Despite union opposition, Flight Options moved forward...

[BlueNose]

So here's what the public sees, from AINonline. Kenn Ricci, freedom fighter.

Despite union opposition, Flight Options moved forward on Friday with an offer of voluntary separation packages to its pilots as the company lays the groundwork to transform from a fractional operation into an on-demand charter business over the next 12 to 18 months. Flight Options sister operation Flexjet previously made the offer as the two companies begin to reshape their operations, retiring some of the older modelaircraft and moving others into charter.

Article ends with the quote, from KR only:

"I refuse to accept the notion that a pilot, under the employ of this company, does not have the right to decide his or her own future," Ricci said in announcing plans to move forward with the voluntary package offers. "It is unconscionable that the Teamsters should unilaterally try to take away a voluntary and materially beneficial option."

Read the whole article here.

 

[GlorifiedCabbie]

If this was such a good deal, why would a pilot have to agree to waive his right of recourse afforded in the CBA? I'm not talking about a right to be recalled, I'm talking about the right to use arbitration in any dispute. If, for some reason, Ricci decides not to uphold his end of the bargain, your only recourse will be the court system. Good luck with that, especially given his track record.

 

[doh]

All management was/is trying is to set a legal precedent of bypassing negotiating with us pilots for the terms and conditions of our employ. If we accept this, we allow them to impose pay rates without negotiating, because we allowed them to set compensation without negotiation once. It is a precedent they can exploit. That is the real issue. Do not let them deflect from that. It would do irreparable long term harm to every Onesky pilot.

 

[GlorifiedCabbie]

When has Kenn really had the best interests of the pilots in mind? Name one?

 

[BlueNose]

This is a shot directly at the rights of the IBT to bargain collectively for the covered employee group, the pilots of OneSky. Can't see how this can possibly stand, and KR has to know that. Is all this just a ruse to cast the IBT as the bad guys, when the company gets blocked by a judge and is "forced" to furlough? Because if this were to stand, wouldn't the union be effectively neutered?

 

[V1 Rotate]

All management was/is trying is to set a legal precedent of bypassing negotiating with us pilots for the terms and conditions of our employ. If we accept this, we allow them to impose pay rates without negotiating, because we allowed them to set compensation without negotiation once. It is a precedent they can exploit. That is the real issue. Do not let them deflect from that. It would do irreparable long term harm to every Onesky pilot.

Bingo. Once a precedent is set that the Union let the Company bypass their representation for the pilots, then that door is thrown wide open for anything in the future. And ole Ricci will be waiting right there to exploit it.

 

[GlorifiedCabbie]

Don't forget Ricci still hasn't acknowledged the Flex pilots have a legal representative and are still at-will employees. What does he have instore for them next? He claims he is only after the pro-union Options pilots, but ALL Flex pilots will be targeted next.

 

[Imissmypilot]

Don't forget Ricci still hasn't acknowledged the Flex pilots have a legal representative and are still at-will employees. What does he have instore for them next? He claims he is only after the pro-union Options pilots, but ALL Flex pilots will be targeted next.

This is the most disappointing of all. We have heard from the big IBT. We have heard from the big 1108. We have heard from the Options MEC.

What have we heard from Flex Leadership? ********************ing nothing. They should be spitting bullets at the massive insult handed to them by management to not even acknowledge their existence as the legal representatives of the pilot group. They weren't even as much as cc'd on a memo to this date, let alone advised of the VSP.

It is embarrassing for our pilot group to be represented by whoever it is representing us at Flexjet. I don't actually even know who it is anymore the communication has been so bad and so lacking. Some of the original POC were very transparent, communicative and passionate and they have fallen completely off the radar. Management is spreading the rumor some of the original POC don't even support this union drive anymore. I know it's not true (with the expected and predicted exceptions) but the average Flexer won't know and the soft support the union once barely enjoyed will wither away with this clever whisper campaign management, their cronies and union benedict arnolds are employing.

What the hell is going on with the Flex jet side of this? Ricci ignores the fact that we elected unionization completely and it would appear we're okay with that. I have always said the cries for participation and support will continue to go unanswered as long as we continue to show such utter weakness and incompetence from the top down.

Seriously, how embarrassing is it that a blustering, intellectually deficient bigot is still besting a small but still majority of supportive pilots while senior management all but ignores the original core group of the workforce of the their new workhorse?

********************ing embarrassing. Why don't you consider what is making the VSP attractive at all? The writing is on the wall this is a dead end job unless we get our act together. It's not too late but the clock is ticking.

 

[Imissmypilot]

100 views since my opinion and not a single retort tells me just how on point I am with my observation. I've never been so disappointed to be right in my entire career. Like I said the clock is ticking but it's not too late however with this apathy it's not likely will get to it in time.

 

[GlorifiedCabbie]

Silent majority.