NJAOwner,
There is no work slowdown. Everything you are experiencing is a result of management's poor decisions.
The planes are getting old and aren't receiving the care planes of their vintage need to remain reliable. Basic things are being left undone until the last minute when the pilots step in and find themselves in a position where they need to fix it, but it may cause delays. For example, a plane goes into maintenance to have something repaired. When finished, it's scheduled for a passenger trip. The pilots are sent to the plane, and during preflight discover it needs oil and the oxygen serviced. Oil isn't too bad, but oftentimes it isn't easy to get someone to service the oxygen depending on location, day of week, and time of day. Passengers may find themselves delayed while the crew tries to get these things taken care of. The thing is, prior to this EMT, when a plane went in for any kind of maintenance, the mechanics were authorized to fix some things they found, including service items like oil and oxygen, so when a crew got there the plane was ready. This EMT has taken that authority away from the mechanics, and they have been told to fix ONLY what the plane went in for. Short term savings at YOUR expense of a delayed trip. And it looks like a work slowdown by the pilots.
In addition, they have fired at least one pilot for not writing something up, and disciplined others for supposedly writing too many things up. What are we supposed to do? At least for me, I will write up any and all discrepancies, no matter how small and insignificant, when and where I find them. This may appear to be a work slowdown, but I am protecting my license, career, and livelihood because if I'm going to be fired for something I'd rather it be for regulatory compliance so I at least depart with my license intact. Make no mistake, the company has put me in this position, not the union asking me to inconvenience you. It's not a work slowdown.
They are running us ragged out there. We're flying more, over longer duty days, with declining quality of rest accommodations and food. I have found it necessary to call fatigued more often than I ever have. It's not a work slowdown. I'm trying to protect my life, my partner's life, and yours. Sorry you'll be delayed. But would you rather be the Mr. Owner who was late, or the late Mr. Owner?
Finally, you and the other clients are our lifeblood. We, the pilots have not forgotten this, no matter how it appears. Nor has the union. Very sorry you're caught in the middle. Sadly, you need only look at other unionized operators with very good contracts to see how this will go. I absolutely HATE that it has to be this way, but unfortunately the only way we will prevail is when it becomes more painful for them to not give us what we want than to give it to us. I would prefer that you and our other clients stay with us, but if enough of you move on as a result of all this then the company will be back at the table to resolve this contract. Sucks for everyone, and I'd greatly prefer not doing that kind of damage, but this management team is following the same lousy path that has been traveled by most other unionized negotiations. Even RTS didn't come to the table with a good offer until we had lost 16 full aircraft worth of clients (his words).
I truly believe Netjets can recover from this damage, but it's going to require getting this done and more importantly, getting leadership with some vision and the ability to provide our clients with the value they expect for the money they're spending.