SkyWest ALPA

[sstearns2]

I would say wait until you see what hapens with the ASA contract. You dont want alpa right now. Every regional is taking a pay cut. Voting in alpa at SkyWest will be like voting in pay cuts. Th first one will be the 1.2% union due, followed by a paycut to get back to industry avrage. Look before you jump into the alpa mess right now.

I thought ALPA dues were 1.95%, did I miss something?

Scott

 

[ya buoy]

SkyWest pilots, before you are entranced with comments like "fraternally yours" realize the current situation you have now and the consequences of becoming ALPA. Take a good look(whole picture) at similiar regionals represented by ALPA and decide if thats what you want.

Most of the RAH RAH ALPA pilots I have run into at SkWest would find somthing to complain about lounging in an adirondack chair with a cold bud in Hawaii. Look, I would like: an enforcable contract / better pay / commuter policy, but if you think by voting in ALPA it's automatic, please do more homework.

 

[sweptback]

I would say wait until you see what hapens with the ASA contract. You dont want alpa right now. Every regional is taking a pay cut. Voting in alpa at SkyWest will be like voting in pay cuts. Th first one will be the 1.2% union due, followed by a paycut to get back to industry avrage. Look before you jump into the alpa mess right now.

How does not voting in ALPA guarantee not taking a paycut?

Face it, if SkyWest wants a 10% paycut tomorrow for you guys, there's not a thing you can do about it except for quit. If they want a 10% paycut for ASA guys, they have to contend with our union. Our union has already said that they are not going to accept a concessionary contract.

 

[Truckdriver]

Face it Truckdriver. You don't have any idea how well IBT or an in-house would have fared. That's purely speculation on your part, isn't it?

Of course it is speculation because we aren't represented by IBT. We were however represented by an in-house union in 1998 and anyone at XJT can tell you how that went. ALPA secured XJT with an industry leading contract in the absolute worst airline environment ever. XJT has a better contract than any other regional airline hands down. If ALPA got us an industry leading contract why would I even want to speculate on how the IBT would have done? You mentioned the biggest disadvantage of IBT or an in-house union and that is the lack of resources that are aviation specific. If I was a truckdriver I wouldn't want ALPA representing me, and since I'm a pilot I sure as he!! don't want the IBT representing me.

 

[Truckdriver]

Look, I would like: an enforcable contract / better pay / commuter policy, but if you think by voting in ALPA it's automatic, please do more homework.

It took ALPA two years to secure an industry leading contract at XJT. How long have you been waiting for an enforceable contract, better pay, and a commuter policy? ALPA may be a faster route than SWAPA.

 

[yellowfever]

I have a feeling there will be a few more ALPA supporters at SkyWest once PBS Jacks up enough peoples schedules. Maybe they will realize that it wasn't implemented for our quality of life!

 

[ya buoy]

alright truckdriver, yes you have a wicked good contract but....

You are a minority in the regional ALPA ranks.
According to many of your own this contract will have to be revised in order to secure current and future contracts.


I personally believe management is benefiting more from PBS than we are, but again most of the loudest complaints come from pilots that refuse to REALLY learn the software and how it works. ME INCLUDED. Shucks, if your senior and you followed the above advice, PBS is the cats meow, no debate, you can build your own line.

 

[capt. megadeth]

Megaidot....go back to sleep! No one wants to hear any of your crap. If ALPA was bad at your regional, then you only have you and the other volunteers to blame for it!

Keep up the drive skywst folks!! I will be happy to see them voted in THIS TIME!!

Um, first off....we didn't have ALPA at my regional. Secondly, have you ever worked anywhere else? Because you obviously don't realize that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

If ALPA is not on the property AND Skywest and ASA merge, the merger could be brutal. Similiar to AMR/TWA. Then again that may be good for the Skywest guys if only ASA is ALPA.

As far as the ALPA bashing.......

So far there has been only rethoric. There are two reasons:

1. A majority of pilots, including ALPA members, do not understand how the organization functions. Thus they have expectations that are not realistic. When asked for solutions to the current dilema the majority display their misinformation and ignorance.

2. We are in the worst situation an Air Line Pilot can find him/herself. A White House Admin that does not support Air Line Pilots and a management culture that only cares about dollars.

Now.... how is that ALPA's fault? Not to worry- if and when the good times return none of this will be relevant.

Skywest pilots, When you educate yourself on ALPA, get both sides of the discussion. However, when the clown pilots expose themselves as ignorant and misinformed, combined with thier unfounded hate, excuse yourself. If you are considering ALPA and its 1.95%, then what is $5 bucks for a book?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0960970800/qid=1143162979/sr=1-7/ref=sr_1_7/103-8859630-6482262?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Those who don't read are just as bad as those who can't.

 

[Ben Dover]

As far as the ALPA bashing.......

So far there has been only rethoric. There are two reasons:

1. A majority of pilots, including ALPA members, do not understand how the organization functions. Thus they have expectations that are not realistic. When asked for solutions to the current dilema the majority display their misinformation and ignorance.

2. We are in the worst situation an Air Line Pilot can find him/herself. A White House Admin that does not support Air Line Pilots and a management culture that only cares about dollars.

Now.... how is that ALPA's fault? Not to worry- if and when the good times return none of this will be relevant.

The great thing about taking responsibility for failure, is you then become empowered to be different (better) in the future. If none of this is ALPA's fault, then ALPA is just a powerless victim. Why would anyone want to align themselves with an organization that is powerless and cannot affect change? You really can't have it both ways.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

The great thing about taking responsibility for failure, is you then become empowered to be different (better) in the future. If none of this is ALPA's fault, then ALPA is just a powerless victim. Why would anyone want to align themselves with an organization that is powerless and cannot affect change? You really can't have it both ways.

Has ALPA failed because you say so? If not you then who? Recall in my previous post that many pilots have expectations that are not realistic. ALPA does not control growth, a critical component to career advancement. Also recall that most ALPA criticism is anecdotal. Yet you failed to address both expectations and anecdotes.

I am going to play the HOW card.

How is ALPA just a powerless victim.

If ALPA or pilot representation did not exist, then would pilots in this current environement done better? How would the wage and work rule cuts have gone down at AMR, UAL, USAIR, DAL, etc if management had free reign to impose at will. Keep in mind, these pilot groups have voted on concessionary agreements!

 

[sstearns2]

....

How does not voting in ALPA guarantee not taking a paycut?

Face it, if SkyWest wants a 10% paycut tomorrow for you guys, there's not a thing you can do about it except for quit. If they want a 10% paycut for ASA guys, they have to contend with our union. Our union has already said that they are not going to accept a concessionary contract.

Well, no. If they, in theory, gave ASA a 10% pay cut nothing would happen. The union would scream bloody murder, as they should, but nothing would change. The union would then file a lawsuit, five or six months later they would have a day in court. If the company worked it right they could stretch the process out for a long time. The union would eventually win, eventually, but what if the judge did not require the company to make back pay? A union is not the omnificent thing you make it out to be.

A union gives you a basis to sue and the right to strike. I believe if the company gave the Skywest pilots a 10% pay cut the pilots would collectively pay a lawyer to sue and it would play out much the same. As a side note, a year or so ago a court recognized our F/A's agreement as a legally binding contract during the course of an emplyment lawsuit.

Scott

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

A union gives you a basis to sue and the right to strike. I believe if the company gave the Skywest pilots a 10% pay cut the pilots would collectively pay a lawyer to sue and it would play out much the same. As a side note, a year or so ago a court recognized our F/A's agreement as a legally binding contract during the course of an emplyment lawsuit.

Scott

I disagree. The skywest pilots have no legal basis to sue, unless they have a binding agreement (or do they?) via the CFR or state law. Whereas the ASA pilots have a CBA via the RLA.

Then again I am not a lawyer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn.

 

[Truckdriver]

It's funny how everyone talks about the 1.95% that ALPA takes to represent you. If you have an in-house union or IBT, they will also take money to represent you. I'm not sure what IBT takes, but I'll be it isn't much less than 1.5% and an in-house union would probably take the same. When it comes time to negotiate a contract, an in-house union won't open up the "war chest" because they won't have one. IBT probably won't give unrestricted access to millions of dollars to a regional airline. And neither of them have professional full-time aviation attorneys who have worked in the industry for many many years. Throw in all of that along with ALPA aeromedical and all of the group insurance plans ALPA offers and ALPA kicks any unions a$$ when it comes to representing pilots. I wouldn't let the 1.95% scare you out of voting in ALPA because 1.95% to ALPA is a far better deal than even 1.0% to an in-house union or IBT. If the SKYW guys educate themselves and look past the vocal minority, they will vote in ALPA.

 

[Adler3]

Regardless of which way you guys go, remember the Union is only the avenue; you will get whatever your own guys/gals/volunteers work for. ALPA has been awesome for some carriers, abysmal for others simply because it is the union members at the carrier that determine how much it can do for them. That is certainly the case at my airline. Personally, I absolutely abhor unions, but in the airline business, they're a necessity.