Netjets Ain Article

[Diesel]

I'm trying it's friggin painful.

Notice how all the guys who are posting don't have a dog in this fight?

 

[CatYaaak]

Informational picketting is just that....letting owners know our side of the story....what's wrong with that? Many of them have no clue as to what is really going on here. Its about time we change that.
QUOTE]

Here's what NJAowner posted on about page 5 of this thread, (and I challenge you or anyone to find him posting anything, on any subject, that could even be remotely construed as anti-pilot or NJA-bashing).

"...To reiterate the essence of many of my posts, educating the owners can help the pilots cuase, but irritating, embarrassing or inconveniencing will result in the owners not supporting the pilots......."

Picketing will certainly irritate, possibly embarrass. Both these things can easily reach the level of annoying to the point of inconvenience. If you don't realize this, then you know less about the people you fly than they know about you. Picketing ("informational or otherwise") in a corporate setting would be considered in-your-face, and worse, a few gung-ho idiots out there could really hurt you.

A large proportion of your customers aren't exactly pro-union anyway, how do you think they'll react when you confront them with something that is your company's internal issue in that way during the private travel they pay so much for? Were you ever "enlightened" by someone who was pi$$ing you off except in a negative way? I'll reiterate that these people are NOT a captive market..they have the means, and therefore, alternatives.

But so do you. I think it was Aerochick who recently posted a superb summation on the subject, which offered other specific, MORE EFFECTIVE AND BETTER ALTERNATIVES to inform them, and they don't stand the same good chance of blowing up in your face.

Don't you see that those people are trying to help you?

Tripacer...I agree with you about the disgruntled 250 (or more) and your take on picketing. You're right, it may be exactly what mngmt wants you to do. Unfortunately, the eager, tunnel-visioned, union beavers will happily send the uninformed down a self-destructive avenue when other roads exist.

You never take a knife to a gunfight, but picketing/striking here is more like taking a .44 Magnum to a formal debate, and everyone except the wielder can see the muzzle is plugged and knows what will happen if he fires. Pulling the trigger results in martyrdom and that alone will satisfy any like-minded zealots, but after they've carted off the body the unscathed debators will carry-on as before, except now they're repulsed and suspicious of anyone wearing the same brand, or it cements a pre-conceived attitude.

The education effort there obviously needs two prongs. One that will work for the owners...that's a good cause..and another for your peers to stifle the zealots. Even loud threats to strike filter up, and in your case "up" doesn't end with your own management, but the owners. People who've done good work on an obvious issue (getting rid of your local) can still screw up big-time on something more complicated, especially if they think they're on a roll. It's no betrayal of any "brotherhood" to support the smart route, rather than cater to the loudest, self-aggrandizing few who subordinate taking the best course of action to satisfying their own emotions and dreams of power.

They probably like to swat flies in their house with a sledgehammer too. That's fun to watch as an outsider, but man, I wouldn't want to live there and do nothing.

 

[DO-82 driver]

CatYaaak,

You may correct in that our owners may be a bit embarrassed if there is a work action at NJA. They may be embarrassed because they are going to realize that they were strung along by the company believing that we ere the highest paid professionals in the industry. They are going to start wondering where their fees were going. I certainly wouldn't want to be a salesman trying to explain why their pilots are amongst the LOWEST paid pilots in this industry.

Until it happens, neither you or I can be certain. Personally---at this point I have nothing to lose, I'm already poorly paid and not respected by my company. If the owners go to another fractional that fractional is going to need trained pilots ASAP!!!! I'll just change my tie.

 

[Ace-of-the-Base]

More logic

Okay, last week we closed down another flight department somewhere because we undercut a small group of pilots...well how are you helping the situation by promoting scab uplift during a dispute?

You make an interesting point. If NetJets crumbles to your demands and raises your salaries, they will have to raise rates, thus leveling the playing ground for flight departments. But if this argument is correct, then NetJets should currently be the least expensive fractional program. They aren't. They are actually the MOST expensive. So they probably can't raise their prices any more above the compatition. So pilots get more money, NetJets looses money, now HOW does that help us corp guys?

Ace

 

[h25b]

You make an interesting point. If NetJets crumbles to your demands and raises your salaries, they will have to raise rates, thus leveling the playing ground for flight departments. But if this argument is correct, then NetJets should currently be the least expensive fractional program. They aren't. They are actually the MOST expensive. So they probably can't raise their prices any more above the compatition. So pilots get more money, NetJets looses money, now HOW does that help us corp guys?

Ace

I'd like to know the answer to this one as well. I thought NetJet's wasn't making much (if any) money to begin with. Wouldn't passing along the higher pay-rates you demand price you above the competition. ???..

 

[Live4flyng]

You make an interesting point. If NetJets crumbles to your demands and raises your salaries, they will have to raise rates, thus leveling the playing ground for flight departments. But if this argument is correct, then NetJets should currently be the least expensive fractional program. They aren't. They are actually the MOST expensive. So they probably can't raise their prices any more above the compatition. So pilots get more money, NetJets looses money, now HOW does that help us corp guys?

Ace

Why would they have to raise rates?

 

[Ace-of-the-Base]

Why would they have to raise rates?

I didn't say that. The previous poster was using that in his argument. If you read the B.H. public statements, NetJets has been loosing money consistantly. NetJets Europe is getting better, but still dragging their slim US profits down. Do the math, over 2,000 pilots getting even $25,000 more per year. That = $50,000,000 per year in additional expense. Oh yea, plus payrol taxes! What do you guys think would happen. Simple math.

Ace

 

[400A]

jesus i'll go slower for you this time.

No teamster is going to cross an active picket line. PERIOD

OKIE-DOKIE, Still laughing.

You better make sure you never fly an owner of a Teamsters shop that is on strike.

 

[CatYaaak]

CatYaaak,

You may correct in that our owners may be a bit embarrassed if there is a work action at NJA. They may be embarrassed because they are going to realize that they were strung along by the company believing that we ere the highest paid professionals in the industry. They are going to start wondering where their fees were going. I certainly wouldn't want to be a salesman trying to explain why their pilots are amongst the LOWEST paid pilots in this industry.
QUOTE]

The thing is, you're not comparing your salaries to "your industry" (at least ASAPs isn't. see statement). You're comparing yourselves to NBAA salary averages (which is a Membership, not an "industry") garnered primarily from corporate flight departments, which taken even as a group don't qualify as an "industry" unto themselves. They each belong to whatever industry it's parent is involved in. You know, like making steel. They aren't involved in directly generating revenue, and those salaries are a reflection of incrementalism over the years by internal lobbying of av managers, longevity and merit increases, and most of all, individuals not going to work for peanuts. Some of them have "Junior" pilots employed there longer than your senior NJAers.

Your industry is limited to operations that generate revenue using the fractional model. Those are the economic rules and markets you live by. You invented it, remember? You also lobbied loudly and furiously to NOT be classified as Part 135 operations, even though many considered what you did as nothing more than selling block charter time, so therefore didn't pass the Duck Test. You obtained 135 certificates as insurance, but in the end the lobbying paid off, and everyone kept their tax breaks and depreciation, and they spent years writing 91K, delineating you from both corporate and frac.

This delineation, of course, only makes more ridiculous the whole notion of scablisting charter pilots. Hey, why don't you scablist kindergarden teachers who have owner's kids in class while you're at it..if they strike in support the owners will have to stay at home and babysit, unable to fly, thus hurting NetJets! I mean, as long as we're making up "industries" a Teaching Industry makes about as much sense, and if you're gonna use one tenuous association of cause-and-effect, you might as well use them all. Oooo...and they're probably NEA union members too...honest-to-goodness scabs if they teach little Johnny how to spell Cat while you're walking the line!

So anyway, you're paid a lot less than those Flight Options and CitationShares pilots? Now, they are definitely in your industry...your industry is tiny as far as number of companies. I thought you were paid better than any of the other fracs. Shame on me for not knowing.

But it seems to me if you're going to begin scablisting people, you might want to start with people who are actually in your industry first, rather than charter guys who aren't. I mean, that makes more sense, and undoubtedly some of your passengers will bolt over to the other fracs during your upheaval.

And am I reading this right? about you switching those ties....my, my, are you saying you'll go trotting over to what must be a "scab" operation? Do you think they're going to pay you more? If you do, why aren't you working there now?

 

[CatYaaak]

OKIE-DOKIE, Still laughing.

You better make sure you never fly an owner of a Teamsters shop that is on strike.

Oh, I'm sure they check this kind of thing all the time, and many owners are refused!

Hey, I wonder if they've ever flown an evil Airline Management Demon, even as a guest of one of the owners? You know, like down to their vacation homes while the pilots are taking drastic pay cuts? God, how could they look at themselves in the mirror after such a betrayal, especially if they were ALPA members too.

I think they should screen everyone and refuse fly those that don't get the Union Label stamp of approval, lest the righteousness they voice be construed as a convenient facade!

(laughing too)