SkyWest voted no ALPA

[antisocialist]

So when you see them come before your hiring board, remember that they voted by a 65% margin that they don't want to be members of a union. They would rather undercut their fellow pilots by working directly with management. That's the kind of pilot I want on my seniority list... NOT!

Is it any wonder pilots are terrified of voicing a different view?

 

[btrthn5n5]

I was referencing the 18 month long (-ish?) deal t SKYW when the 700s initially showed up. Things are slightly different at present.

Now let's consider what makes Southwest the highest paid 737 drivers in the country; Not a benevolent Colleen, Not dear Uncle Jerry, Not a company sham like SAPA - instead the Southwest Airlines Pilot's Association negotiates the pay. A union, shudder the thought.

ALPA/SWAPA/FAPA/IPA/NPA/APA, I'll say it again, all politics, and especially union politics, are local. The MEC or whatever the leadership is called, combined with member involvement, make the organization succeed or fail. Y'all act like there is some massive conspiracy out of Herndon. There isn't. I know my pilot leaders and pilot group will behave the same and accomplish the same regardless of what color the flight bag sticker is. As long as we have the legal right to do so. Which SAPA doesn't.

I don't shudder at the thought of unions. I think SWAPA is a shining example of what a union can be. Unfortunately, ALPA is the other side of the coin.

I agree SAPA has no legal pull.

But, I don't think that ALPA believes that your pilot group would do the same no matter what sticker is on the flight bag. If that were true, then the ALPA members with lower IQ's, would get a message from smarter ALPA guys (maybe even Herndon) to sit down and shut up when they start throwing around ideas like: SkyWest on the SCAB list, or legacy airlines should only hire ALPA members.

You are right... Things at SkyWest ARE different now then when the 70s initially came on property. Why?

Could it be local politics of pilots and management "negotiating"? We, as a pilot group did turn down two offers before the current one we went for. Yeah, the process kind of sucks, especially for the guys flying the last of our Bros. But when is a pilot group perfectly happy with what they are able to pull out of management? I'm sure the latest ALPA "success" of ASA's TA has some things the pilot group wouldn't say is ideal. I would hope the ASA guys would agree with me on this, their new contract looks very similar to SkyWest's current setup. I hope they were shooting for more.

If ALPA is "local politics" then how do these two scenarios differ? Other than SkyWest's took 2 years rather than 5, and we still stayed in the higher range of regional payscales (and kept growing the company). While ASA was bogged down in negotiations. That isn't undercutting our brothers... that is, dare I say, politics. I want unionized carriers and non union carriers to make a great living flying airplanes. I look at the results of union negotiations by ALPA and I look at what I recieve at SkyWest, and I see very little difference. Why would SkyWest want to add a variable like ALPA to the mix? If it ain't broke...

Trust me, if it does break, then a union drive will have much more success. But I don't think that will happen until it needs to.

I'm not a Kool Aid drinker by any means. I just see the positives of both. Our current set up, and the other options possibly available, have more positives then the ALPA option. I could have been swayed by facts, but ALPA could only provide meaningless propaganda and random pilots from other airlines bombarding me in airport terminals... some offering to buy lunch, some talking down to me, and a majority telling me that ALPA has not been effective for the last XX years they have been a member.

If union politics are all "MEC and local", then the threat of lists and career action against SkyWest pilots when the opportunity becomes available to move up to a legacy carrier hold ABSOLUTELY NO bearing. Unless the double standardard and talking in circles is going to continue. If ALPA wanted to bank on the "its a local MEC issue", then they should have.

ALPA seems to be a horribly run organization. I thought I would be doing myself a dis-service to give up 2% of my paycheck to them.

Now it is time for SkyWest's management to pony up and prove what they said during the drive. It will be interesting.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Gotta love communist philosophy. JOIN THE UNION OR WE WILL RUIN YOUR CAREER!!!! BWAAA HAAA HAA HAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Persecution of people based on their personal beliefs is something that is unheard of outside the union sphere. In fact, it's illegal. I would even call it un-American. Coercion, threats, intimidation, that's the way to UNITY!!!!

Are you talking about voting, a democratic process in union affairs, or visiting any given skywest chief pilot office?