Flexjet considers Furloughs

[993_Pilot]

OK Efrem is the leader of the,while shebang, right? Like President?

Who is Barcklay?

Is Mike Brown like the governor of Flexjet or a senator?

Can someone explain this whole union structure in terms of a political structure we can understand? I stay abreast of all the boards, read everything sent and I communicate with who I think I'm supposed to but still have no real idea of the who's or the process.

I think the big question on the vuh right now is why should I consent to them making decisions for me without consulting me? I think some of us signed on thinking we'd have more transparency about the process.

Now I find out it's more like Obama's campaign promise to put everything on the Web for review. Turns out they only want us to review, or input, in theory, not practice.

I get that the best answer is if I want to be heard I should get involved but some of us still aren't willing for a variety of reasons. Isn't there a happy medium?

The IBT is organized with multiple levels.

The first level is the M.E.C. (Master Executive Council) which is the leadership for a given company. Flexjet's equivalent is the PLC until you get 50%+1 dues paying members in order to hold an election for an M.E.C. Flight Options MEC Chairman is John Barclay. Mike Brown is the Flexjet PLC Chairman. Most of the committees are controlled at this level.

The Next level is the Executive Board which is the leadership for the "Local". The IBT Local 1108 is comprised of Flight Options, Flexjet, and TMC and oversees their respective MEC's. Efrem Vojta is the President and the link posted by Old Crow will take you to the other officers contact info. The majority (75%) of your dues money stays here at this level. Legal council is also hired at this level to further the interests of the companies represented by the local.

Next you have the Airline Division. David Bourne is the President and Rick Dubinski (former MEC Chairman for United Airlines) is an Advisor/Consultant/Organizer.

Above all of this is Teamsters National.

I hope this helps you get a grasp of the how your union is organized. "The Union" isn't some third party, it is comprised of your fellow pilots. If you are expecting to be spoon fed, you will be very disappointed. However, if you regularly read the VUH, get involved at the MEC/PLC level, and ask lots of questions, you will learn all that you ever wanted to know.... and then some.

 

[Imissmypilot]

The IBT is organized with multiple levels.

The first level is the M.E.C. (Master Executive Council) which is the leadership for a given company. Flexjet's equivalent is the PLC until you get 50%+1 dues paying members in order to hold an election for an M.E.C. Flight Options MEC Chairman is John Barclay. Mike Brown is the Flexjet PLC Chairman. Most of the committees are controlled at this level.

The Next level is the Executive Board which is the leadership for the "Local". The IBT Local 1108 is comprised of Flight Options, Flexjet, and TMC and oversees their respective MEC's. Efrem Vojta is the President and the link posted by Old Crow will take you to the other officers contact info. The majority (75%) of your dues money stays here at this level. Legal council is also hired at this level to further the interests of the companies represented by the local.

Next you have the Airline Division. David Bourne is the President and Rick Dubinski (former MEC Chairman for United Airlines) is an Advisor/Consultant/Organizer.

Above all of this is Teamsters National.

I hope this helps you get a grasp of the how your union is organized. "The Union" isn't some third party, it is comprised of your fellow pilots. If you are expecting to be spoon fed, you will be very disappointed. However, if you regularly read the VUH, get involved at the MEC/PLC level, and ask lots of questions, you will learn all that you ever wanted to know.... and then some.

Thank you, that's all I was looking for. Well at least most of it. I could have done without the snipes of OldCrow commenting on my inability to find an obscure link on my own somehow being an indicator of my overall intelligence though. Every day you guys are on here or on the vuh wondering why people don't want to get on board the train. There's your answer. Contrary to the popular belief of your leadership as I've heard explained in the cockpit. it's not the disension, polemics or truth even though it hurts attitude. That only effects a few of the thin skinned group. For the rest of us it's the backstabbing, gossip and insults. I've always appreciated if someone is going to be a dick, then at least be upfront about it. It has been a pleasure to observe on the vuh it appears that is not a problem you have at Options. Perhaps there's something not so great about Flex superiority after all.

My previous experiences with unions did not have this extra level sandwiched in between so there is a learning curve even for those of us who have had previous work history with a union. I'm just looking to understand and one thing leadership has been woefully inadequate of explaining are these basics.

Furthermore, I do not understand why we need essentially 3 leadership councils. I get perhaps 2 (one to oversee the whole shebang, one for One Sky) but aren't we all.one now that the single carrier has been determined? Wasn't that actually the friggin point of the last year?

 

[993_Pilot]

Thank you, that's all I was looking for. Well at least most of it. I could have done without the snipes of OldCrow commenting on my inability to find an obscure link on my own somehow being an indicator of my overall intelligence though. Every day you guys are on here or on the vuh wondering why people don't want to get on board the train. There's your answer. Contrary to the popular belief of your leadership as I've heard explained in the cockpit. it's not the disension, polemics or truth even though it hurts attitude. That only effects a few of the thin skinned group. For the rest of us it's the backstabbing, gossip and insults. I've always appreciated if someone is going to be a dick, then at least be upfront about it. It has been a pleasure to observe on the vuh it appears that is not a problem you have at Options. Perhaps there's something not so great about Flex superiority after all.

My previous experiences with unions did not have this extra level sandwiched in between so there is a learning curve even for those of us who have had previous work history with a union. I'm just looking to understand and one thing leadership has been woefully inadequate of explaining are these basics.

Furthermore, I do not understand why we need essentially 3 leadership councils. I get perhaps 2 (one to oversee the whole shebang, one for One Sky) but aren't we all.one now that the single carrier has been determined? Wasn't that actually the friggin point of the last year?

My reply was never meant to be a "snipe" of any sort, sorry if it came off that way. As far as the division/levels of the union are concerned, do you really want to go straight from a company level to a level that represents over 1 million members?... We would be lost and IBT National wouldn't have any idea of the issues we face. The U.S. military has the same type of structure with many levels for a very good reason, if you think about it.

If you were ALPA previously, it is structured much differently. ALPA has a Top-Down structure, where the bulk of the dues goes to the national union, whereas the IBT is structured as "bottom-up", where the bulk of the dues stays with the local. This is a big advantage of being with the IBT as far as I am concerned.

As to the last paragraph, once Flexjet gets 50%+1 members in good standing (you are getting close) you will be able to elect your own MEC, and once we get a JCBA (Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement) we will have another election for a new MEC to represent the combined One Sky/Options/Flex pilot group, so the structure will simplify in time.

I get that the pilots at Flexjet really don't know who to trust or support at this point, and we went through that as a pilot group too. Time and shared adversity will eventually change all that.

There are people on both sides that tend to get a bit emotional in their responses, and that may tend to turn you off from their view point, but just remember that one or two vocal people don't necessarily speak for everyone that shares that view point. There is no perfect answer, but it is incumbent upon you (and every other pilot) to seek out where the truth lies, and make your choice about what side you support.