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NJW, I wish I was mistaken on what was told to me. I'm not questioning what you heard; I'm suggesting that the speaker said "Union" out of habit when the correct answer is actually "Company". One thing I have noticed is that there are a few out there who will share their opinion as though it is a fact. I'm not at all saying it is malicious or an intentional distortion of information, just that it happens. I agree. Quite frankly, I think those that have done it believe they are giving you the right information at the time, True, and it can happen to any of us. but after some one else asks the same question in a more public venue the correct answer gets posted after some research. I will do my research and double check my source. But just looking at the question logically.... the Company does the hiring and firing so a seniority list would start and end with them. When pilots decide to leave NJ they go thru the Company, not the Union, to remove their name from the VSL. That sounds like ownership.
I believe this was a major cause of confusion. Perhaps stemming from semantics. Certainly NJASAP keeps a list and refers to it regularly; few would disagree that their list belongs to them. Given the importance seniority has for Unions, it's also easy to see how Volunteers could develop proprietary feelings for the VSL. But every name represents an action taken by the Company so surely they own those decisions? ...
Most of the guys were buying the dinner and beer even though they knew they didn't have to. Same guys who have written me recommendation letters and sent emails to see how things were going. This is a good example of the predominant attitude at NJA. Without it, neither IBB or the VMs would have passed as both required empathy and unselfishness from the pilots who voted for it and their families who supported the decision. Unfortunately, good deeds often go unreported and every sizable group has its fringe element that doesn't represent the attitudes common to the silent majority.
.....the reason for our furlough lies squarely on the company.
You want to merge by "Date of Hire"?
We are fine with that if you pay "Back Dues" all the way back to date of hire.
I hope everyone realizes you speak only for yourself.
I wouldn't vote for someone who is so reckless and ignorant with our CBA and complicated LOA's.
The misinformation that's being spread on this board is amazing, especially from folks who were fired from trusted positions in the union for lying and letting their fellow brothers and sisters down.
Let the folks who are elected and competent do our negotiating.
Another internet tough guy on an anonymous message board.
Since you had to bring our politics into this forum, I feel compelled to respond. If they're so darn competent doing our negotiations, why are the LOAs so complicated? How many NJA pilots currently employed will ever see the V/450/550 with the fences "we" agreed to? How did "we" overlook the need for bypass pay? We have SICs senior to GIV PICs, and GIV PICs making more than senior NJA PICs.
While I totally agree with the protections afforded our new members, I feel somewhat let down that there were no such considerations for those of us that have paid dues for all these years. Yes, we were afforded better scope protections, but that's all. It will be many years before bidding, pay, and basing will be truely equal. You know, all those little things associated with seniority for dues paying members?
We stood by for years watching upgrades while believing what we were told-they're not really upgrading. After all, that ole zebra (RTS) changed his stripes and we were all finally singing the same tune. Well guess what, they did upgrade. In fact, all but about 50 original NJI pilots did upgrade.
For years NJI was afforded the good deals because RTS hated the IBT. Were were the redheaded step children. I get that. Our leadership should have been concerned with providing us some of those deals too when 01-013 was written.
OK.. He wasn't right! That is why everyone is OK with what happened and everyone is overjoyed!
Heidi diedi christ almighty...the truth is they way over hired pilots versus what their business model could support and RTS wanted everyone to be happy. Boisture came in and said it was crazy, and no one wanted to listen. RTS said let's signed a union contract, and now everyone is screwed because they cannot afford the salaries.
As far as the reported over-hiring goes, yes. But had NJA continued to grow and the economy not have sank, then the furlough would not have happened at all, correct? So the real culprits are the economy and plain ol' rotten luck....And neither of them provide much of a target for those lashing out in frustration.
So we end up with ....what's that term again, Praetorian? Transference.... a typical by-product of stressful situations.
Are you suggesting we let the company off the hook for reneging on the VMs? They continue to meet their pay obligation to those who took the LOAs and early retirements. Those are the only parts of the program that had a stipulated time frame. I've heard more apologetic horse manure coming from many sources. The company, the union, other pilots, other employee groups all saying "that was the last administration that agreed to the VMs". That was my first thought as well. The last administration also signed the CBA and hired us all. Should we renegotiate the contract and all re-interview since that management is gone? That is the good thing about a CBA; it is designed to continue regardless of Company changes. Critical difference between the CBA and the VM--the first is legally binding, the second was a trial program buying time until flying demand increased. Sadly, the economy doomed it.
NJW, what I quoted was told directly to me as the E Board member stood in front of the membership at the weekly meeting. The Union meeting where the word "Union" is said far more than "Company" thus increasing the odds of misspeaking. That answer came from me asking about resigning our seniority number. There was no way TO misunderstand his answer. I don't doubt you listened closely and he said "Union". My suggestion is that his brain thought one thing and his mouth went on autopilot...What you state is partially true. The company dictates who appears on the seniority list. They do not unilaterally dictate who is removed from it.
Opecjet
Don't even worry with these folks. They don't care about the rank and file pilot anymore. The only thing they want is our money. They are on their own personal agenda.
For those just joining the thread, Opec is a furloughed NJA pilot with personal experience in how NJASAP treats its Members. He addressed this question on p.3 post 42. The following excerpt is noteworthy: "I've gotten two calls from line pilots I've never met asking how things were, inviting us to go visit, etc. There are also FWG members working hard behind the scenes. Saying that we're totally out of sight / out of mind is a slap in the face to those guys." Those of you without personal experience to rely on may wonder about the validity of Raj's accusation: Does he have an ax to grind or is he making a fair assessment? To put things into perspective it is helpful to recognize the rules of living that apply to this situation.
No one is perfect. NJASAP has high standards and the NJ pilotgroup has taken on a lot of projects, thus you will be able to find mistakes, especially if you have a "glass half empty" attitude. But a fair-minded person will recognize hard work and a sincere effort to serve when they consider the following: many Volunteers; numerous committees; weekly and quarterly publications; weekly Membership meeting/update in CMH complete with a slideshow briefing and a Q&A session; Stewards on duty 24/7; and leadership (committee chairs and EBoard) contact info always provided with the invitation to call or email. Pilot interests are vigorously defended as this Friday's 411 showed--with a daily timeline, no less.
There is a silent majority. NJASAP regularly surveys the Membership thru a professional 3rd party and the vast majority of the pilots are satisfied with their Union and feel they are getting a good return for their dues.
There is a balancing act. As others have pointed out in this thread, NJASAP is legally obligated to represent all of its members equally. Common sense tells us that can be difficult when there are competing interests and a big discrepancy in the demographics of the group.
You miss the forest when you single out the trees. That the NJ pilots have nonetheless managed to come as far as they have from their grossly under-paid, no Union infrastructure of their own, IBT 284 days to an independent Association with a contract that sets the bar for the industry and strives to provide top notch representation to all of its Members is testament to the fact that the NJ pilots care about one another and their industry.
For those just joining the thread, Opec is a furloughed NJA pilot with personal experience in how NJASAP treats its Members. He addressed this question on p.3 post 42. The following excerpt is noteworthy: "I've gotten two calls from line pilots I've never met asking how things were, inviting us to go visit, etc. There are also FWG members working hard behind the scenes. Saying that we're totally out of sight / out of mind is a slap in the face to those guys." Those of you without personal experience to rely on may wonder about the validity of Raj's accusation: Does he have an ax to grind or is he making a fair assessment? To put things into perspective it is helpful to recognize the rules of living that apply to this situation.
No one is perfect. NJASAP has high standards and the NJ pilotgroup has taken on a lot of projects, thus you will be able to find mistakes, especially if you have a "glass half empty" attitude. But a fair-minded person will recognize hard work and a sincere effort to serve when they consider the following: many Volunteers; numerous committees; weekly and quarterly publications; weekly Membership meeting/update in CMH complete with a slideshow briefing and a Q&A session; Stewards on duty 24/7; and leadership (committee chairs and EBoard) contact info always provided with the invitation to call or email. Pilot interests are vigorously defended as this Friday's 411 showed--with a daily timeline, no less.
There is a silent majority. NJASAP regularly surveys the Membership thru a professional 3rd party and the vast majority of the pilots are satisfied with their Union and feel they are getting a good return for their dues.
There is a balancing act. As others have pointed out in this thread, NJASAP is legally obligated to represent all of its members equally. Common sense tells us that can be difficult when there are competing interests and a big discrepancy in the demographics of the group.
You miss the forest when you single out the trees. That the NJ pilots have nonetheless managed to come as far as they have from their grossly under-paid, no Union infrastructure of their own, IBT 284 days to an independent Association with a contract that sets the bar for the industry and strives to provide top notch representation to all of its Members is testament to the fact that the NJ pilots care about one another and their industry.