On Your Six said:
If what you say is totally correct you better be looking to jump ship soon... How in the world can you figure that an already sinking company can absorb the huge financial hit of your new CBA and do any better ?
That's the point isn't it ??? What us non-union people don't get is that it's always better to ask for a raise when things are going well. Pretty difficult to have one hand out while the other is holding a "STFD" sign... And I realize that it's been X number of years, but realistically you can't count those under the previous MEC can you ? If they were as "corrupt" as you say they were who's fault was that ? You voted em in and you voted them out. It was your problem and you fixed, it cost you some time.
Gunfyter is correct - I don't work at NJA. Some of my best aviator friends work there and they talk about the situation all the time - I feel like I know the situation fairly well. During my brief time at UAL (until shortly after 9/11), I got a good sense for how unions work and I am definitely pro-union. I currently fly a Global Express for a part 91 operation out of the NYC area.
NJA's current situation is directly attributed to its own financial mismanagement and the flight crews should not suffer as a result of management's incompetence. My NJA friends talk about considerable waste throughout the system and the operations process (that subject has been beaten to death on these boards) and the subsidization of the formerly struggling NJE operation.
Just ask yourself this question: how is Southwest managed differently than NJA and what is the result? Southwest pilots are loyal and reasonably happy (especially considering the rest of the industry). NJA had the potential to be the "Southwest" of the fractional business with happy and loyal (meaning lower training costs - thank goodness Buffett also owns Flight Safety) but it dropped the ball in a major way. It demonstrates daily how it simply does not care about its employees - especially those who directly interface with the almighty owners... All of my NJA pilot friends are looking at other options right now. What a pity - NJA could have been such a great place to make a career.... But NJA management dropped the ball and now the atmosphere is poisoned. This is a classic situation of "NJA could have been such a great place to work if..."
I feel bad for the NJA crews who actually believed that they would be treated fairly and with respect. After all, I have met some extraodinarily gifted pilots who worked for NJA (a few have recently departed). I know that I would want to find a place where I could park myself for the rest of my career and earn respect and at least industry-average wages (for the aircraft type - not $55K as PIC of a Citation X). Yeah, NJA is in an interesting financial situation right now - so, it should figure out a way to get back on track and reduce the friction it has created. Perhaps Warren should contribute some of his considerable cash hoard to improving the situaiton? Continuing to hold-out (without making some progress) will only create more ill-will and the resulting poor morale won't please the owners....
