How to get an MEC out of office

[illtake2]

How to get a MEC out of office

How does a union go about getting a new MEC before their term is up. I strongly believe my MEC is making matters worse in an already grim reality for my airline. It is one thing to support your union through thick and thin, but when your union is leading you to a gas chamber I feel something needs to be done. Just wondering about the process and how long it usually takes.

 

[atrdriver]

If you don't have any idea how to find out about that process then you really have no business talking about them. If you are really a pilot for whatever airline then call your status rep, if you even know who he/she is, and ask what it takes. They will be glad to tell you.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Who did you vote for who in turn elected your MEC?

You could always self educate...... Read the constitution and by laws. All the recall data is there....

Now, being politically effective and pushing your agenda is an entirely different story....

and coming to FI isn't where you want to get your info....

 

[~~~^~~~]

I don'tnow which airline you are referring to, but the ASA Reps are all about to turn over through the normal election process.

The tougher decision is who to get to run. The Reps spend a lot of their own time, they are not on ALPA leave like the CNC guys. It isn't an easy job. Best I can tell it is a thankless job as well. Bottom line is you are fighting ALPA National & Management whiule trying to improve the profession for the pilots you represent.

Everyone seems to agree that Colin Powell would make a good President. He does not want the job.

~~~^~~~

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Have you discussed your issues with the MEC? Not surprisingly many people act on assumption without getting the whole story...

 

[shamrock]

I don'tnow which airline you are referring to, but the ASA Reps are all about to turn over through the normal election process.

Even the Sec/Treasurer? Yee haw!

 

[Swaayze]

First, the MEC is the council of all the elected reps (ie Board of Directors). I assume you mean the MEC Chairman, who is in a (usually) non-voting position and elected by the MEC.

Check the constitution and by-laws and/or contact your elected reps to get an overview of the recall process.

 

[JoeMerchant]

I don'tnow which airline you are referring to, but the ASA Reps are all about to turn over through the normal election process.

The tougher decision is who to get to run. The Reps spend a lot of their own time, they are not on ALPA leave like the CNC guys. It isn't an easy job. Best I can tell it is a thankless job as well. Bottom line is you are fighting ALPA National & Management whiule trying to improve the profession for the pilots you represent.

Everyone seems to agree that Colin Powell would make a good President. He does not want the job.

~~~^~~~

Fins, I believe the person who started this thread works for Trans States. They are in the same boat we are. Their flying is being shifted to non-union G0Jets. What is worse is that G0Jets was created to get around misguided mainline scope language. The law of unintended consequences strikes again. It's time to take the union back from the politicians.

 

[ASARJMan]

It's time to take the union back from the politicians.

Haha! You're too much Johhny boy. The pot calling the kettle black eh.

VOTED IN FAVOR!

 

[Bizjet]

Haha! You're too much Johhny boy. The pot calling the kettle black eh.

VOTED IN FAVOR!

Can you believe that clown!!! He needs to do his job as Sec/Treas. of the LEC and shut up.

 

[PCL_128]

What is worse is that G0Jets was created to get around misguided mainline scope language.

John, do you believe everything that management says? HoJet was created to bust ALPA. Nothing else. It had nothing to do with the APA scope language.

 

[~~~^~~~]

PCL - and it looks like 6oJets is working as intended. Skywest is also trying to bust ALPA and may just do it. Unlike the ASA pilots, Jerry Atkin has multiple options.

But even while under attack from Management, ALPA National is still providing Counsel that says we can not expect to scope the holding company.

Apparently only major airline pilots (who are also under subsidiary companies) can scope holding companies.

This is clearly the practice of politics over the practice of law. There is nothing illegal about binding the party with control of your flying to pilots in its service. However, ALPA's mainline interests still do not want small jet pilots to have effective scope. It seems that they feel a free for all downward spiral in the small jet industry will help them restore their side of the profession - after all the whole idea of outsourcing is to reduce costs and make the parent company more profitable.

In this way, ALPA National and Management have both entered into an agreement (is conspiracy too strong a word to use) - the effect of which is the race to the bottom.

If I'm wrong, I would sure like for you to explain how ALPA's "no scope for you policy" helps us, or ALPA for that matter.

ALPA has in fact been hijacked and in case you have not noticed, the membership numbers and dues have been trending in a negative direction.

The hope remains that ALPA will have a change of heart. ALPA can fix this any time they make up their minds to do so. It might not be easy and it might come at a cost. ALPA has been trading away scope for about 20 years now and restoring this union is going to be almost as difficult as getting it started to begin with

 

[PCL_128]

Fins, I highly doubt that your information about ALPA's counsel is correct. ALPA is highly focused on holding-company scope, and I can't imagine that your Contract Administrator or any other legal counsel provided by national is advising your MEC otherwise. If your information is coming from John B., then I suggest you find another source.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Fins, I highly doubt that your information about ALPA's counsel is correct. ALPA is highly focused on holding-company scope, and I can't imagine that your Contract Administrator or any other legal counsel provided by national is advising your MEC otherwise.

Source was Vice Chair of our CNC. What was amazing is that the explanation given to me was almost word for word what our VP of Flight Operations told me, like they were reading from the same bullet point list. I don't think our MEC has given up the fight, but I'm concerned whether they have the willpower to stand up to National.

The previous MEC Chairman told me ALPA threatened to "cut off the contingency funds so we don't even have money to put paper in the photocopier" - at the time he was screaming at me because we had brought resolutions at an LEC Meeting with the clear purpose of making ALPA National accountable for its representation of ASA pilots while scope was being negotiated at Delta. There was also talk that our MEC would be thrown into recievership if we did not back down.

We did not back down, but the MEC Chairman stepped in and killed the resolutions at an LEC meeting. As you know, that is not proper protocol, but it made it clear that our MEC at that time was unwilling to take on National.

A key element of National's defense is to try to pin the blame for the representational failure on the local representatives.

 

[PCL_128]

I haven't talked to your CNC or MEC reps, so I certainly can't say for sure what they've been told by the attorneys from national, but what you claim would be completely out of sync with what the other MECs are being told. Take a look at Mesaba, for example. It was only a couple of years ago that MSA ALPA secured a holding-company scope letter. This is something that ALPA attorneys just finished fighting like mad to hold onto in BK court a few weeks ago. I find it highly unlikely that the MSA MEC is receiving different guidance from national than your MEC.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Nothing to add - he said what he said.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Haha! You're too much Johhny boy. The pot calling the kettle black eh.

VOTED IN FAVOR!

No ASARJMan, I'm not a politician. Politicians are concerned with appeasing the masses. I'm not interested in appeasing the masses.

 

[JoeMerchant]

John, do you believe everything that management says? HoJet was created to bust ALPA. Nothing else. It had nothing to do with the APA scope language.

I don't believe anything ALPA nor management says. If you just believe either side, you are an idiot. I investigate both sides and make up my own mind. The G0Jet certificate was created to circumvent the APA scope language plain and simple. Management is now using it to further lower it's cost and that is to be expected. Maybe the unions, APA and ALPA, should quit using scope as remote control device to limit certain aircraft.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Fins, I highly doubt that your information about ALPA's counsel is correct. ALPA is highly focused on holding-company scope, and I can't imagine that your Contract Administrator or any other legal counsel provided by national is advising your MEC otherwise. If your information is coming from John B., then I suggest you find another source.

PCL128, you need to put the Herndon Koolaid down. I participated in our CNC conference call yesterday. Our ALPA contract administrator jumped in to answer the scope questions and did a fine Herndon 2step when any conflict of interest questions were asked. ALPA is more interested in the dues money from ASA and SKYW then what is best for the ASA pilots.

 

[sniper]

Mesa did it.

They replaced their Executive Mec and Negotiating Commitee.

The whole group from their 2003 disaster is gone

 

[Soverytired]

THIS IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO DO


(but not impossible)

At Mesa, this whole process took about 1 1/2 years, and I'd have to say a couple of tireless firebrands led the charge. It's very hard to do, because the MEC is not directly elected by the pilots.

At Mesa, the pilots held special recall elections to recall the LEC (local executive council) reps who kept voting our past MEC chair into office. I'm not sure of the exact procedural maneuvers, but they are CRUCIAL.

Basically, you have to get your local pilots together at an LEC meeting and get an item on the agenda to have a special recall election for the LEC rep/reps. Then it goes to a ballot. Then that ballot goes out the the LEC, and the recall has to be approved and a new LEC installed. Once you get enough LEC's changed, you can have them have a recall vote of the MEC (and it has to be the WHOLE MEC, not just a select few).

And you might have to recall ALOT of LEC reps. At Mesa, the LEC rep vote for the MEC chair is BY SECRET BALLOT, so you can't even be sure who keeps voting the MEC chair in. But if you get enough out, they'll get the message. At Mesa, the MEC has been in so long, it was pretty obvious who the friends of the MEC were.

On the other hand, don't forget that LEC reps are volunteers, and put alot of work into representing their pilots. There are going to be hurt feelings all around, so before you explore the "throw the bums out" option, be darned sure you have something better to replace it with.

My .02.

 

[D'Angelo]

Its really pathetic ALPA makes things so difficult. If the pilots want a recall they should put it to a vote right on the spot plain and simple. I ask again ALPAITES why it so easy to get a union in but so hard to get a union or any part of a union ON THEIR A$$ where they belong?