NetJets Pilots to Picket Meeting of Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders

[jpilot]

Showing your ignorance

<<Yeah, the whole handful of pilots that I saw, walking around in circles didn't really rally me for their cause. It's hard to feel sorry for them when it seems that only a dozen or so pilots actually care about these issues. Where were the 300+ picketers that organizers were expecting?>>

I guess you don't really know "the cause". To start the awareness to NJA owners, of which pay our salary through management fees (which have increased over the years without increasing our pilot's paychecks) and to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, which owns NetJets. Whether that helped rally "you" is immaterial.

Your idea that "only a dozen or so pilots" shows ignorance. They walked in shifts and also walked at the airport - static display. You certainly wouldn't have seen them all at the same time. Let's not forget all those people behind the scenes that helped make this happen. There were scores of volunteers involved helping get the pilots to and from the event, booking hotel rooms, donating airline miles to get them there, driving vans from different locations across the country, and the fact that alot of the pilots were already working on the road, in training, limited numbers of days off to travel there, etc. so therefore not all pilots could be there.

For those of us who work at NJA, it was a milestone in itself. After years of what we have witnessed, this is a step in the right direction. We are unified and showing our resolve that we will not stop until we get a fair and decent contract.

 

[LR45JI]

jpilot,

I couldn't agree more - we aren't going for the people who watch CNN and Fox. It's more like a cancer - start on the inside and grow.

Maybe something on Monday in USA/WSJ, etc........but who knows.

 

[El Chupacabra]

Yeah, the whole handful of pilots that I saw, walking around in circles didn't really rally me for their cause. It's hard to feel sorry for them when it seems that only a dozen or so pilots actually care about these issues. Where were the 300+ picketers that organizers were expecting?

Well... there are 3 days of negotiation this week. Then 3 more days in June and that IS IT!. I think we will see how motivated Management is by Friday.

 

[MGlobemaster]

Hmmm

JPilot:

So, what you're saying is that you don't care about the public opinion? According to you, what I think of the "cause" is immaterial, however, in this case I represent the overall opinion of the public. I know the cause, I've heard all the arguments, but I'm also letting you know what I saw and felt as a neutral partisan. The PUBLIC didn't see the pilots working in shifts, organizing hotel rooms, etc. All I'm saying is a dozen people holding signs is not going to have nearly the same effect on public perception as a hundred would. I hope it made enough of an impact on NetJets to get the point across, but don't expect much sympathy from the general public.

 

[x402]

I think of the "cause" is immaterial, however, in this case I represent the overall opinion of the public. I know the cause, I've heard all the arguments, but I'm also letting you know what I saw and felt as a neutral partisan.

You really need to have your English teacher edit these posts for you.

The public doesn't sign our checks, they weren't the target of our efforts and neither are you.

 

[MGlobemaster]

The public doesn't sign our checks, they weren't the target of our efforts and neither are you.

Interesting. I wonder why NetJets has been posting full page ads in the PUBLIC newspaper for the last three days? Also, does the public not fly on your airplanes? Although the passengers on the planes aren't the ones signing your checks, aren't they ultimately the ones putting the food on your plate? I think that the public opinion might matter more than you realize.

 

[x402]

You really need to stick to something you understand, the ad was for the shareholders attending the BH meeting in Omaha. As for flying the Public, that's what AA, Delta, UAL and all those folks do. We fly owners that pay outlandish amounts of money to stay away from the Public. What people in Kansas think about our battle does not matter. What matters is when Mr & Mrs Thurston Howell III cannot get to their house in the Hamptons.
Please, go back to the general board and keep working on those ratings.

 

[slowto250]

Interesting. I wonder why NetJets has been posting full page ads in the PUBLIC newspaper for the last three days? Also, does the public not fly on your airplanes? Although the passengers on the planes aren't the ones signing your checks, aren't they ultimately the ones putting the food on your plate? I think that the public opinion might matter more than you realize.

Public don't fly 'em. Owners do. Get a clue.

 

[English]

Isn't Kasher the arbitrator that you'll be using? The same one that just handed down a 30% paycut to Alaska Airlines, a profitable company?

Good luck to NJ pilots. I hope you guys get what you deserve, but I see the writing on the wall with this Alaska deal.

 

[El Chupacabra]

No he isnt. And we do not have an arbiter nor will we. We have a mediator. Thanks.

 

[x402]

1 183.81 130.42 -29
2 185.06 131.42 -29
3 185.20 132.61 -28.8
4 187.44 133.91 -28.6
5 188.56 135.17 -28.3
6 189.69 136.53 -28.0
7 190.96 138.18 -27.6
8 191.98 141.12 -26.5
9 193.37 144.19 -25.4
10 194.46 148.34 -23.7
11 195.55 150.59 -23.0
12 196.80 153.79 -21.9

I think some of us might accept 135k at year five.

 

[h25b]

I agree that the general public shouldn't be/isn't the target of the informational picketing, but I do have doubts about its effectiveness. The folks attending that shareholders meeting could care less about your situation. They've invested their hard-earned cash in BH stock in hopes of seeing a return on their investment.

It would have to be one real idiot investor to be interested in the increasing of labor cost that your desired contract would yield. That would be like the Wal-Mart stockholders backing legislation prohibiting Chinese suppliers... Good luck fellas...

 

[English]

Sorry...it was told to me by an NJ pilot on the road that your talks were delayed due to your mediator/arbitrator being pulled away to deal with Alaska. I guess he gave me bad scoop. Sorry. That's better for you guys then.

 

[T-1GUY]

I was at the shareholder meeting and support you guys. I thought the timing was perfect. I saw about 40 pilots at the Quest center. I thought I saw a camera crew at one point, but, I am not sure they were covering the picketing.. For what it is worth, I didn't see much interest in the Netjets booth inside the exhibit.

I also thought the timing of the pickets at the FBO was a nice touch....

After a night or two of losses at the casino I was also greeted with a free paper outside my hotel room door. The full page ad also was there to greet me.

This seemed like a very well organized event... It was also very tastfully positioned in terms of not harming the reputation of NetJets...

I support you fully and wish you the best of luck...

PS I didnt have a private dinner with warren, I guess he was too busy with Bill Gates... I saw the Microsoft Bird on the ramp... Sweet ride...

 

[El Chupacabra]

No he gave you good scoop. But our mediator went to work the Alaska mechanics side of the house. Also we will not agree to arbitration.

 

[x402]

First Officer Wage Rates (5/1/05)
step current proposed % change
1 52.05 35.16 -32.4
2 91.29 61.67 -32.4
3 111.18 72.99 -34.3
4 117.51 80.15 -31.8
5 120.37 85.66 -28.8
6 124.96 87.89 -29.7
7 127.90 89.47 -30.0
8 130.62 91.07 -30.3
9 133.72 93.07 -30.4
10 136.49 94.69 -30.6
11 137.62 95.94 -30.3
12 138.84 96.83 -30.3

Here's the FO scale, 85,660 year 5.

 

[FlyinFife]

You really need to have your English teacher edit these posts for you.

If punctuation is such a concern for you, perhaps you should have become an English Teacher instead. You'd probably be making more money than you are now as a pilot.

I digress.

Let us sit around the camp fire and think of this for a moment. The obvious target of this informational picket was Mr. B and the shareholders. The informational picket in front of the Qwest Center is proof of this. In addition, another informational picket was aimed at the potential customers of NetJets. If this is not the case, then why have 15/20/30 guys and gals walking around in a square along the perimeter road in full view of people coming to see the static display? Finally, your "people" understood the importance of getting the word out to the PUBLIC, and did so by printing full page advertisements in the local paper. (I'm sure that was pretty expensive. If you'd like, I'll mail it to you. I think it would look good in a frame.)

If it smells like sh!t, looks like sh!t, and tastes like sh!t, I really don't think it's chocolate pudding with corn and nuts mixed in.

All joking aside, I am pulling for you guys and support your endeavour. I was just hoping to see a bigger show. It would have provided a bigger impact for your target audience (whoever they may be).

 

[El Chupacabra]

The great part about the full page ad was that those papers were delivered to the hotels where the BRK shareholders were staying and to the Quest Center... were paid for by Uncle W

 

[CapnVegetto]

No he isnt. And we do not have an arbiter nor will we. We have a mediator. Thanks.

Good thing.....that guy should be f-ing shot. I wonder how much money Alaska's management slipped him under the table??

 

[MGlobemaster]

You think the owners care about how long you sit and wait at the FBO?