No ALPA for Chicago Express

[Captain X]

Looks like the ALPA Representation vote did not pass at Chicago Express......by a VERY thin margin.

From what I understand, Chicago Express management ran a pretty good "scare" campaign to get pilots against ALPA representation.....sad tactics and a sad day.

Better luck next year.

 

[ifly4food]

That's too bad. I pity what these pilots are soon to encounter. In these bad economic times, union representation is worth every penny.

However, I can't say I blame them too much after seeing all of the strife within our union over unequal representation at the regional level.

Let this be a warning to ALPA. If it continues its duplicitous ways these failures will continue. How humiliating... this organizing campaign should have been a walk in the park for the world's largest pilot union.

 

[ultrarunner]

From what I understand, Chicago Express management ran a pretty good "scare" campaign to get pilots against ALPA representation.....sad tactics and a sad day.
[/B]

Uhh, yeah, that's what it must have been....and not anyone looking at the facts or thinking for themselves. Give the group more credit, will ya!

 

[Typhoon1244]

Re: Re: No ALPA for Chicago Express

Originally posted by ultrarunner
Uhh, yeah, that's what it must have been....and not anyone looking at the facts or thinking for themselves. Give the group more credit, will ya!

A member of the organizing committee is a very close friend of mine--I've known him since our mother brought him home from the hospital. So I have some insight into the Chicago Express situation that you don't.

There was a very effective scare campaign being run by management and the top 10% of the seniority list, senior captains who felt they had a great deal to lose if ALPA came onboard. There was even a Benedict Arnold, a captain named Piekert (not sure of the spelling) who gave information on the organizing committee to the company in exchange for favors.

The sad truth is that the majority of C.E.'s pilots--with a few notable exceptions--are too new to the industry to understand just how much ALPA membership would be worth to them. The junior pilots are so happy just to have a job flying airplanes, they have neither the time nor the inclination to seriously consider the union issue. The company and their "bosses" (old captains) make a lot of negative noise, and they buy it. The perceived injustices being visited upon "express pilots" elsewhere didn't help any either.

I hope my friend and his fellow organizers don't start mysteriously flunking checkrides now...

 

[ultrarunner]

Re: Re: Re: No ALPA for Chicago Express

snip

The sad truth is that the majority of C.E.'s pilots--with a few notable exceptions--are too new to the industry to understand just how much ALPA membership would be worth to them. The junior pilots are so happy just to have a job flying airplanes, they have neither the time nor the inclination to seriously consider the union issue. The company and their "bosses" (old captains) make a lot of negative noise, and they buy it. The perceived injustices being visited upon "express pilots" elsewhere didn't help any either. [/B]

Well, that's too bad for them, and unfortunate. But in a few years, they may be wiser, and more experienced, and listen to a different slant, and may vote differently...maybe.... only time will tell.

 

[learob]

Just because this pilot group shot down ALPA does not mean that they not know what they were doing, or were to new to the industry to know any better. I have worked at 3 airlines so far only 1 needed ALPA and that was Americas West. While at Skywest ALPA tried to organize us twice during my time and both times we told them no thanks and we had a very senior pilot group I think the average capt had been there for like 7 - 8 years. But by the same token I am sure they will try to organize Jetblue and if managment is still treating us the way they are right now then we wont need them, but if thinks change then I would vote for them in a heart beat. The CE guys are the ones who have to fly there and live with the results not us.

 

[TriStar_drvr]

Here's a link to an article about the vote in the Indy Star.

http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/3/015866-1843-031.html

It states that the average Chicago Express pilot earns $45,000 per year. I was suprised to see that, as I didn't think they earned that much. Oh well, I wish them the best.

 

[Typhoon1244]

No cancellation pay, no under-block, no over-block, pilots can be summarily removed from service with no explanation...nice voting guys!

 

[bart]

Sounds like mob rule lost out...

 

[surplus1]

No cancellation pay, no under-block, no over-block, pilots can be summarily removed from service with no explanation...nice voting guys!

Typh,

Don't be so hard on the CHX pilots. ALPA's unsuccessful effort to organzie them is not wholly their fault.

The double failure at SKYW is but another indicator of the ALPA's efforts to organize regional pilot groups. ALPA is selling (literally) a service that it is hard pressed to ensure it can or will provide. Some buyers aren't willing to pay in advance for what they might not get.

If the sales pitch or the salesmen were different, the vote might also be different.