Latest on JBPA and bandofblue

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Any polling done on dedicated message boards? Is JBPA making its case? What about bandofblue?

Thanks for the update.....

 

[Mad-dasher]

The boobs are playing pocket pool while JBPA is running circles around them with their undeniably superior grasp of the issues Jetblue line pilots face!

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

And JBPA will do all this with what money? No one has said how much this will cost to start-- just 1% dues, yeah to maintain our JBPA but what about start-up costs? No mention whatsever... By the time all is said and done, when we start with a new contract from scratch, yes that means we give everything up we have now-- not just improving on what we have currently like JBPA says, in 1-2 years we will have our first contract; during which time nothing will change... and it will look very similar to what we have now, but yeah, with one voice, and STRONG language for M/A!!! Yeah, that helped TWA, ATA, Midwest, and on and on whoowhooo!!! Meanwhile, we'll have to wait until our next contract comes to fruition, to actually get something close to what we really want-- and we all know how long that will take, 5-8 years!!! Oh, I've also heard that maybe we'll give up our E-190 flying to Air Wisconsin or Republic, eliminating about 500 pilot jobs... Wonder what our dues will be to support JBPA then???

 

[House_X]

Let's see...give the E190 flying to the Regionals, furloughs, shutdowns, mergers, buy-outs, asteroids falling from outerspace on T5, etc, then we better get a contract ASAP. Having a contract does not cause companies to screw over pilots.

 

[Hair-on-Fire]

Me thinking it's going to fail big time.

They've run a poll on bluepilots.com and gotten about 200 pro votes each time. Not promising.

 

[Mad-dasher]

Without a CBA we are in for 5-8 years of the company giving us just enough to not vote again. What do you think just enough will be? Certainly not average pay, benefits, workrules, or retirement. Wake up Blue Bayou! There's a lot to be said for negotiating what you get verses hoping you get something at all.

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

The problem is the timing. If the economy and financial institutions and the job market wasn't so dismal-- JBPA would've had a chance. Pilots aren't stupid, we'd all love great paychecks, benefits and work rules-- but it don't mean frac unless you have a job!!! When Feb 3 rolls around and JBPA doesn't pass, the company will still have a looming prospect of a union if glaring problems here aren't addressed soon. I don't think an in-house union that has to be started from scratch with little available funds was the correct avenue for representation. An ALPA, god forbid me for saying this, would've been a quicker and more viable option.

I'm not for a bunch of newbies who'll slip up our first contract that'll last 3-5 years; then have to wait that amount of time plus 3 years (the average so far for contract negotiations AAI, AMR, CAL, SWA) to get things fixed!!!

And again, no one at JBPA has addressed the fact that our first contract will be from scratch and that everything we have now will be dissolved and negotiated for again!!! SO the fact remains, we could actually come up with less than what we have now if the economic conditions remain in place. So how many people would like to see a reduction in pay for the first time to get our first CBA in place?

 

[Mad-dasher]

A reduction in pay is just a crap statement. The pilot group will have to vote on a new contract. Do you really think our pilot group will approve anything less than what we have now? As for now not being the right time, I say you are dead wrong. Now is the perfect time. By the time we get JBPA certified and running strong the economy will be strong and the company will be strong and making money. We want to be ready for the good times not trying to organize during the good times. The hard work needs to be done now!

 

[AA717driver]

I'm not for a bunch of newbies who'll slip up our first contract that'll last 3-5 years

Considering many of the pilots at JB are refugees from other (read: Legacy) airlines, I'd be hesitant to call them "newbies".

Why do you think they won't touch ALPA? Experience, maybe? ALPA carriers have fared worse than the non-union/independent carriers since 2000. Maybe it's the market but that is a fact.

At least with an independent union, your dues stay at YOUR airline, not finance a sweet contract for Delta (just an example so save it, double-breasters...).

I know APA is pissing away my dues but at least they're wasting my money on APA politic...er, I mean APA pilots.

TC

 

[B6Busdriver]

Me thinking it's going to fail big time.

Let me run you through a possible scenario:

Let's say you bend metal in poor weather conditions.
Who will be at your side...the PVC?
During this incident you get hurt and go on OJI.
Now you get a fraction of what you make until 3 months pass by...but you can supplement it with your own PTO (accrued for sick time,vacation,and personal time).
Now you've been out for 6 months and you start paying COBRA.
Now you are on long term disability which is TAXED.
Meanwhile the FEDS are investigating you, will the company back you?
At 18 months you are still out on Medical and you lose your health insurance entirely.

We have some of the worst pay and benefits in the industry. I'm voting yes!