Skywest Alpa Drive

[JoeMerchant]

Yes, until your company decides to replace you with cheaper workers and you have no protection.

Go ask the 3500 Circuit City employees who just got told they're losing their jobs and being replaced with cheaper labor. It was on the news this morning. It could happen at Skywest tomorrow.

About 12000 union pilots have been replaced by cheaper labor at DAL, AA, UA, NWA, and USAIR. Several thousand ALPA pilots at ACA, ALG, Mesaba, and CMR have also been replaced by cheaper labor. Did I mention that they were replaced by "fellow union pilots"????

"Free Market Economy" only benefits the corporations and managers. It does nothing for the workers or the average citizen, aka the "middle class". The middle class has been suffering and sliding downhill since World War II. If you call that successful, than there's not much else I can say.

"Free Market Economy" benefits ALL who harness it. Socialism and Communism don't work. Maybe we as a union should learn to harness the "Free Market Economy". National seniority/transportability of seniority and barriers to entry would help us harness that................. JP, don't fight the system, work with it....

 

[JoeMerchant]

Then how do you explain socialist economies like those in Europe and Canada where the unions are very strong? Their economies are prospering, their businesses are prospering, the middle class is prospering. In many countries, the people enjoy a much better quality of life than we do.

What are the unemployment rates in Europe? What are the taxes like in these socialist "utopias"? What are the regulations like in these contries? As a dual citizen Canadian, of German descent, I like the US system much more. This isn't Europe or Canada.............. thank God!

 

[JoeMerchant]

Why don't you educate yourself before you post crap like this. The fact is, few economists disagree that middle-class families have LOST purchasing power (real dollars adjusted for inflation) over the last twenty years. AND, the composition of the middle-class family is increasingly composed of two wage earners rather than one.

Only because of the rising burden of taxes, health care, and higher education.......

 

[theo]

Then how do you explain socialist economies like those in Europe and Canada where the unions are very strong? Their economies are prospering, their businesses are prospering, the middle class is prospering. In many countries, the people enjoy a much better quality of life than we do.
Easy, Those countries have governments that have fostered a set of rules that favor union activity. Our government on the other hand does not create the same set of rules for unions here. Yes they are legal but no they do not get the same support. Since we are based in the good ole USA than we wont enjoy that same set of rules. Here we rely principally on a Free Market economy to create our wealth. Again I say it has worked pretty well for most Americans, I doubt we will be changing any time soon.
It's been proven time and time again that free market only benefits the wealthy corporate robber-barons.



I disagree. Skywest aint the mom & pop operation it used to be. At one time, I agree a union was unecessary, but as the company grows, it becomes more important. Skywest may have finally reached that critical mass.

That is just another way of saying the dues revenue is now large enough to make Skywest attractive to ALPA.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Here we rely principally on a Free Market economy to create our wealth. Again I say it has worked pretty well for most Americans, I doubt we will be changing any time soon.

Including the 3400 Circuit City employees... but who cares! Just as long as I can get my junk cheap!