No Teamsters at Flexjet!

[FracMonkey]

This certainly wasn’t a brag or chest thump. I wanted to make a point that I believed, in the end, that we would be better off without The 1108. I do believe in the power of market forces. 1108’s solidarity sucked. If OnySky management plays their cards right, we will have solidarity among ourselves and a mutually beneficial relationship with management. This is the only way this company will grow.

I read every email and text that was sent by the 1108. I constantly read this forum and the VUH and spoke with union supporters on the road. My head was never in the sand. I just didn’t buy it.

Bantering and mocking aside, I look forward to having constructive conversations with other pilots, regardless of how they see things. We all will benefit from this. You all want solidarity? It can start now.

Cheers.

Bravo! You exemplify the new attitude that we all need to display to move forward. IMO we all have a decision to make, either get on the train or get run over by it. I don't drink on the road, but if we ever meet your first beverage is on me.:beer:

 

[MOMOMOJO]

Wow. You were so close. I read your post and agreed right up to the point where that little drop of venom dripped out of your mouth. I'm not sure why a seemingly conciliatory post had to devolve into a you taking a shot at me, but that's ok. I've taken more slings and arrows in this saga than you can possibly imagine and your sophomoric attempt barely registers by comparison. Keep in mind you know less than 20% of the story. You were part of an organized group for two years. The Options side of the house was organized for over a decade.

You know nothing of the years I spent volunteering for the union and you know nothing of the thanks I received in the form of knives that ended up stuck in my back because I had the temerity to disagree with the union and the b*lls to say so publicly.

Disagreement and criticism was considered a threat to solidarity and the response of the union faithful was to ridicule, demean and shout down dissent to the point where the VUH and the union itself became an echo chamber. Rather than listening to their membership and attempting to solve issues or try new ideas, they squashed dissent in the name of solidarity. In doing so they destroyed the very solidarity they were seeking.

You ask how many times I tried. The answer is that it's irrelevant. How many times does one go back to an organization that absolutely believes that they have all the answers and outside input, even from someone who was once on the inside, isn't welcome because it doesn't follow the party line? At some point one has to decide to quit proving the textbook definition of insanity to themselves.

I don't need to make excuses to sleep well at night, sleep comes easily and peacefully. The sad thing is that the union faithful who engaged in the squashing of dissent in the name of solidarity feel the same way.

That my friend, is why the 1108 failed.

No was not venom was not directed at you personally. It wasn't even venom. It wasn't even directed at "everyone but me", it includes me.

The fact is we are a lazy group of pilots when it comes to this solidarity thing. We are also generally a narcissistic and selfish pilot group and none other than our dear leader RH and the rest of the **** You Crew exemplify it. My point is we can all feel however we want but unless we actually take action nothing will change. I'm not feeling defensive and was not intending to put you into that corner either. My point is 99% of our group (and if you say you're not in this group I'll take your word) never really pursued how we could help each other. Even the decert crew was each individually in it for themselves.

My point in asking you how many times you tried is because I know I personally got more inclusion from some leaders versus others but I concede to your point that mere fact is a huge red flag of arrogance.

Are you original RTA? The thing no one wants to realize in this fight is we really had 3 factions in the mix. It makes a huge difference to understanding why solidarity failed and why Kenn Ricci is a freaking genius for knowing how to play each off of each other. No disrespect in that. The more I think about it the more I realize he is crazy good at what he does. The claims he bought Flexjet for the mere purpose of ridding himself of the union sheeringa brought to his doorstep ring more true with every bit of knowledge.

I'll be completely transparent. If I had understood early on what a master he was I myself might have tried to jump on the fok train. Still taking care of my fellow man is more consequential to me than a paycheck so in the end I'm happy with my choice.

 

[Dirty Squirrel]

My crystal ball says recession in Q4 of 2019 or early 2020. And you know how well the fractional industry weathered the last recession. Add to that the fact that the economics of the frac model don't really make sense anymore. AND the fact that the frac industry has been shrinking overall in terms of total airframes since 2008. AND the fact that managed charter has taken a huge bite out of your market share.

I say your list will be about 80% of what it is now come 2020.

But, hey, I'm an optimist.

Here is an area where we can be optimistic. Without union/company drama and with marketing focus on supplemental ride, corporate consolidation, owner retention, competitive steals and retaking some clients who went to chartered / managed aircraft, we have huge potential as a non-union shop. We aren’t the major airlines, Netjets or Travel Management. Again, the company must play this right.

Any junior pilot is vunerable during a recession. Including those who jumped ship to and airline.

 

[squawk]

No was not venom was not directed at you personally. It wasn't even venom. It wasn't even directed at "everyone but me", it includes me.

The fact is we are a lazy group of pilots when it comes to this solidarity thing. We are also generally a narcissistic and selfish pilot group and none other than our dear leader RH and the rest of the **** You Crew exemplify it. My point is we can all feel however we want but unless we actually take action nothing will change. I'm not feeling defensive and was not intending to put you into that corner either. My point is 99% of our group (and if you say you're not in this group I'll take your word) never really pursued how we could help each other. Even the decert crew was each individually in it for themselves.

My point in asking you how many times you tried is because I know I personally got more inclusion from some leaders versus others but I concede to your point that mere fact is a huge red flag of arrogance.

Are you original RTA? The thing no one wants to realize in this fight is we really had 3 factions in the mix. It makes a huge difference to understanding why solidarity failed and why Kenn Ricci is a freaking genius for knowing how to play each off of each other. No disrespect in that. The more I think about it the more I realize he is crazy good at what he does. The claims he bought Flexjet for the mere purpose of ridding himself of the union sheeringa brought to his doorstep ring more true with every bit of knowledge.

I'll be completely transparent. If I had understood early on what a master he was I myself might have tried to jump on the fok train. Still taking care of my fellow man is more consequential to me than a paycheck so in the end I'm happy with my choice.

Karl Marx moldy ears just perked up at this remark. How noble can you be without that paycheck you so flippantly disregard? Will your “ fellow men” divide their paycheck for you if you ever go without? Do you work for your fellow man or your company? Does your fellow man sign your check? Did your fellow men hire you? What is your job here? Who do you work for?

 

[GlorifiedCabbie]

Here is an area where we can be optimistic. Without union/company drama and with marketing focus on supplemental ride, corporate consolidation, owner retention, competitive steals and retaking some clients who went to chartered / managed aircraft, we have huge potential as a non-union shop. We aren’t the major airlines, Netjets or Travel Management. Again, the company must play this right.

Any junior pilot is vunerable during a recession. Including those who jumped ship to and airline.

Without pilots, Kenn can't deliver with or without a Union but I hope I'm wrong. As for a junior pilot being vulnerable during a recession, Kenn says he wants layoffs not in reverse seniority order, so even a senior pilot is now vulnerable.

 

[GE6108A]

You guys are hitching your wagon to a train that has consistently failed at its mission of growth. FO at its peak was near 1300 pilots. Ricci comes back and you are what now, 570? He kills companies, he doesn’t grow them. He will never succeed because he constantly and without fail derides the competition- NetJets. Rich people aren’t generally stupid. One only need tour the hangar in CGF then the hangar in CMH to know Ricci runs a shoddy operation. You can eat off the floors in the NetJets hangar- not so at Ricci’s sh$t bag operation. If in fact your sorry a$$es actually gain market share in the short term- you will lose it in the next down turn.

 

[Imissmypilot]

Karl Marx moldy ears just perked up at this remark. How noble can you be without that paycheck you so flippantly disregard? Will your “ fellow men” divide their paycheck for you if you ever go without? Do you work for your fellow man or your company? Does your fellow man sign your check? Did your fellow men hire you? What is your job here? Who do you work for?

No squawk I think what he's saying is something that resonates with a lot of us. He was happy to be pulling in a good paycheck without having to crawl on the backs of others for more.

For most of the Union supporters at Flex the issue was never money. It was work rules and quality-of-life issues. The only ones who cared about money where the decerters and they were willing to do anything for just a little bit more

At the end of the day we'll see who the jokes really on.

BTW what happened to your immediate pay raises on day one? Better watch yourself because technically in Riccis book he gave it. For your sake I hope it doesn't stop there but I have a feeling it will. He's going to have to lay out some serious cash for new hires. There will be no more for you.

 

[Enough BS]

You guys are hitching your wagon to a train that has consistently failed at its mission of growth. FO at its peak was near 1300 pilots. Ricci comes back and you are what now, 570? He kills companies, he doesn’t grow them. He will never succeed because he constantly and without fail derides the competition- NetJets. Rich people aren’t generally stupid. One only need tour the hangar in CGF then the hangar in CMH to know Ricci runs a shoddy operation. You can eat off the floors in the NetJets hangar- not so at Ricci’s sh$t bag operation. If in fact your sorry a$$es actually gain market share in the short term- you will lose it in the next down turn.

Oh boy that’s convincing. Obviously some sort of industry business analyst.

 

[Bjtdrvr]

FO/TA never actually cracked the 1000 mark. Something like 979 or there about. And Kenn actually was only involved for about a year after that merger then was basically kicked out by Raytheon.

 

[FracMonkey]

You guys are hitching your wagon to a train that has consistently failed at its mission of growth. FO at its peak was near 1300 pilots. Ricci comes back and you are what now, 570? He kills companies, he doesn’t grow them. He will never succeed because he constantly and without fail derides the competition- NetJets. Rich people aren’t generally stupid. One only need tour the hangar in CGF then the hangar in CMH to know Ricci runs a shoddy operation. You can eat off the floors in the NetJets hangar- not so at Ricci’s sh$t bag operation. If in fact your sorry a$$es actually gain market share in the short term- you will lose it in the next down turn.

Here we go again with your crystal ball.....sigh.

Perhaps you forget that NN was shown the door by Raytheon when they brought in Nahill and you obviously don't remember that HIG gave Schreenga the mandate to wind down the operation and sell off what he could. Of course the company was on a downward trajectory. The assets are what HIG wanted, not the income stream. After NN was shown the door, growth wasn't part of the plan.

You point out the condition of hangar floors, really?! If OneSky had the shiniest hangar floors in the industry, you'd b*tch about the money being spent on that and not being given to the pilot group. I personally don't give a rip what the hangar floors look like as long as there's not safety issues in the hangars. They're glorified garages. Who cares what the floor looks like?

Everyone will lose in the next downturn. That's how recessions work. I've already lost this job once and not only did I survive, I thrived. Anyone, including NN, who thinks they hold some kind of power over me due to a fear of losing my job doesn't understand the mindset of a true survivor. That's one part of what changed my mind about the union. My furlough was the beginning of my independence. Once one has had to truly fight for themselves, they don't need to rely on a collective to fight for them. I learned that I have the skillsets necessary to succeed no matter what this industry throws at me. I also learned to take advantage of opportunities. Opportunity abounds at OneSky for one who learns to play the game and I intend to do just that. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

You sound like a very angry individual. Sour grapes make bitter wine, my friend.