation? to get what we at skywest have had for how long? i just cant get it to add up in my book...

 

[WWEfan]

The bottom line is that ASA raised the bar from their old contract to the new one. No one else can say the same in the last 6 years. Imagine what the SKYW guys and gals could do with a little muscle behind them.

 

[Shaheen]

Why would a company be concerned with keeping a union out of it’s organization
and what will it do to ensure one doesn’t take place ?

Well, when it comes to the financial balance sheet, an employer typically considers labor, i.e., human resources, to be a resource like energy, fuel, or raw material. That is, reducing the cost of the resource contributes to the corporation's net income; some have seen this happen here for those of you with experience from the “Deal-Me-An-Ace.” era.

Do unionized employees secure better wages and superior benefits compared to their non-union counterparts in the long run? Maybe, maybe not. Because unions concern themselves with issues such as wages, hours, and working conditions, the company not only must consider the possibility that unions will raise the cost of doing business, but unions may seek enforceable work rules which reduces the management’s flexibility in running the business. Flexibility and money are things the company wants to keep.

With lower pay, fewer benefits, scheduling inequalities, and more managerial control over working conditions, YOUR personal value decreases while your value to the company increases as a resource (you cost less), this translates directly into greater profitability for your employer.

Therefore, many employers seek to prevent unions from conducting successful organizing campaigns, by using anything and everything at their disposal.

So, what Tactics might be Used to Thwart a Union Drive?


Dirty Tricks:
Union busting is built on deceit. A campaign against a union (or potential union) is an assault on individuals and a war on truth. As such, it is a war without honor. The only way to bust a union is to lie, distort, manipulate, threaten, and always, always attack. (This has happened over the past month with certain messages sent to pilots on SWOL). Companies usually employ individuals in positions of influence to put forth propaganda that the company itself is not allowed to dispel. (Perhaps, someone on the SAPA forums?)


Propaganda:
In each letter, every word is carefully planned. Descriptions of the union always include threatening or derogatory connotations, while management is always portrayed as humble, caring, and righteous.

Typically company letters will detail the union's policies on dues, fees, fines, and assessments, divulged union rules and disciplinary techniques, warned that if a strike would ever happen that it would ruin the company and jeopardize jobs, and otherwise argue that the union would be bad for a company.

The aim of the company is a "war of saturation bombing" in which half-truths and accusations put the union and those thinking of voting for one on the defensive. This forces a union to spend hours defending itself leaving no time left for the union's planning efforts, or for campaign strategy. The workers won't find the time to discuss their own issues if they're sufficiently bombarded with the "twisted disinformation" sown by the employer. (For example: Banner ads, US Airways seeks to decertify its union, American Airlines, etc. . . interesting that banner ads like this, were non-existent a year ago?)


Human Emotion:
A well-orchestrated anti-union campaign is also nuanced and calibrated to human emotion. After all the employees and supervisors are exhausted from the fight over the upcoming election, you may find SkyWest sending out a "give us a chance" letter which is a "tearful, apologetic plea" for an apparent truce.

It creates an illusion suggesting that management recognizes its mistakes and has learned its lessons from the organizing campaign. One might see a letter saying that management really has changed, and management deserves a chance. This offer is typically timed so that its impact is felt just before the election.


Intelligence operations:
Either side is likely to perform better during confrontations if it is well-informed, or if it can place operatives in key positions. Corporations have frequently resorted to seeking intelligence on union activities, often by employing informants, labor spies and saboteurs.

The management "plant" is a standard presence at union-organizing meetings. Their job has many parts; disrupt the meeting so the union can't talk strategy; post on forums; take the focus off workplace problems by turning the questions on the union; intimidate union sympathizers; report back to management. Of course, if the anti-union workers are acting as spies, (federal labor law) makes that patently illegal, but big deal. It's almost impossible to prove.


Favoritism and division:
What is really happening behind closed doors? Did you get an extra day off from Crew Support because you are anti-union? Did you get released from Ready Reserve because you are pro-company?

What if you are a self-purported union backer?

Pro-union workers (pilots) are typically forced to undergo ever-tighter scrutiny, and are confronted with scurrilous rumors spread by the anti-union campaign. You decide you are going to vote for ALPA, but somehow can’t get that Ready Reserve Day removed, even when there are several Reserves Junior to you? You question why, and are told it is policy, yet there is no policy. It’s no doubt that unions will be blamed for driving "a wedge of hate into a once unified/ pleasant work force."


Creating an illusion of progress through the "Magic Bullet" Theory of Communication:
"Tell them what we want them to believe." After vilifying the union with anti-union message dissemination, (US Airways looks to remove union on SWOL news, Management statements that “The Goodtimes” will be over, or “Just look at our competitors, like MESA, who have unions, or you won’t be able to fly larger aircraft if a union is voted in, etc.), the second imperative of a union avoidance campaign is to humanize the executives in the eyes of workers.

The goal is to portray the company as benevolent, compassionate, and caring. Examples of management's newfound kindness are publicized to all employees. (We gave you SkedPlus+, we’re growing by adding planes and new partners, we have been congratulated by UAL in our performance, we are getting 22 new CRJ 700’s, thanks for your e-mails concerning the Don Douglas situation, we are here to listen to your ideas . . .)

It’s typically a game of perception concerning corporate/management communication with employees. How to avoid the union at all costs? Appear to listen to employees, encourage openness (Talk to your Chief Pilot or contact Chip or Brad if you have questions), make policies simple and clear, and relax some rules, buy the pilots lunch like ALPA does . . .

Has one noticed that there is little communication with/from Brad Holt during this union drive? This is usually by design. From what I hear, it appears that many in the pilot group do not like negotiating with Brad (SAPA) and the “my-way-or-the-highway” approach that appears to be taken when dealing with SAPA and the Pilot Group. Dislikeable characteristics about management should be masked during a union drive. (That backfired with the timing of the Don Douglas decision granting relief.)

New faces are brought forward that are trusted and liked, Chip Childs? Could this union drive be one of many reasons Ron Reber was terminated? Maybe? Maybe not?

Managers , supervisors and even top Executives may visit worksites and exchange jokes, gossip, and laughter with workers. The theme of company-as-family prevails, with the union portrayed as an upstart outsider. Only after a union organizing drive is defeated, might company executives/management be allowed to return to their "business as usual" ways.


Declare innocence; comply with the law; blame the union:
In a counter-organizing campaign, image is crucial. It’s usually in a company’s best interest to portray the union as devious and sneaky. SkyWest could argue law as well. For example, one could find that it has been mentioned that “Checkairmen” are considered “Management Employees” and that their votes will not count so they shouldn’t vote. I suppose it could be argued in front of the NLRB and SkyWest might win this argument, since it becomes easier to defeat a union drive by declaring more employees as management; then it can blame the action on the federal government, and portray the good intentions of the company in complying with the law.

Another method that many are unaware of is that fact that the Airlines initially asked Congress for anti-strike measure back in 2003. Airlines want congress to rewrite federal law that governs airline labor relations to make it harder for unions to strike. The Air Transport Association, the airlines largest lobbying group has been urging lawmakers to revise the Railway Labor Act, citing that the labor expenses are their biggest costs. If pilots cannot strike, it makes it easier for any airline including Skywest to attain wage cuts and work-rule concessions.

It's deceitful not to give 'credit' to the person who wrote this originally!

 

[Tarzan]

of course union companys are getting back what they gave up... look at ASA they are nearly up to what we have at SkyWest... (package) and thats after what 5 years of negotiation? to get what we at skywest have had for how long? i just cant get it to add up in my book...

How so? The pay rates are better. They don't have to fly a certain number of hours in a certain aircraft to get the "override". They didn't have pref bid shoved down their throat. They'll sell that back later for something else the pilot group wants. They have a clause that would allow for them to get played in the whipsaw game of transferring air frames. They even saw fit to include their counterparts at OO in this as well. If planes come to ASA, OO guys have the option to go with them.

So how did ASA almost make it to your level?

 

[Nevets]

of course union companys are getting back what they gave up... look at ASA they are nearly up to what we have at SkyWest... (package) and thats after what 5 years of negotiation? to get what we at skywest have had for how long? i just cant get it to add up in my book...

But they have an enforceable contract with grievance procedures even throughout the five years.

 

[120% Torque]

It's deceitful not to give 'credit' to the person who wrote this originally!

OK for those of you who are getting bent out of shape over who wrote this...it was written by a coworker on a company message board. I originaly had that note posted above but it got pasted over somehow. Wasn't trying steal anybodies thunder... just relaying good info. As you were....

 

[yellowfever]

of course union companys are getting back what they gave up... look at ASA they are nearly up to what we have at SkyWest... (package) and thats after what 5 years of negotiation? to get what we at skywest have had for how long? i just cant get it to add up in my book...

Uneducated!

 

[AWACO]

The short answer is that Skywest used to be the top regional in the industry and management honored their word on keeping us at the top. They were generous and it seems willing to be leaders that would balance the wants and needs of the employees with that of the shareholders. A few union drives later they realized they could do pretty much whatever they wanted (taking work rules, removing cost of living increases with no "true up" , cancle peoples vacations because with the bucket system Sapa wrote for them, they learned to staff really thin, change the compensation to more of an industry average yet ask for more productivity, etc, etc, etc and ultimately focus on profits, record profits at that, making them look like heroes in front of the investment community while their employees moral tanked....with the exception of the new guys who are just thrilled to fly a "CRJ Heavy") and at the last second during a union drive "undo" the damage with pep talks and promises if we only "give them one more chance" until the next union drive...HIT REPEAT. My history with Skywest can be understood better by reading another earlier post I made:

First let’s be clear, Skywest is not the same airline I hired on with a decade ago. I have watched year after year as management has reduced the benefits of this job while stacking large sums of money into the company coffers. They also paid $400,000,000.00 cash for another airline that they would later use to whipsaw against the pilots that helped raise this money in the first place. How’s that for thanks?! Skywest started out seemingly doing the right thing by its pilots a decade ago. We find ourself in a very different place today, especially the last six years.

If you go back and read most of what I have written here you will see the majority of my remarks are backed up with documents and facts. If someone lies and deserves to be crucified I usual do it with their own words. You see I tend to save things. I have a lot of the memo’s and promises doled out from management over the years including Sapa meeting minutes, quotes from Sapa reps, management promises, etc. Let me tell you something point blank in all soberness…..somewhere along the line the management of Skywest decided it was better for them personally to go another way from how they had previously gone in the past. At some point they decided it was ok to embellish the truth and sometimes flat out lie knowing full well they would later renege on their words. This process started slow but they do it now without hesitation, a straight face and no regret. There is no two ways about it, Skywest management has not been honest with this pilot group. It is born out again and again and this has caused much frustration among the ranks.

Now we have to ask what vehicle has management used to renege on these promises and who was ready and willing to be a part of this process? That vehicle was/is Sapa. I have watched this group, tried to work with this group and been deeply disappointed with this group for some time now. I know Jim B, Mike E, David L, Dave C, Dave A, etc personally. These are not men of high moral character. They are what they are and that is salesmen, opportunists and sell outs. I’ve watched several of these men jump from cushy job to cushy job within the ranks of Skywest, kissing butts along the way to secure what is best for THEMSELVES on a personal basis. They are like rats looking for a warm burrow to sleep in while the rest of the workers are hung out to dry. I do not have any respect for these men. I used to have respect for Mike E, but no longer. I felt bad for the guy when he had heart trouble and lost his medical, that is, until he became a management lackey handing out work rules that affected my daily life in a negative way and gave all the pilots the proverbial “bird” in doing so. I resent the fact that these men carelessly delivered management so many things that have negatively affected my families’ quality of life as well.

Some people who clearly are not in possession of the facts will say, “you knew what you were getting into when you hired on at Skywest, if you don’t like it now you can leave." I DID like the Skywest I hired on with (I am a happy person by nature) and it is NOT the same Skywest today! Frankly I am fed up with how the company has operated and what Sapa has done or undone as the case may be. Many others feel the same way. Even ardent Alpa critics have become frustrated with this downward spiral and the flippant attitude of Sapa and the company when these issues are brought to their attention. These pilots have seen the trust being broken a lot lately and there are new converts to Alpa every day. Then there’s the new guys, some who flew for Mesa and the like, who wanted to believe in the new religion of Skywest….it would take them to the aviation promised land. They don’t want to hear that this place could have some of the same problems of their last regional and yet even less protection to boot. Certainly they do not want to hear from the “old timers” stating the facts about what has happened here and would rather lash out in denial or plug their ears altogether hoping things will improve on their own. They thought for certain Jim Black was honest when he sold them on the evils of Alpa and the benevolence of Skywest management/sapa during basic training/endoc. Sadly they will find out the “new Skywest” is not what they used to read about on those message boards of old.

Regarding Alpa, I have said this many times before and probably will say it again, it is not the answer to all of lifes problems but when compared to Sapa it has a lot more horsepower to work with. It can produce much better accountability and has functions Sapa could never dream about implementing. It contains much better tools to build what should be the gold standard of regional airlines, especially considering how profitable Skywest continues to be post 911. For those not familiar, Skywest has benefited enormously from what happened to the industry after 911, yet they continuously preach financial gloom and doom almost every day and four times a day during pay negotiations. No matter how you slice it Alpa is most certainly better than what we have now. To be honest I don’t care if it does take three or five years to get a new contract. At least the sliding will stop and the upside is we really could set the standard and help raise this industry.

Skywest Inc made over $150,000,000.00 dollars NET PROFIT last year alone and yet they still nickel and dime the employees while at the same blowing the “we have to be competitive” bugle because “we are skating on thin ice here.” Its just plane ridiculous and insulting. They don’t think I listen to the conference calls where they gloat to the investment community about having the best balance sheet in the industry and and the lowest costs with a "union free" work force that loves them, or that I can read the annual report? They have the president of ILFC, the largest aircraft lease company in the world on their board of directors cutting industry leading rates. They prepay on their engine overhauls a year or more in advance to reduce profit sharing money. They have benefited from some good strategic decisions and even they will admit a fair bit of luck. Keep in mind Jerry was originally against regional jets and had to be talked into it by RR. The point to all this is that Skywest for a variety of reasons has competitive advantages beyond the “industry average” wages Jerry told us were the new direction we were going after voting down Alpa in 1999. During this drive he said we would be at or above the top. ASA will not go broke with the wages they just received. Skywest will continue to make more money than they have ever made even if they paid the pilots of Skywest ten percent more, which is what we should have got after a stalled and bad faith bargained pay agreement

Back to your question though, how does Skywest compare to other regionals? Id say measuring today at this very moment they are right in the middle and quickly sliding towards the bottom. Moral at Skywest is at all time lows based on the guys I have flown with and the comments I have heard. The growth at the regionals is going to slow down across the board other than like what just happened two days ago, exchanging for a few more seats on a handful of airframes. The majors are relatively happy with the number of regional units they have deployed now and the market will stay pretty much the same over the next several years. If the work rules suck and the almighty growth can’t be sold by management to take its place it’s going to get ugly. I know you want to believe that Skywest is like the old Skywest but it is not. I likely won’t be at Skywest this time next year but that doesn’t stop me from fighting the good fight for those that will be. The buck stops here. Let’s get on with it.

Seriously man get a life....I am not going to take the time to read a book by some half ass line pilot.

 

[Nevets]

http://www.skywestalpa.org/documents/July_2007_Special_Edition_SkyWest_ALPA_Update.pdf