Hello Lakers!

[JGonzo]

Marko.It was amazing to me the amount of help the ALPA group was willing to hand us. Heck, the Pilots at NWA gave us their ProStan manual, and when I finally started editing the thing, the UAL Denver Chairman (Young Cage) spent a great deal of time helping me out. They were even willing to let us attend the ALPA
Prostan annual meetings. Fact is , they know that the pilot group at GLA will most likely wind up at some ALPA property in the future. I'd be willing to bet that ALPA would be more than happy to share the wealth of info that they have , so long as it does'nt dent the ol pocketbook. Why? Because were all pilots. And NO Pilot wants to see another pilot group take it in the shorts.
End result, and I said it when I was there, better to not split the GLA pilot group up with a coup. Build a strong membership, then decide if the need for new representation outweighs the current & past experiences of the 747.
Gonzo
I do remember the COEx pay scale being brought up at the meeting. He(D.T.) was pretty clueless. In the short time I was there, I could fill volumes with gripes on his lousy/nonexistant help.

 

[Marko Ramius]

Jeff, I remember your prostan work and the NWA stuff, I guess I just never put it together where you got the info from. If they'll provide the info to get Lakes through the current situation, all the better. I would also agree that the vote to change representation should occur during less turbulent(contract wise) times, if at all possible.

 

[ifly4food]

ALPA isn't without it's problems.
They hosed us at ASA and CMR by negotiating Delta scope without our input and refused to even let out MEC comment. Then they ignored the following grievances filed on the grounds of the scope violating our contract.
ALPA works for the major airlines who pay 75% of the dues. When push comes to shove, they aren't there for us "little guys"
As for Lakes, the best thing you can do now is pull together and get something on paper that resembles a contract.
I know this pretty much died during the mass exodus last fall when Sid D. left, but you all need to get something. Keeping the Teamsters might be the best thing to do for now.
G' luck
Seee Youuuuuuuuuu!

 

[Marko Ramius]

Ahh, but therein lies the rub. While your point is certainly valid, airlines like ASA and Comair are arguing big fish issues like scope, but I bet their basic contacts are more solid than Lakes. Are they United or Delta contracts no, but I bet there is far less ambiguity and the like. Lakes needs to get the basic level of the other regionals. I know the current contract was Lakes' first, but I have to wonder whether or not Teamsters legal has the pilot contract knowledge that ALPA does.

 

[ifly4food]

Ahh, but therein lies the rub. While your point is certainly valid, airlines like ASA and Comair are arguing big fish issues like scope, but I bet their basic contacts are more solid than Lakes. Are they United or Delta contracts no, but I bet there is far less ambiguity and the like. Lakes needs to get the basic level of the other regionals. I know the current contract was Lakes' first, but I have to wonder whether or not Teamsters legal has the pilot contract knowledge that ALPA does.

Yes Sir! You are correct!

 

[TurboS7]

You guys voted them in-have fun. We had a teamster vote and we all got together and wrote in our vote for a in-house union and beat them. But now they are trying to come back on the property and we have a lot of young flyers that just don't know any better. Truckers hate airplane drivers-pilot's need to realize that.

 

[AWACoff]

I believe Lakes would also have to be without representation for 1 year after voting the Teamsters out. Somebody please correct me if I am wrong. Sid Viscious and I were talking about it in IMT one day. Did he get furloughed from Champion? Lakes was by far the most fun place to work...dang I miss you guys!
See Yoooooooooooo!
PS. Juanito kicks A$$!!!

 

[ifly4food]

Lakes was by far the most fun place to work...dang I miss you guys!
See Yoooooooooooo!
PS. Juanito kicks A$$!!!

Ditto on that. Most fun job I've ever had.
I wonder what happened to Juanito?
See Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

 

[fly26]

ifly4food,

Cool picture of Meigs. Mayor Daley and Gov. Ryan finally announced a deal for ORD expansion that involves keeping Meigs operating. The Meigs will stay open until 2026 --- but there is a clause that allows for the state to close it after 2006 if the Illinois General Assembly votes to close it.

Fontaine was quoted in the Chicago Tribune last week saying that GLA had no plans to go back to CGX if it was kept open because of increased competition by Chicago Express flying SPI to Midway with really low fares.

Appears that Meigs will survive another close call!

 

[fly26]

Gonzo,

To follow up on your post --- I was not here when the Teamsters were voted in several years ago. I do know that when I first started working here we had a Teamster guy that was respected and did assist us in matters and he died about 2 years ago (the name escapes me---maybe his name was Hank). Since then, we get ZERO help from the Teamsters.

Anyway, as you pointed out the turnover at GLA has been incredible over the last couple years and that has provided for little to no continuity in the union representation. Right now, we have a big communication gap amongst the pilot group with our reps and as somebody else mentioned, the only way you find out anything is if you run into one of the union guys in the release room.

It seems that we are so completely unorganized that we need some leadership from an ***aviation*** union to bring us back on track to establish some goals regarding the contract and get moving in the right direction. For the last year we've been just treading water. In the long run it's the pilot's that can make things happen not the union personnel. But clearly we need some assistance.