Skywest may finally have a reasonable chance of voting a union in...

[GogglesPisano]

All those pilots wore black socks, too.

How would you explain the contracts at SWA, DL, FDX, and UPS? Benevolent management?

 

[EBE]

The skywest kool-aid is strong and ever-flowing. Many pilots enjoy it via enema. Come have some!

 

[buscap]

The skywest kool-aid is strong and ever-flowing. Many pilots enjoy it via enema. Come have some!

A kool-aid enema?

That's gotta be Japanese porn!!

 

[pilotyip]

not at all

All those pilots wore black socks, too.

How would you explain the contracts at SWA, DL, FDX, and UPS? Benevolent management?

I am not sure DL fits here, but being profitible makes a big difference.

 

[GogglesPisano]

I am not sure DL fits here, but being profitible makes a big difference.

But not all the difference.

 

[WayBack]

Zantop
Transamericna
Eastern
Pam Am
Braniff

Yip, you've been around the block a few times....even with some of our sisters.
Explain to me the Zantop story. I heard the Zantop boys warned that if the pilots voted on ALPA, they'd shut the operation down. Then ALPA said they would force them to keep in operation. We all know what happened afterwards.
Is that how it went down? or is the story I heard wrong?

 

[pilotyip]

Zippers

Yip, you've been around the block a few times....even with some of our sisters.
Explain to me the Zantop story. I heard the Zantop boys warned that if the pilots voted on ALPA, they'd shut the operation down. Then ALPA said they would force them to keep in operation. We all know what happened afterwards.
Is that how it went down? or is the story I heard wrong?

Zipper was represented by IBT 747, they got in by one vote. The contract went into effect on 3-26-96, the first pay rasie was to come on 3-26-97. Jimmy shut the company down under the WARN act two months in advance of the 3-26 date to avoid giving the pay raise. One of the dangers of organizing a privately held company.

 

[skywav8r]

When I was a nube at skyw I didn't want a union. When I became a captain, got married, had a kid, bought a boat, a house, ect... I decided some protection against my own stupidity may be in order. I voted for ALPA and the disaster that was the UPA drive. Couldn't vote in the close race for ALPA in 1999 because us newhires were not allowed to vote. Alpa national may be a farce but the protections of nationals legal team, medical professionals, and other bennies of a big union have helped many pilots out.
Skywest pilots may complain about ALPA all they want, but coming from experience, the "toolbox" is nice to have. Since I've left and joined a union carrier I've experienced the advantages and disadvantages of both. I choose ALPA, not because of the politics but because of the tools the union affords me.
As a previous skywest pilot I rode the coat tails of Comair. Without the strike I would not have enjoyed the pay I had. I bet half the current seniority list at skywest doesnt know that the pay they have is due to Comair striking and Skywest matching their pay. While Skywest pilots pay is above average your personal/career protection is not.
Believe it or not, your SAPA reps (my friends) have called and asked for ALPA's help in dealing with a few issues. Alpa medical helped save a Skywest guys job. Hopefully SAPA is begging for some changes to the policy manual to help you guys with future medical issues. For about 80% of the Skywest pilots you've only seen the policy manual online. For the other 20%, we know the policy manual was printed on brown paper...i.e. used toilet paper.
Don't get me wrong, I loved working at Skywest and enjoyed the crews and management. Everyone there does a great job. But I'd be a fool to think that everyone in management was my savior. To me, ALPA is another insurance policy that I pay for and hopefully will never use. If they happen to negotiate higher pay then I'll go buy some microbrews instead of keystone in a can.
To those that blame the union for job losses....were in a recession...CNN calls it the Great Recession. To the poster who mentioned terminal C in CVG....Comair is getting the axe because they are wholly owned. Jerry got a killer contract with mother D when he bought ASA and unfortunately Comair is the pressure relief.
I was amazed when we all came together for one very important vote. Over 90% of the pilot group participated when management tried to change the bottle to throttle rule from 8 to 12 hours. We showed them!!! clink clink clink .. thats the sound of beer glasses toasting to a show of drinking solidarity!!!

Oh yeah, its Atkin, not Atkins. If your gonna drink the kool-aid you might as well spell the bosses name right.

 

[Regul8r]

How many Comair pilots are currently having their job threatened by ALPA over this bogus merger assesment fee? Let me get this straight, over half the pilots choose NOT to pay into an assesment fee (over which they had no say in in its implementation) and the Union is threatening their jobs?! One would think that over half the pilots rejecting this fee would send a pretty loud message to the MEC. For all this "WE ARE ALPA" bull********************, the MEC sure has a tough time lstening to the pilots.

 

[ePilot22]

All I want, is an entity which I am willing to pay a small percent of my salary, to protect a life long career, and not leave it at the discretion of just one middle managment person.

An entity that will protect me at a legal standpoint against the company, medically, and the FAA, when things go bad.

I do not think this will increase our wages, but will help us here on securing our jobs. As it stands now in the words of a judge from the last union drive: "You are all at present, at "will" employees, and not covered under any contract with your managment." We have at present, no leg to stand on when they change the interpretation of the "policy manual".

It is true, that managment treats us better than other airlines out there. But it is the fear of a union at Skywest that drives them to calculate every decision and step they take with us. They figure where and when to take benefits, and or change policies in a way that will not affect all employees, but a small group here and there, so as to not give the majority a chance to vote unanimosly.

The ones I have seen that are against unions here, are still very junior, and are so greatful for the LOA'S they feel a union at Skywest would have made them be furlough by now.

The ones for a union, are tired of years of "policy interpretations", no "payroll manual to go by", and no "job security".

That is my 2 cents.

To add to that, SkyWest treats their pilots like EVERY other employee group. They see no difference between rampers, gate agents and pilots.

While you can make the first two "careers" they aren't the same career we spent years and dollars investing into. Why should we be treated the same?

I also believe the jr. pilots are coming around.







eP.