Options Strong Union

[Phoenix]

This week on February 7 the eligible voter cards will be mailed out by the NMB. These card will contain instructions on how and where we are to vote for our new union. Each card will contain information specific to each of us, an identification number and a PIN number for casting our votes. The voting period will run for 21 days, until March 2, 2006. We will have one last opportunity to challenge the eligible voter list up to the week preceding the end of the voting period. After that time the eligible list will not be changed.

On March 2, the NMB will tabulate the results of the vote. The IBT 1108 leadership, our organizing leadership, and our attorneys will be present for the tabulation. Management has put out several messages stating that they also would be there, but they attempt to paint the picture that they will be looking over the NMB shoulder and will see who voted and who didn't. Be advised that this is another of those misrepresentations of the truth that management and Ford & Harrison have become so good at. They are attempting to scare a few pilots from voting out of fear that management will somehow know how they voted. As with much of what management has been putting out of late.....NOT TRUE, no one, not us, not management, no one but the NMB will know who voted.

If by February 11 you have not received a card from the NMB PLEASE contact the organizing leadership so we can get you a card ASAP. As management has been so fond of stating, no call to the NMB is a no vote. If you believe in what we are trying to accomplish, then please make sure your voice is heard via your vote.

VOTE, Vote yes for the IBT 1108

Phoenix
I am...IBT1108
Pilots4Pilots

 

[Phoenix]

Master Warning

*******Master Warning********

You may have already received a call, or you may receive one in the next few days. Management has pulled out the stops and is now making calls directly to all of us. They are making these calls to persuade you not to vote for the IBT 1108 and Options Strong Union.

The first thing that you need to know is that this activity is illegal and will be turned over to the NMB as election interference. There have been numerous instances we have documented in the past few days, where management has approached one of our pilots to pressure him not to vote for the IBT 1108, and to support FOPA instead.

If you should receive one of these calls from a member of management or one of the known management pilots, we need your help in documenting these calls. If you have a voice recorder and can record the conversation please do it. Use it to make your personal transcript of the conversation in detail. If you can’t record the conversation, take the time to write out a transcript right after the call while it is fresh in you mind.

Once you have made these transcripts, email them to the Options Strong Union organizing leadership [email protected] This information will be given to our attorneys and in the unlikely event that the vote fails, we will use this information to show election interference and call for another election.

Do not be intimidated by these management tactics. They know what they are doing is illegal. You do not need to fear telling them the truth, that you have had enough and will be voting for a Strong Union and a Contract.

Vote YES IBT 1108
Pilots4Pilots

 

[SiuDude]

The Art of Labor Law

http://www.fordharrison.com/fh/practice/labor.asp

 

[RideTheWind]

Let's here some more of that fopa stuff, that was funny sh1t.

 

[netjetwife]

Options Strong Union ....What a sight for sore eyes! This must be an exciting time for Options pilots and their families. I can still remember how excited and hopeful the NJ pilots and families were when the grass roots movement StrongUnion took hold and began to spread. At that time, I encouraged other frac pilots to also stand up for themselves. This is exactly what I had in mind. I never doubted y'all could do it too! Happy Voting!
Netjetwife


O RGANIZED, DETERMINED
P ILOTS AND THEIR FAMILIES
T ELLING IT LIKE IT IS......
I NJUSTICE MUST END!
O UR TURN HAS COME
N OW IS THE TIME TO
S TAND TOGETHER!

S HOULDER TO SHOULDER
T IGHT AND STRONG---
R IGHTS MUST BE CLAIMED
O R LOST BY DEFAULT....
N EW DAY IS DAWNING
G RAB YOUR CHANCE--VOTE!

U NIFIED IN PURPOSE--
N OT BACKING DOWN--
I NTENT MADE CLEAR
O NE VOICE FROM MANY
N EW HOPE FOR ALL--1108

 

[Phoenix]

I am......IBT 1108

Bounce

 

[hydrarkt]

For those Options pilots who are "nervous" about this whole thing and worried that management will somehow single you out for "discipline" if they found out you supported this union, IT IS TOO LATE!!!! They will not discipline you for support of a union. If they did, they would break federal law and lose any case against them... just like they did earlier.
The question to you is... could things get worse with Strong Union representing you??? I'm not in your situation and I am not a union official. But I CAN tell you that with the help of SU, NJA was transformed from a stepping stone to somewhere else, to a good career option. Things are night and day at NJA.
FO pilots are hearing all of the same things that we heard from management... ALL LIES!! We heard it all... "Management will HELP YOU if you vote NO....the company can't afford this.... you don't need this... we love you!!! ..... we are a team!!!" We heard it all. Don't believe a word of it.
All of FO management's current tactics fall into "Union Busting 101." All of their communications, pleas, FUD, cries etc. have all been carefully designed to bust unions. The tactics have been used for years.... please read Marty Levitt's "Confessions of a Union Buster." It is all there.
The difference is that these tactics were created to be used against blue collar, uneducated workers... you are not. We shall see what happens but I think that FO pilots will be able to see through the crap and vote Yes.

 

[beechjetpilot1]

"Team"

Funny thing about the company saying we are all a "team" is that all the professional sports "teams" have player's unions to aid in negotiations with the owners......Mr. Mike, we just want our own player's union for OUR team!

 

[netjetwife]

Too late? Absolutely! The reason there is a union drive is because management failed to respond to the pilots' needs. Nothing happens in a vacuum. They had plenty of chances to work things out fairly, but it wasn't important to them. It is the same lack of respect that the NJ pilots dealt with. There clearly is no foundation of trust/respect to build on, so there is no reason to think that the situation will improve until the pilots force the issue by voting in a strong union. If you want to be listened to, join others and speak loudly with one voice. It's the only way your concerns will be taken seriously. If the company had wanted to work things out with the pilots, they'd have done so already. At this point, all you'll hear from them will be more broken promises and/or empty threats designed to break your will.

Hang in there!
NJW

 

[CA1900]

I posted this in another thread regarding the brains behind "FOPA." I thought with the election looming, it bears repeating:

This is exactly the tactic that killed the CommutAir union campaign!

In our case (an ALPA election in mid-2003), a few "senior line pilots" who lived in the company HQ's town were very vocal during the card campaign and the election. They insisted that ALPA was too big and didn't have our best interests at heart. They insisted an outside union would "kill the company," "force us into line bidding" (which we don't use), and so on.

What we needed was to keep it in-house and "in the family," and to that end, these pilots (particularly one, thanks a pantload, Dale) created a "Mutual Interest Committee," which would be a single voice for the pilot group to talk to management. Does this sound familiar?

Despite the hard work of the committee members, who genuinely believed that it would help, the organization had absolutely no power to negotiate anything. And that's exactly what we got in the end.

In August of 2003, I believe it was, the vote came up short with just 43% of our pilots voting. Not long after, our on-time bonus program was eliminated, and our medical premiums went up $1000 -- all unilateral changes that wouldn't have been possible if their terms were already in a union contract. Despite my annual barely-keep-up-with-inflation raise, my pay went down $1000 from '04 to '05.

And yes, CommutAir hired Ford and Harrison to help. What can I say? They played the game better than we did. I have no dog in this fight other than as another concerned, underpaid pilot who wants more for our whole occupation. Don't let them divide you. It worked on us, don't let it happen to you guys!

Thanks for reading.


P.S. - This is from Ford and Harrison's Web Page:

For Union-Free Employers we:
develop effective, lawful strategies to prevent unions from organizing, including advice on handling pre-union activities.
advise on proper handling of concerted activities, and NLRB and the National Mediation Board (NMB) representation proceedings.
handle investigations and, if necessary, trial and appeal of unfair labor practice charges.

Good luck, guys! I hope the vote turns out well for you.