SWAPA NC resigns

[ualdriver]

Just out of curiosity, how many people show up at a typical SWA union meeting to tell their leadership what THEY want? In PHX, for example, how many pilots do you have, and how many pilots show up for a typical union meeting?

We have about 1000+ pilots in Chicago and maybe 30 guys show up on a good day. Then our pilots wonder why their union is "out of touch." (their opinion, anyway)

 

[N1atEcon]

They have a company that does phone surveys and they will use on-line questionairs. I flew with a guy today who put it in the best perspective yet.
"what we have now is better than what they wanted to give us in the future." So he and I had both voted for the "now".

 

[huronip]

.........................................

 

[Captain X]

Outsider's perspective, but if the product didn't meet the muster of over half the pilot force maybe a fresh perspective is a good thing. Doesn't mean the guys leaving are "wimps", or bad guys in any way, shape, or form. However, they obviously don't have the pulse of the masses so moving on might be best for everyone.

Having been a rock thrower at another carrier for a while, I can tell you union work is the classic committee work. Every individual input matters, but no one individual can ever do anything alone. Its slow, slogging, frustrating work at times. Personally, I think a certain amount of turnover is good for both the membership and the union. The union gets fresh blood and perspective periodically, and MORE pilots are involved which increases their exposure to the ins and outs of union work. If you sit back all the time and let "those union guys..." do all your work, odds are they'll end up out of touch and the line pilots won't like the product. For the union to be "us", we have to step up here and there and offer our services. Otherwise, the company is "them", the union is "them", and nobody ever is satisfied.

Great post Albie!

 

[Captain X]

A grass roots truly national union is the only thing that's gonna save this profession, IMHO.

Point of personal privilege: That is essentially how ALPA started out. As a grass roots effort that quickly grew into a national deal.

 

[DH2WN]

The only poll that matters is the strike vote. Did SWAPA take one?

It's coming if our "union" continues to lead us down a path that only senior dill holes want to follow.

 

[DH2WN]

Just out of curiosity, how many people show up at a typical SWA union meeting to tell their leadership what THEY want? In PHX, for example, how many pilots do you have, and how many pilots show up for a typical union meeting?

We have about 1000+ pilots in Chicago and maybe 30 guys show up on a good day. Then our pilots wonder why their union is "out of touch." (their opinion, anyway)

Well, maybe if the "union" had meetings outside of Dallas and on a weekend or two. God forbid the "union" members work on a weekend outside of cowpokey texass

 

[Cobra17]

A grass roots truly national union is the only thing that's gonna save this profession, IMHO.

How exactly would that have helped? It hasn't helped the auto industry. How about USAir and AWA...they were both part of the same national union. No thanks.