Future Union Representation at RJET

[StaySeated]

I have an honest question regarding the IBT.

Is your Secretary Treasurer a pilot or is he/she IBT Staff?

Is there an annual audit of the budget?

Does your constitution and by-laws require that the membership approve the annual budget?

Here is my current conundrum. Assuming a new bargaining agent is voted in at Republic Holdings, what happens to the dues that all of you have been paying for years?

Does everyone get a distribution or does the IBT get to keep your dues money?

I understand how ALPA would work, and I know what FAPA would do in the same scenario. I am just curious what the internal IBT rules state.

 

[SkywayFO]

I have an honest question regarding the IBT.

Is your Secretary Treasurer a pilot or is he/she IBT Staff?

Is there an annual audit of the budget?

Does your constitution and by-laws require that the membership approve the annual budget?

Here is my current conundrum. Assuming a new bargaining agent is voted in at Republic Holdings, what happens to the dues that all of you have been paying for years?

Does everyone get a distribution or does the IBT get to keep your dues money?

I understand how ALPA would work, and I know what FAPA would do in the same scenario. I am just curious what the internal IBT rules state.

When the issues happened at 747 the Sec/Tres. was a pilot(not a Republic Pilot).I am sure there was some sort of Audit process, board vote too I assume. In the past we as pilots did not approve the budget. I am not sure on the distribution of money if a new union was voted in. Good question though. All that being said. We are in Trusteeship right now. We do not have by-laws at this point. The trustee is to live by the spirit of the old ones. That being said, the 747 is going to merge with 1224(ABX, Atlas/Polar, and some others) in June I think. I'm not sure what they have in place.Then later in late summer to early fall, Republic is going to get its own local. At that time we get to write the by-laws. So we could impliment something like that then. In the past we only say an annual LM-2 report. With all the carriers it is hard to follow all the money. With our own local it will be much easier to watch the flow of cash.

 

[Raoul Duke]

An In-House union is by far the best option. National unions tout thier "resources" but at the end of the day they cannot demonstrate that 100% of your dues are used to support your operation. You never have to worry about that with an In-House union. Do the math, take the number of pilots you have, determine the amount of dues they would generate and see what that would generate. My guess is you could hire the best negotiators and run it efficiently and have a much better product that either ALPA or the IBT. There is a resaon American and Southwest are not part of a national union.

 

[Cardinal]

I was at Great Lakes when we escaped from IBT representation. The only monies we got back were from a "special assessment account" - we had voted in a temporary dues increase to fund this specific, separate account, dedicated warchest. IBT, to their credit, did give it back to the new representation, though we initially thought it would require legal action.

In general a national union will take dues and provide support, there won't be an appreciable building of assets. Then again that shouldn't be the goal of the leadership anyway. All that said I'm quite pleased with FAPA's financial stability, transparency, and stewardship.

 

[StaySeated]

I had the opportunity to read the Spirit TA. One of the many things that jumped out at me was the compensation section.

They have ONE pay rate, for any aircraft with 99-180 seats.

Interesting.

This brings me back to a point that I have repeated over and over ad nauseam.

If the IBT gents are worried about a potential whip saw, then why have they suspended their current section 6 negotiations?

The ALPA Spirit group was able to negotiate a mainline narrow body pay rate that covers everything from a EMB 190, CS300, 318, 319, and 320 (the 321 has a premium rate). This concept is very similar to the FAPA LOA that encompassed the same gauge of aircraft.

FAPA has a pay rate covering the same gauge aircraft, and it is a narrow body pay scale.

ALPA has a TA pay rate covering the same gauge aircraft, and it is a narrow body pay scale.

What is the IBT waiting for? You are currently flying 190's without a pay scale for any seat, and your FO's are flying the 190/175/170's at 145/135 pay.

What is the status of the RAH IBT 190 arbitration? Has the IBT established a pay rate for the 190? If so, how does it compare to the ALPA/Spirit TA or FAPA's CBA?

 

[chqflyer]

We're still waiting for the damn arbitrator to decide the definition of a "seat". Then I guess we go to arbitration again to figure out a payscale. Another 6-12 months MINIMUM before that even gets heard. As far as our next contract, Hillary Clinton will be well into her second term as president before we see a new TA.

 

[rogerwilcoout]

We're still waiting for the damn arbitrator to decide the definition of a "seat". Then I guess we go to arbitration again to figure out a payscale. Another 6-12 months MINIMUM before that even gets heard. As far as our next contract, Hillary Clinton will be well into her second term as president before we see a new TA.

Damn. You were supposed to announce that in Ecuador!

 

[CFIT]

Having seen both ALPA and Teamster on property at companies I have worked for and being a little bit of a student of Airline history, I would rather stay Teamsters.

Says it all..........

 

[StaySeated]

Has the IBT discussed the big changes in MKE this fall?

Is MKE a EMB170 or ERJ pilot domicile?

According to the Fall schedule that was just released, along with the acceleration of 320 deliveries, MKE is going to look completely different in just a few months.

38% increase in Airbus flying (Along with a massive increase of east coast flying)

34% reduction in E70 flying.

25% reduction in ERJ flying.

There is an overall 10% reduction in capacity going into the shoulder season, which is actually a smaller than normal draw down of flying compared to previous years.

When RAH combined the ERJ's and even the 170-190 flying into the branded CASM, the costs shot through the roof. What we are seeing here is a logical change.

The FAPA CBA has language the covers furlough and voluntary leaves. Does your contract require the company to meet and discuss furlough mitigation?

I am not implying that furloughs are imminent, but the constant chatter regarding 50 seat flying going away would have me concerned. Is the IBT staying in front of this?

 

[The Drizzle]

I honestly wouldn't be too worried about furloughs either, BB and friends staff for the low season and then panic during the high season. Constant chatter about 50 seat flying going away? My 100 hours of it on reserve last month would like to beg to differ.

 

[ALPO]

I have since moved on but I was hired at CHQ in 95. The current MEC must be removed, most of them were voted out years ago but weasled there way back in with the help of the now discraced 747 leaders. They are out for themselves and only themselves.
Case in piont, they helped keep senior pilots at Shuttle America and out of Republic Airlines above them in seniorty. When rjet first getting the 170s a bid was put out for the ERJ at Republic Airlines. Halfway through class 2mec members willing droped out and went back to CHQ, hmm? We soon learned the RW certificate was not ready the company scrambled and put the planes on the Shuttle certificate they had just bought. We were not alowed to bid out of Shuttle when the real Republic came on line because it took intial training with no pay rate raise, even though we never bid or were awarded Shuttle? We were from the east coast and never wanted Shuttle. The MEC refused to help and refused our grievance. But when the USAirways 175s came online with 86seats there should have been a bid for the higher pay equipment and status allowing us to go to RW. However the MEC let the company not do this and again rejected our grievance we filed. RW is still operating these planes non contractual with no one getting the higher base pay, just the higher rate when they fly the 86seaters.
I'm glad I'm out, just beware. They are rats and as corrupt and untrustworthy as the folks from the shut down local that may be going to jail.

 

[SkywayFO]

The leadership is a "whole different animal" now. Sorry I could not help it. For real things are much better around here union wise.

 

[StaySeated]

The leadership is a "whole different animal" now. Sorry I could not help it. For real things are much better around here union wise.

I have not heard that sentiment from the gents flying the line. I have only chatted with a dozen or so guys in MKE and DEN but I have not heard one positive thing yet about the IBT's representation.

What is the IBT's plan for the 40+ flights a day that are leaving MKE? The Fall schedule has a huge decrease in EMB flying and a huge increase in Airbus flying. Someone above posted that RAH staffs for the slow season and somehow manages to cover the high season, but all of this flying is coming out of the branded side. This is the first full summer and fall for the branded operations, and RAH is learning quickly that E-jets can't compete against Airtran 737's. This fall is nothing like previous fall seasons at RAH.

What is the IBT telling the pilot group? I want to know because at some point in time the IBT is going to be on a representation ballot for 3000 republic pilots (fixed fee and branded ops together assuming the NMB rules in that manner).

Is there a voluntary leave program being set up, or has Delta/United/American/US Airways requested additional lift from the E170/145/135's? There is no way the fixed fee side is going to absorb this much of a reduction in flying.

I also know that the E190's and other higher paying positions were awarded out of seniority order as people were "displaced" prior to a vacancy bid. That alone is worth getting the IBT off of property. Will the branded pilots flying E190/170/145/135's also be furloughed out of seniority order?

 

[likeitis]

I have not heard that sentiment from the gents flying the line. I have only chatted with a dozen or so guys in MKE and DEN but I have not heard one positive thing yet about the IBT's representation.

What is the IBT's plan for the 40+ flights a day that are leaving MKE? The Fall schedule has a huge decrease in EMB flying and a huge increase in Airbus flying. Someone above posted that RAH staffs for the slow season and somehow manages to cover the high season, but all of this flying is coming out of the branded side. This is the first full summer and fall for the branded operations, and RAH is learning quickly that E-jets can't compete against Airtran 737's. This fall is nothing like previous fall seasons at RAH.

What is the IBT telling the pilot group? I want to know because at some point in time the IBT is going to be on a representation ballot for 3000 republic pilots (fixed fee and branded ops together assuming the NMB rules in that manner).

Is there a voluntary leave program being set up, or has Delta/United/American/US Airways requested additional lift from the E170/145/135's? There is no way the fixed fee side is going to absorb this much of a reduction in flying.

I also know that the E190's and other higher paying positions were awarded out of seniority order as people were "displaced" prior to a vacancy bid. That alone is worth getting the IBT off of property. Will the branded pilots flying E190/170/145/135's also be furloughed out of seniority order?

The IBT isn't doing a thing. How could they? Like BB told the MEH MEC, "they are so disorganized he doesn't even know who to talk to if he ever wanted to."

 

[StaySeated]

The IBT isn't doing a thing. How could they? Like BB told the MEH MEC, "they are so disorganized he doesn't even know who to talk to if he ever wanted to."

I have personally heard Bedford say the exact same quote.

It unfortunately appears that the IBT only understands one way interact with the company (this applies to other properties as well, not just Republic). The "IBT way" just doesn't work here.