I have to call BS on this one. The Furloughed were VERY much given the "slam bam thank you ma'am and don't let the door his you on the ass on the way out" as you put it. Anyone who says otherwise needs a reality check. The climbto350 and resume sites were just some good will showing. Remember this is the same union and pilot group that sold out everyone post 05 with domiciles and NEVER shut up about the pre05 days.
Well, if all you can see is the bad in things, then I truly feel sorry for you. Good will showing? I dare say so! What about the refunds of 7 months dues? Yeah, I know, being furloughed sucks bilge water, but that doesn't change the fact that all of you essentially got 7 months of representation for free that the rest of us continued to pay for. You wanna talk contracts? Fine. True, the basing system was changed to only 5 domiciles for new hires starting in '05. But we also got a fantastic HBA system for those already here. And what happened with IBB? The vast majority of pilots here, INCLUDING MOST WHO WERE UTILIZING THE HBA SYSTEM, voted to eliminate that system in order to provide many more basing options for those hired after '05. Sure, we could keep our current HBA, but the HBA SYSTEM was essentially eliminated. Which group of pilots got the biggest percentage increases in pretty much everything with the '05 and IBB contracts? Hint: The junior pilots! Did this pilot group vote away health insurance benefits for our retired pilots, or those close to retiring, so we could make gains in other areas that benefitted the whole pilot group? Yes! Are you having trouble financially? If so, have you tried the NJFF? Originally set up to aid only those current and ACTIVE employees, it was your UNION that altered the program to extend aid to those who were employees but not active (ie. furloughees). Sure, I think it was the right thing to do, but still, a union that was giving you the 'slam bam, thank you ma'am' treatment wouldn't have bothered with something like that. Gone and forgotten?! Hardly!!
I could go on and on about the things the union has done to HELP you. If all you can see is the ways the union HASN'T aided you, then maybe you're the one with the problem, not the union.
We ALL want you guys back quickly! And I have no doubt that returning to work is really the ultimate goal you're all striving for. Unfortunately, that's strictly a company function, much as we wish it weren't so. It sounds like you guys get exactly the same info the rest of get, if not a couple days later. If that's really a big issue, and you can't even acknowledge the good things the union has done for you, and continues to do for you (did someone already mention the collection being taken up to get Xmas gifts for the kids of the furloughees), then why should any of us bother at all with you?
Oh, one minor point that seems to get overlooked: without this union and the rules within the CBA protecting you, you'd be FIRED, not furloughed. I realize recalls may still be a long long way off, but at least it's a SOMETHING, as opposed to 'slam bam thank you ma'am'. But hey, communications are a little slow getting to you, so I guess the union truly is awful.
