Skank said:
Your purported questions reveal that you need to do a little research before you post such loaded queries. Most of the issues you mention have been discussed here ad naseum. As far as "negotiating down" to our contract, United seems to have significantly overshot the target. You might also consider that with bankruptcy, it's not negotiating that's happening. The copy-cat style managers that ran United into bankruptcy are now determined to have a labor cost advantage over us and everyone else so that they can continue to try to run us out of their markets. It appears that Northwest will now attempt to follow the same stragtegy. Before the United bankruptcy we had gotten one large raise and another seemed imminent. Now the whole industry can forget about raises for a longtime. American, on the other hand seems to be willing to try to run their Airline without destroying their labor. If you still feel like we can blame the ills of the whole industry on one airline with 80+ airplanes, while dismissing the actions of the largest few airlines, then I say good luck to you in whatever you do, because you're going to need it.
Doesn't your non-airmanship analysis also apply when times are good? Wasn't the DAL industry leading contract leveraged off the UAL industry leading contract?
American not trying to destroy labor? The Evil Empire? Are you kidding. Anti Labor is ingrained in AMR Corp Culture. American is just in a reasonable position right now... thier pain will come....
Look- the US Airline business model is broke. Right now, there is no leadership from the CEO's. (what about the ATA? [which JB is a member of]Shouldn't they be exercising some leadership.... After all they do represent the Airlines)
All the CEO's care about is carving out their non performance compensation packages and raping labor. That is thier [short term] solution to the problem. There is no long term solution.
What is the real solution? I'm not that smart. I'm trained to fly airplanes. I could speculate the European and Asian Airlines are doing just fine. Why is that?
Your comment, coming from a JB pilot, that UAL/DAL/NWA BK is not negotiating with thier pilots, is noted. Generally, it goes like this...
Company: We need concessions or we'll furlough big time.
Pilot Representation: Send us your books. We'll analyze and get back to you.
Company: We need cuts now.
PR: We have a process, its democratic. You'll have to wait.
(analysis complete)
PR: Ok, our pilot reps have voted to engage (negotiate) in concessionary bargaining.
Can you imagine what the contract massacre would be at UAL/DAL/NWA if management had unilateral and unchecked reign to make pay and work rule cuts?
The LCC carriers maybe next as the Legacy carriers get incredibly lean.
How do the JB pilots work with managment on negotiating (concessionary or leading)???