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.

 

[netjetwife]

.....voting period will run for 21 days, until March 2, 2006. ..... 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

I do believe such a momentous announcement calls for a card of another type as well
Here's to the brighter future waiting for Options pilots and their families. Regards, NJW

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=YN37496872

 

[Hawkered]

I would have to say that the union drive at FLOPS is almost complete. We need to get concentrating on Flexjet now!

 

[dime line]

Hawkered, and you know this how?

 

[Hawkered]

It will be a happy Spring for the FLOPs crews and for the Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots. www.ibt1108.org

For those at Flexjet, you can print out your own union card on-line at the Flexjet portion of our website. Just send or fax it in.

 

[netjetwife]

My thoughts have also been turning toward the Flex pilots and their families. I know that we keep saying they can follow the lead of the NJ group, but there may be some that will point out that the NJ pilots already had a union in place that just needed strengthened. To them I say, you're not as far behind as you think. The NJ pilots had to form their own local and build committees. In fact, they are still putting their StrongUnion plans in effect. However, if you identify more with the pilots from Options, their momentum should push your own card drive even closer to a successful outcome. If they can do it, you can too!

A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS BUT PADDLING IS REQUIRED

1108--ADVICE YOU NEED TO LAND A FAIR/GOOD CONTRACT

 

[choppengruven]

Whoa guys

One vote at a time. Flops drive is not complete by a long shot. It will be over soon and if the recent morale boost is any gauge it will be successful. The organizers of the Flops drive then would be more than happy to consult with flex to teach them about the progress/mistakes we have made along the way. But lets slow it down and make this one successful first.

 

[Hawkered]

Chop'

Don't worry about the resources. We have resources! The truth is, you guys are starting to carry more and more of your own weight now that the election process is started. Aviation International News has a good article on Options' union drive right now.

We need to get everyone involved!

Let's not have a situation like Mesa Airlines is with the regionals: that one drags down all of the others!

Let's all get what we deserve. We are a resource that has not been properly remunerated for way too long.

 

[netjetwife]

The bar has been raised. All frac pilots should help put the supports under it that will keep it in place. There's no time like the present for making a change. Delay will only make your fight harder. There is a reason they say "Go with the flow"....it's easier that way! Think of the psychological advantage it gives you. After the NJ pilots' success, the managers of the other frac companies anticipated a move for their pilots to unionize. In other words, they see it as a foregone conclusion. Their union-busting activities and rhetoric just tells you how much they fear the collective strength you'll have.

 

[Hawkered]

Yeah, all those promises made and not kept. If it ain't in writing it doesn't exist guys. Let's get a standard, protected contract for everyone. Send in your cards and vote!

 

[Phoenix]

FOOC Weekly Announcement

Weekly Announcement for February 10, 2006

This Week’s Announcement brought to you by your Organizing Committee

In this issue: The VOTE ?
This Week’s Labor Academy: Weingarten Rights

The VOTE

On February 7 the National Mediation Board (NMB) mailed, to all eligible Flight Options Pilots, voting cards with voting instructions on the voting procedures, and identification information unique to each pilot. The voting period will be open until March 1 2006 with the final tabulation of the results announced on March 2. We encourage all of you to cast your vote ASAP during the voting period to ensure your voice is heard.

All of us, the pilots in the fleet, the P2P members, and the organizers, have worked hard to bring our desire for representation to a successful end. We only have a 21 day “window” to reach every Flight Options Pilot and ask for their support. Make sure that they did in fact receive a voting card. If a card was not received, put them in contact with one of the organizing leadership at [email protected]. Let us know as we can make an attempt to have every pilots vote count. Remember any pilot that does not place that call to the NMB is casting a NO vote. If that is the wish of a pilot, we respect his views and his choice. Also, if a pilot does support the IBT 1108, it is important that he/she has the opportunity to express his/her desires.

During the next few weeks emotions and tensions will run high as we talk to our fellow pilots about the vote. When talking to one another and asking them for their support remember, we will all still be Flight Options pilots regardless of the vote outcome.
We will still need to be the professionals we have always been and continue to provide the safety and service that our owners have come to appreciate from us.

We would ask each of you to contact 10 of your fellow pilots this week to ask for their support, ask them to call 10 of their friends, and those 10 to contact another 10, etc. If we can get just 10% of our supporters to do this, we will easily reach every pilot.

This Week’s Labor Academy: Weingarten Rights

What are the Weingarten Rights?

They are the rules under which our company management will be subject to when interviewing a pilot for any thing that the pilot feels might result in any sort of disciplinary action. They read;

Weingarten Rights

The United States Supreme Court ruled in 1975 , in the case of NLRB v. J. Weingarten, that employees have a right to union representation at investigatory interviews. These rights have become known as the Weingarten Rights.
During an investigatory interview, the Supreme Court ruled that the following rules apply:

RULE 1: The employee must make a clear request for union representation before or during the interview. The employee cannot be punished for making this request.

RULE 2: After the employee makes the request, the employer must choose from among three options. The Employer must either: grant the request and delay questioning until the union representative arrives and has a chance to consult privately with the employee; deny the request and end the interview immediately; or give the employee a choice of having the interview without representation or ending the interview.

RULE 3: If the employer denies the request for union representation, and continues to ask questions, it commits an unfair labor practice and the employee has a right to refuse to answer. The employer may not discipline the employee for such a refusal.

Additional Study; http://www.answers.com/The%20Weingarten%20Rights%20

These will become your rights following a successful vote on March 3.

These are the rights that management does not want you to have access to.

These are the rights that management fears because it prevents them from “at will” actions as a result or your refusal to accept illegal or unsafe direction from management.

The Weingarten Rights will give you the protection and power to refuse, with out worry of retribution, a request or demand made by management that you feel are against regulations, or are of an unsafe nature

Who will your representative be during these interviews or interrogations by management?

They will be your fellow pilots. Pilots that that have undergone extensive training on how to interact with you as the “pilot under siege” and with management. These pilots will be your stewards.

What is a Union Steward?

A steward is a Leader, a Diplomat, a Communicator, a Pilots Representative, a Organizer. He is the first line of defense for the pilots.

At this time you have 8 of you organizing leadership going through Steward Training with representatives of the IBT 1108. The initial training for this first class of Stewards will be completed a few weeks after a successful vote.

These 8 will become the first Flight Options Stewards.
In the coming weeks these men will be introduced to you along with contact information for your use any time you feel you are at risk with management.

Get to know these men seek them out as they are there to serve you. As a result, you will never have to face management alone again. There will be additional pilots trained in subsequent classes over the next year.

A steward is a very special position in our new union. It is a position should hold with pride. As a result should hold these men and women in high esteem.

FOOC
Pilots-4-Pilots