Following below is actual dialog between a Sapa Leader countering the concerns of a line pilot five years ago. Now with time as the ultimate judge who was right and who was wrong?
Skywest Line Pilot: There is no language in our policy manual that awards punitive damages to pilots that are affected by these violations or to discourage the company from continuing this practice.
Sapa Leader: I am not a proponent of punitive damages. Pilots should get what they deserve, based upon the agreed upon letter and spirit of our policy manual/contract.
Line Pilot: Had Sapa nailed down all the loose language these past five years your idealistic statement would be true. Unfortunately Sapa has not and pilots continue to be shorted on many fronts. Punitive damage compensation seems appropriate in light of the fact Sapa if in existance in a year will have talked a lot about change but 24 months later little “nailing down” will have occurred.
Sapa Leader: Maybe. Do me a favor, and put this in as a General Member Topic (GMT). I think the GMT generator is working now at
http://www.thesapa.org . This will force it onto the agenda again.
Line Pilot: This is getting ridiculous. Sapa has a history of leaving far too many issues unresolved. There is a severe need to do it right and do it right the first time. Time would then !00% be freed up for other issues without waising time with “it’s a work in progress” progress reports 24 months later in Sapa meetings.
Line Pilot: The reserve bucket system was forced upon us with out any input from the general members.
Sapa Leader: The representative body is where we have our input as pilots. I strongly encourage any and every pilot to utilize the communications tools available to us within the pilot group. These tools are manned by pilot volunteers, just like you. It was not forced upon, we approved it. Not every issue will come to a general member vote. If you are dissatisfied with the job that any of your Reps are doing for you, there are recall provisions in the bylaws, available at
www.thesapa.org.
Line Pilot: Need the info. Building the bucket system without one iotta of what you were doing, then presenting it as temporary, then “ooops, meant to say it was permanent” doesn’t cover it boys. Sapa, as the incumbants can get away with a lot of things that frankly really piss off a lot of the general members but because many have given up hope being heard from or have been driven to apathy feeling Sapa is like a homeless dog. It stinks up the whole place and just wont go away. If pilots were left feeling like they still had any say there would be more recalls. Many have shifted their hopes for change to UPA who seem interested in listening. Only time will tell.
Line Pilot: Ready reserve has not only gone away after the Olympics but it is being abused now.
Sapa Leader: Abuse is a tough word. It sucks, but it is by policy. Would I like to see a more chambered sort of reserve, to include RR? You bet. Do I think that we'll be guaranteed, or even likely to receive it through contract negotiations based upon our current policy -- without paying a hefty price in another area of our policy -- if we certify an in-house union right now? Nope.
Line Pilot: Don’t pin Sapa’s hopes or blame its failures on the outcome of UPA. Sapa has failed in many areas, not the least being the way reserves are handled.
Line Pilot: It is concerning how management continues changing our medical coverage.
Sapa Leader: Lets' air out the specific changes. I think that we fared better than most other companies. I also think that other airlines' union contracts allow for increases and/or changes.
Line Pilot: “I also think”. How about some solid, measurable written data to back this up?
Line Pilot: It is apparent Sapa is not going to be successful in creating a separate pilot policy manual. (Its been almost 2 years now since this was first brought up.)
Sapa Leader: They really haven't been that bad. I think you might be surprized. We have made progress and are on track.
Line Pilot: Nice try. The bottom line is that the ball has been dropped and nothing has been done with this matter month after month after month regardless of how you imply that experts are combing through this document line by line as we speak. You already told us a year ago that Tony Fizer went through the whole thing in two days but then it got put on the backburner.
Line Pilot: SAPAs plan to scrap the legal defense plan for pilots per your December meeting minutes doesn't represent what most pilots have asked for.
Sapa Leader: The current program is better, allows more flexibility in choosing attorneys, provides no limits, and is currently provided at no cost to the pilot.
Line Pilot: Tell you what, you go ahead with whatever program makes you feel good as long as there is ALWAYS the option for any pilot to opt out and bring his own attorney. And I’m talking specifically to the Pilot vs Company type issues.
Discussion ensued with regard to the current organizing efforts. The group’s final consensus was that SAPA would continue to remain neutral during the current pilot efforts to attain collective bargaining.
They then went on to battle those who tried to organize the push for an in house union, parroting what much of the information that Ford and Harrison/management put out.
