Is there such thing as "illegal screw your employee group action"?

[FishandFly]

We all know the term "illegal job action".

Is there such thing as "illegal screw your employee group action"?

For those out of the loop, ASA has done the following in the past few months, all of which are unprecedented:

• Changed lodging management companies to decrease the quality of hotel we stay at and chosen horrible and filthy motels without consulting our ALPA hotel rep, which were only changed once people sent our system chief pilot Scott Hall pictures of cob webs, dirty toilets, etc.
• Changed our schedules from normal airline status quo to all 4-days with 12 days off.
• Is running understaffed, giving them the ability to overwork their employees through consistent junior manning and extensions.
• Has made 35 minute turns standard in Atlanta and 25 minute turns standard in outstations in order to attempt to keep flight crews from eating and taking a leak. All the while telling the flight crews that the delta gate agents think we are purposefully delaying flights by getting off the airplane during turns.

I'm no lawyer, but does it seem right that our company can clearly put us in their cross hairs and continually pull the trigger, yet the employee group can do nothing?

 

[Papa Woody]

It's because you let them do it.

 

[FishandFly]

It's because you let them do it.

Of course that is why it is happening, but that wasn't the question and isn't the point.

 

[Papa Woody]

...yet the employee group can do nothing?

Your post is excellent, and I agree we need to act NOW.

I was addressing your above question with my point. How am I not totally on-target? Don't we have the power to stop this?

 

[FishandFly]

I agree that if we as a pilot group had balls, we could stop this. But what I wonder is how the company is able to pressure us legally. If pressuring the company through decreased performance is illegal, shouldn't pressuring the employee group be illegal as well?

 

[av8er2]

Sounds like ASA mgt has a purpose. The pilot reaction that is coming is maybe what they want. Still do it!

Why? Do they want ASA to fall on its face?

 

[BoilerUP]

They're likely not out to get YOU...they're just trying to run a business the best way they see fit.

Unfortunately, "they" are often bean counters that don't known d!ck about real-world operations or the human/intangible cost of low morale and attrition.

It was said so well a few months back - "The high price of low overhead."

 

[CoATP]

You can grieve the violation of the "status quo" since you are in negotiation. Should be expedited.

 

[DrewBlows]

You can grieve the violation of the "status quo" since you are in negotiation. Should be expedited.

Right! It's a crappy process, but it's the only (legal) one airline employees have.

Make sure you call your status reps with your concerns. Chances are they have heard about the bid stuff, but there's a chance they don't know about a lot of the little stuff. They can't be every where all the time. Call your reps and voice your concerns. (I know I said that twice, it bares repeating).

 

[Captain Morgan]

A workslowdown at ASA within the Delta system would be like that scene in "Dumb and Dumber" where the kidnappers go into the apartment and they're thinking of trashing the place. The the girl says, "I don't think they're going to get that message." because the place is already a mess. Haha! That part makes me laugh everytime.

CM

 

[ratherbeflyen]

I'm no lawyer, but does it seem right that our company can clearly put us in their cross hairs and continually pull the trigger, yet the employee group can do nothing?

Ya, theres a solution. It's called a STRIKE. The way you guys have been treated I'd say its warranted. Sold to skyw, gave your aircraft orders away, DFW, SLC, LAX, no contract, QOL issuses, short staffing, etc... What else should management do to you guys before you put your foot down?

 

[FmrFreightDog]

Ya, theres a solution. It's called a STRIKE. The way you guys have been treated I'd say its warranted. Sold to skyw, gave your aircraft orders away, DFW, SLC, LAX, no contract, QOL issuses, short staffing, etc... What else should management do to you guys before you put your foot down?

It's not really a question of us "putting our foot down". The current administration's National Mediation Board has not yet seen fit to offer a proffer of arbitration and a subsequent release. We can't just throw our hands up one day and say, "That's it. We've had enough." Or are you unfamiliar with how the RLA works??

 

[noperf]

Google "Harrison and Ford". If ASA uses them then you'll begin to understand.

 

[BoilerUP]

Google "Harrison and Ford". If ASA uses them then you'll begin to understand.

What use would ASA have for a 60+ year old actor who is better known as Hans Solo or Jack Ryan?

 

[~~~^~~~]

HA HA, he meant Ford & Harrison. Wonder what happened to Bill(able) Hiers?

 

[jstyle13]

Ya, theres a solution. It's called a STRIKE. The way you guys have been treated I'd say its warranted. Sold to skyw, gave your aircraft orders away, DFW, SLC, LAX, no contract, QOL issuses, short staffing, etc... What else should management do to you guys before you put your foot down?

Not to beat a dead horse but if it were up to the MEC or the pilot group at large to just "go ahead and strike" when we felt like it, we would have. If we could have sought self help without the inept and politically tied NMB, that would have been done 3 years ago and we would coming up on the amendable date for the 05 contract that we cant get/dont have yet.

 

[CoATP]

Does the MEC grieve blatant violations of status quo? If so what's been the result? If not, why not?

 

[TX_DFW]

I'm glad to be gone from ASA sounds like times are changing again

 

[John Pennekamp]

You can grieve the violation of the "status quo" since you are in negotiation. Should be expedited.

Right! It's a crappy process, but it's the only (legal) one airline employees have.

Make sure you call your status reps with your concerns. Chances are they have heard about the bid stuff, but there's a chance they don't know about a lot of the little stuff. They can't be every where all the time. Call your reps and voice your concerns. (I know I said that twice, it bares repeating).

The reps know. The reason ALPA does nothing is because when the MEC raised the issue over a year and a half ago with ALPA National (who has to actually file the motions) ALPA legal refused to take the case, citing is as "unwinnable" and "likely to set bad precedent when we lose".

 

[Oakum_Boy]

What am I paying dues for. I want my money back.