NetJets Pilots to Picket Meeting of Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders

[CapnVegetto]

Good luck guys!! Go get 'em!!

 

[Mach92]

NetJets Pilots Picket Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders' Meeting
Saturday April 30, 9:58 am ET
Fractional Airline Pilots Demand Better Wages and Benefits

OMAHA, Neb., April 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 70 pilots from NetJets joined together in a show of solidarity, picketing outside the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders' meeting at Qwest Arena on Saturday, April 30. The pilots passed out leaflets to raise awareness regarding their continued struggle to receive a fair contract from the fractional airline, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's conglomerate.
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"Our issues have seemingly fallen on deaf ears," said Captain Alan Hayes, who has been a NetJets pilot for three years. "There is a real problem in this company when our pilots are paid around half the industry average for flying the same equipment."

NetJets pilots, who have been recognized as the safest in the private jet industry, endure low wages, insufficient benefits and unreasonable scheduling demands. They have been working nearly four years without a new contract after their last negotiated agreement came up for renewal in 2001.

"It is time for management to step to the plate and propose an agreement that includes a wage and benefit package that shows they recognize the outstanding job these pilots are doing," said Nick Reyer a business agent for Teamsters Local 1108. "Eighteen percent of our pilots make a salary that qualifies them for public assistance -- that is unacceptable."

More than 80 percent of the 2,000 NetJets pilots rejected a contract proposal in August 2004 that was severely lacking in wage increases and benefits while increasing the already long hours the pilots are required to work.

"We are all here to let Warren Buffett and all his shareholders know that we deserve a fair contract," Hayes said. "While all of these investors are enjoying the fruits of our labor, our pilots struggle to make ends meet. Mr. Buffett has always had a reputation of paying exceptional employees what they deserve.

 

[cgmason1]

NetJets Pilots Picket Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders' Meeting
Saturday April 30, 9:58 am ET
Fractional Airline Pilots Demand Better Wages and Benefits

Nice job guys-hope this steps up the pressure on them and gets you a great contract.

If not...STFD

Santulli seems to look at this as a competition-how much can he get over on the pilots-after the last contract he gloated during a meeting and stated directly to all the pilots how they could have done so much better-what a great leader to state that directly to your people.

Fly Safe
Chuck

 

[Diesel]

Looks like you got back home. Allways something new over here.

 

[cgmason1]

Looks like you got back home. Allways something new over here.

Now in MCO with the fam-just wanted to throw my two cents in before I headed off to SeaWorld.

Fly Safe
Chuck
ps Boston was great-(except for all those people from Mass.) especially the Lobsta!

 

[holden1]

Coverage??

I thought this would get more coverage from the media. All I can find on the news sites is the press releases from PR Newswire and Business Newswire.

Anybody see anything else out there - online, in print, or on TV?

Holden1

 

[I-R-DXR]

No offense guys-

Seems like the Berkshire Monopoly game got more press.

.

 

[semperfido]

that avatar of yours is an accurate representation of what a scheduler looks like in my subconscious

 

[x402]

No offense guys-

Seems like the Berkshire Monopoly game got more press.

.

Idiot, back in the box.

 

[MGlobemaster]

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?