Jetblue pilots begin organization drive...

[BigMotorToter]

Jetblue Pilots begin organization drive...

Well it certainly is no secret over on the Jetblue pilots message board, so I thought I would post it here. After today's cornholing of the pilots, the union drive is now in full swing.

First meeting with the ALPA recruiter's is in early 2007, with two more meetings scheduled later. Hopefully, a vote by summer and a union of some sort on the property by the end of the year.

There has been a rising voice for a union for the last couple of years, but after today, if you could say anything good at all, it's that this pilot group is finally, mostly unified on this matter.

 

[Charlie Brown]

Why ALPA? I thought an in-house would be preferred by most of the pilot group over there?

 

[Headfake14]

Well it certainly is no secret over on the Jetblue pilots message board, so I thought I would post it here. After today's cornholing of the pilots, the union drive is now in full swing.

...so...what happened???

 

[spinproof]

I would think the better choice would be to go with a representative group that has resources. ALPA, IBT would be your best bets. In house unions have "No" resources in which to fight the coming battles!

Better the "devil" you know(ALPA, IBT) than the one you don't!

Good Luck and get moving!

 

[lowecur]

Well it certainly is no secret over on the Jetblue pilots message board, so I thought I would post it here. After today's cornholing of the pilots, the union drive is now in full swing.

More posturing cuz the 320 guys didn't get a raise and the 190 guys did. It's all about the jealous sibling rivalry created where mgt is trying to bring the 190 guys up to speed from an initial weak contract. Obviously the 190 is doing better than mgt expected.

Just another chapter in the dysfunctional relationship between pilots and mgt. One thing I've seen on these message boards is that pilots will always find some excuse to slam mgt. If it isn't the usual complaint of overpaid mgt taking stock options and unearned bonus', it's just the typical power struggle of who's going to show who.

One thing the two Dave's will learn over the coming years is you can't please everyone, and you will never keep unions out of the airline business. They are trying to get Jetblue into the double digit profit margins again so they can get some much needed cash in the bank. They should get the extra cash they need in 2007 if everything pans out, but the 320 pilots aren't going to wait. Patience has never been a virtue of any pilot group, and now with more and more legacy new hires, that same stick it to mgt attitude has taken over.

It's not the end of the world, as even a great mgt team like SWA couldn't keep the unions at bay. It's just the innate nature of the beast.

imp:​

 

[Uniform Shop]

Obviously the 190 is doing better than mgt expected

Or maybe they have pilots leaving left and right to go to the other airlines so they raised the pay on the 190 to try and make the 190 look a little more attractive? I guess it backfired.

 

[elag777]

Well it certainly is no secret over on the Jetblue pilots message board, so I thought I would post it here. After today's cornholing of the pilots, the union drive is now in full swing.

Using the JetBlue pilot message board is like using the San Francisco chronicle for a fair shake on the War in Iraq.:erm:

 

[Fins Up]

More posturing cuz the 320 guys didn't get a raise and the 190 guys did. It's all about the jealous sibling rivalry created where mgt is trying to bring the 190 guys up to speed from an initial weak contract. Obviously the 190 is doing better than mgt expected.

You don't have near all the facts and I'm not going to be the one to spill them all over this board.

 

[AA717driver]

Lowcur--Your post is an oversimplification. This was destined to happen. When you offer low pay initially (first five years) counterbalanced by rapid upgrades you'd better hope the upgrades keep coming.

Had I accepted an interview there in Nov. 04 and gotten hired (going to class in May '05) my acceptance of the job offer would have been predicated on sucking it up for a couple of years prior to upgrading on the 320.

Now, that's slowing down and some people are stuck in the 190 at really low pay longer than they thought. Of course nothing is guaranteed in this business but that doesn't make the low pay any easier to swallow.

JB had a limited amount of money to kick in to bump up wages. They couldn't give both aircraft a raise. The 190 was in the worst shape. (For JB to lose newhires to another company was probably a big shock.) The 320 will get a bump but only after the profit comes back.

There will still be the problem of altered career expectations. TC

 

[GuppyPuppy]

More posturing cuz the 320 guys didn't get a raise and the 190 guys did. It's all about the jealous sibling rivalry created where mgt is trying to bring the 190 guys up to speed from an initial weak contract. Obviously the 190 is doing better than mgt expected.

Just another chapter in the dysfunctional relationship between pilots and mgt. One thing I've seen on these message boards is that pilots will always find some excuse to slam mgt. If it isn't the usual complaint of overpaid mgt taking stock options and unearned bonus', it's just the typical power struggle of who's going to show who.

One thing the two Dave's will learn over the coming years is you can't please everyone, and you will never keep unions out of the airline business. They are trying to get Jetblue into the double digit profit margins again so they can get some much needed cash in the bank. They should get the extra cash they need in 2007 if everything pans out, but the 320 pilots aren't going to wait. Patience has never been a virtue of any pilot group, and now with more and more legacy new hires, that same stick it to mgt attitude has taken over.

It's not the end of the world, as even a great mgt team like SWA couldn't keep the unions at bay. It's just the innate nature of the beast.

imp:​

Pardon me, but WTF do you know about what is going on over there. You think it is just the A320 pilots? I'd say a higher percentage of E190 pilots are pi$$ed off (just about all of them).

You are absolutely wrong that there is a rivalry between the pilots of the two different aircraft. Yesterday's announcement was a slap in the face to ALL JB pilots, not just the A320 pilots.

Had management done "the right thing" (as they like to tout) I truly believe that they could have kept a union off the property. Now, it is inevitable.

In response to your comment that you will never keep unions out of the airline business (referring to JB), what about Delta? The ONLY unionized work group over there is their pilots. And what about SkyWest? They are now a MAJOR airline and have managed to keep a union off the property for some 35 years.

JB management could have kept a pilots union off the property if they wanted to. What they announced yesterday was, "Go ahead. Unionize."

This pilot group was never out to "stick it to management", as you put it. This group just wants a fair wage and decent benefits. We are not out to choke the proverbial goose as Rick Dubinsky was at United.

Lowecur, you have no idea what you are talking about.

GP