NJA Strong Union Negotiator Summary--Part 1

[FamilyGuy]

And remember, over the next three years, the Company is still collecting that good ole 3.75%, “for Pilot Salaries!”

I think that 3.75% covers a lot of other things besides pilot salaries.

And the portion that is in there for 'pilot salaries' would probably be hard pressed to cover the seniority raises that every pilot receives each year.

$1.299 Billion dollars is what “BM” now calculates is the cost over 3 years. Big number for sure. In 1998 we had a few hundred pilots, we now have close to 2200, the number will be big, especially when we are now attempting to claim the prize money Santulli promised to the pilots over the last 12 years. It is a big number when pilots are now asking to be paid what the best of the pilots flying the same aircraft for Fortune 500 Companies are already getting paid. Considering we do 5 times the flight hours, 7 times the nights away from the family, go to a thousand airports with 100o different personalities to know and attend to (the owners), to handle them as if they were the only people we ever flew, yes, we think we deserve it, and when you are the lowest paid in the EJA manufactured industry, it will cost BIG Dollars to finally keep the promises!

Again, this has been flogged to death in numerous posts on this board.

Comparing NJA to NBAA corporate flight departments makes as much sense as comparing NJA to the airlines.

The best comparison is NJA vs our competitors - Citation Shares, Flight Options, and FlexJet. Currently NetJets does lag these three....but I dont think it will take $1.299 Billion to put NJA in the lead for pilot wages.

 

[Hogprint]

The best comparison is NJA vs our competitors - Citation Shares, Flight Options, and FlexJet. Currently NetJets does lag these three....

Please don't forget NJI, NJE and good old EJM.

 

[FamilyGuy]

Please don't forget NJI, NJE and good old EJM.

I'm sorry....are they competitors?

Are they flying the same aircraft, with the same work rules, the same schedules, and the same productivity levels?

Do they have the same administration costs associated with operating in a union environment?

I wonder how much these negotiations themselves have cost...

 

[Ultra Grump]

I think that 3.75% covers a lot of other things besides pilot salaries.

Here, I think you need this: http://www.elmprep.com/

First let's say, as an example, that the monthly management fees for a 1/x share of an Ultra are $10,000. Let's also pretend that the portion of that earmarked for pilot salaries is 20%. So $2,000 per month is set aside per 1/x share. If the fees are increased 3.75%, they are now $10,375. 20% of that is $2,075. $2,075 just happens to be an increase of 3.75% over the previous $2,000 pilot salary earmark. So if management fees go up 3.75%, one would expect, since that's where the pilots' salaries come from, for them to increase a commensurate amount. They haven't.

And the portion that is in there for 'pilot salaries' would probably be hard pressed to cover the seniority raises that every pilot receives each year.

That is making the false assumption that there is no growth. As more new-hires are added to the bottom of the list, the overall pilot costs generally will decrease, on a per-pilot basis. 76% of the pilot group has been here 6 years or less. Not exactly at the top of the payscale yet, are we?

Comparing NJA to NBAA corporate flight departments makes as much sense as comparing NJA to the airlines.

Then why did the company do just that? What exactly have we got in common with ASA, besides both working on a 7-year-old contract?

 

[Ultra Grump]

I'm sorry....are they competitors?

That is relevant because...

Are they flying the same aircraft

In most cases, yes.

with the same work rules, the same schedules

In most cases, better.

and the same productivity levels?

In most cases, worse.

Do they have the same administration costs associated with operating in a union environment?

Our dues pay for the union administration, not the company.

I wonder how much these negotiations themselves have cost...

Are you kidding? This has been the best deal the company could hope for - pilots continuing to work for 4+ years on a 7-year-old, sub-par contract.

 

[BE200Driver]

Are you kidding? This has been the best deal the company could hope for - pilots continuing to work for 4+ years on a 7-year-old, sub-par contract.

And who's decision is that?

 

[Ultra Grump]

And who's decision is that?

At this point, it's Richard Santulli's.

 

[BE200Driver]

I see. I hope that line of reasoning works on my boss. LOL

 

[CMHTroll]

Correction

At this point, it's Richard Santulli's.

Bill Boisture is the president that you have to deal with. Not Santulli, not Buffet, not Bush. You sound like the spoiled child who did not get the cookie from one parent and runs to the other, or were you the one who tried to divorce your parents at 16 because they didn't buy you a shiny new sports car?

 

[x402]

Bill Boisture is the president that you have to deal with. Not Santulli, not Buffet, not Bush. You sound like the spoiled child who did not get the cookie from one parent and runs to the other, or were you the one who tried to divorce your parents at 16 because they didn't buy you a shiny new sports car?

He wasn't the President when these negotiations started and I can almost assure you he will be gone before they are completed. He has failed in so many ways, not bringing a 'reasonable' offer to the pilots is only one of his mistakes. Inching your way closer to something that might get 50%+1 is bleeding this 'cash rich' (their words) operation and damaging the brand. Even his Senior VP has said the length of the talks has been a huge detriment to the company and if 'he was in charge' this would not have happened. Sounds like the house of Boisture is coming to a close. I'm sure he'll parachute out with a nice severence for selling off the core fleet to pump up the bottom line and having failed to gain a CBA to move this company forward.
At any rate, Troll, you don't get a vote and that makes me very happy. Olsen, Gasta etal maintain the support from the members as shown in the latest survey. They need serious people on the other side of the table to get this done, not Union Busting Attorneys and other company hacks.
Maybe we won't get 100% plus 100% retro, but if we asked for less how stupid could we be? No more,"Gee you guys could have done a lot better."