Letter to B.T. FLOPS

[FlyFlyFly]

Man, things at FLOPS must really suck. I was offered a job like that once...

I said stick it, I can do better.

You must have been the guy that took the job.

Maybe the union will help you make better decisions in the future...

 

[sdmund]

Nobody made a bad decision coming here. This WAS a great place to work. There was a future and the company was always growing and getting better. I remember walking into the HR office and seeing hundreds and hundreds of resume's literaly stacked up in piles from guys wanting to come here.

The problem is that management has done nothing but cut and take from the pilots to cover for their bad judgement and greed. That's why people are pissed. They have been consistently lied to and now they are standing up and saying no more.

After 1108 gets voted in and we get a good contract, this will again be a place that hundreds and hundreds of guys want to come work for. This is one pilot group who has decided not to sit idly by, but to take part in making their company a great place to work, and their part of the industry a great place to be. You should not be so quick to judge them and say they made a bad decision.

It's because of pilots like us that there are good jobs out there. I swear our biggest enemies as pilots are pilots. If we all stood together and demanded decent wages and working conditions then companies could not get away with what they do. But unfortunately selfishnish and greed abound in our side of the industry too.

 

[Guitar Guy]

First of all, they knew the payscale when the accepted the job.

So take a small "raise" that won't keep pace with inflation and be happy with it? Or should they take that small raise and resign themselves to well-below industry-average salaries for the rest of their careers? After all, they knew the payscale when they accepted the job.

And a $2600 raise, regardless of negotiations in the future, is still better than no raise at all.

At least they can live a bit easier while working through the negotiation process.

Why do you think the company is offering a $2600 raise? Because FLOPS management is trying to stave off a union coming on property. Do you think that if FLOPS pilots do not vote for the union that management will come back with a nice, big raise on top of the latest "raise"? Where is the impetus for management to negotiate? And why wouldn't the FLOPS pilots want salaries similar to pilots doing similar work at NetJets and Citation Shares?

 

[bchjetdrvr]

Simple Math guys

I don't know how you guys came up with that $2600 a year stuff.

Original message:

<<By shi**ing on us with a $100 per paycheck raise.>>

Yeah umm... let's seee

$100 x twice a month x 12 = what!?

Buller.....Buller....anybody.......$2400

 

[FlyFlyFly]

It's because of pilots like us that there are good jobs out there.

I have always just voted with my feet. I have had managers make promises and not deliver. When they did that, I took charge and left, if they were curious, I told them why, if not, they would eventually figure it out. I would rather not work for someone that I have to use force with to get what I want. If I have to go to that extreme, then I would rather be somewhere else. I guess unions are good for some people. I would rather control my own fortune than be subject to seniority, work rules, management animosity, etc.

 

[choppengruven]

I have always just voted with my feet. I have had managers make promises and not deliver. When they did that, I took charge and left, if they were curious, I told them why, if not, they would eventually figure it out. I would rather not work for someone that I have to use force with to get what I want. If I have to go to that extreme, then I would rather be somewhere else. I guess unions are good for some people. I would rather control my own fortune than be subject to seniority, work rules, management animosity, etc.

So what your saying is when the going gets tough you just bail? Please stay out of my foxhole in the future.

 

[Guitar Guy]

I would rather control my own fortune than be subject to seniority, work rules, management animosity, etc.

Are you self-employed? Have you ever done contract work?

 

[dime line]

""I have always just voted with my feet. I have had managers make promises and not deliver. When they did that, I took charge and left,""

And your departure is affecting who?

"""if they were curious, I told them why, if not, they would eventually figure it out."""

This is why were going to be union, because they haven't figured it out, and you still left. So your departure didn't affect anybody.

 

[joepilot111]

I have always just voted with my feet. I have had managers make promises and not deliver. When they did that, I took charge and left, if they were curious, I told them why, if not, they would eventually figure it out. I would rather not work for someone that I have to use force with to get what I want. If I have to go to that extreme, then I would rather be somewhere else. I guess unions are good for some people. I would rather control my own fortune than be subject to seniority, work rules, management animosity, etc.

We are controlling our own fortune. It starts with 50%+1 and only gets better from there. Thats what team players do...they do what it takes to make the team better. Then theres the guys that only think of themselves.....most of them left a long time ago.

 

[realityman]

I can sympathize with FlyFlyFly. I used to do the same thing. Problem was, it just led from one crap job to another. NJA wasn't awful when I came here, but it turns out that with only a moderate amount of effort on my part, combined with moderate input from almost all the other pilot, NJA became a really excellent place to work.

FlyFlyFly, this is not flamebait. Honestly curious. Have you checked back with any of the employers that you left? What I mean is, after you left (possibly followed by some of the other pilots at those places), did things improve? Looking back at my former employers that I voted with my feet with, not a single one has made any significant improvements for the pilots. they're still crap jobs.

It's really all supply and demand. There's a HUGE supply of pilots out there who are just waiting for those job openings. So if you simply walk away from the job, you've given someone else a job, but haven't improved the job. So what's the option? Constantly change jobs hoping for the golden cup? Or band together and work as a group to to improve the place you're at? Only my opinion, but it seems the second option is far more effective.