The Brits show Americans the way. STRIKE!

[waveflyer]

Our ability to strike is both highly political and public.

Two areas we could do better- vote for union friendly representatives and build better PR.

Right now- what does Obama owe airline pilots? It would be a stretch to think that 40% voted for him--- probably closer to 25%. so why would he expend political capital in our direction when a majority of us wouldn't give him the time?

It starts with our vote- either convince republicans of the wisdom of supporting our unions - or start voting dem-

And get our unions to begin PR for pilots- the public is grossly misinformed about what we do.

SFR- you're a flaming idiot.

 

[samballs]

Yeah, they really showed us Americans! All they showed was that their union is to stupid to run a strike vote properly. I would like to think ALPA could do this better, but with the fat boy running the show, I think as a group went on strike he would find a way to screw it up, so another group could prosper.

 

[PCL_128]

One thing the RLA does is give time to the unions to get all the pilots on board for a strike. That can be useful, since pilots are loathe to risk their jobs (and no one wants to see their company go out of business), and it takes a while to get everyone on board in this country, unlike the EU where strikes and labor unions are just the same way they've done business for centuries. Their employees are much more used to that type of process.

Another thing the RLA does is prevent management from unilaterally imposing new work rules / pay rates on the very day that the contract is amendable, and forces them to go through the bargaining process or the court system in bankruptcy to obtain concessions.

Using AirTran as an example, back when the contract became amendable and we had a weak union on property (about 5 years ago), if there were no RLA on the day the contract became amendable, management could have walked in and said, "We're going to unilaterally cut wages by 20%, cut your B fund by 50%, and get rid of the Twomey/Casher award". The pilots would be up in arms, but afraid to walk off the line that very day. Then the company comes in at the last second and says "Unless you sign this new contract that freezes all wages for another 10 years, we're going to follow through with our cuts". It's possible it would have passed. Today is another story.

Now that we've had time to get our ducks in order, stronger union, more organized, and ready to fight that battle, management is in a much worse position to do any such thing once we're released into self-help.

So it's a two-way street. Yes, we'd get the ability to wildcat strike, sympathy strike, and not wait half a decade or longer for the process to work, but management at airlines that weren't prepared could seriously mess with the pilot group. It would require an entirely new method of preparation and operation by unions in this country.

Excellent post! Few pilots understand the Act this well, unfortunately. The RLA certainly needs some tweaking, but throwing it out and starting from scratch would make things far worse for us. With a pro-labor NMB in place, we actually have far more benefits under the Act than does management.

Don't you think we could get it amended drastically in our favor with a democratic pres, a majority in the house and a filabuster proof majority in the Senate? Seems like it to me. Maybe not everything, but a lot more than now.

While the dems won't likely support us, I can't imagine they will WORK AGAINST US and therefore anger labor at large (outside of aviation) in time for the 2010 elections.

Thoughts?

The problem is that we don't have a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. There are too many moderate Dems that won't take the necessary steps. We need a few more liberal Dems before we can get any considerable reforms in the RLA, most likely.

I don't think alpa representation is interested in amending the RLA. It is a great guarantee of employment for them....endless negotiations.

ALPA has a team working on it right now, actually. But, as I said, it's doubtful that we have the support we need in the Senate. Vote appropriately in November.

 

[propdog]

You have to have PERMANENT EU right of abode in order to work for any of the EU companies.

Have you ever tried to get that as a U.S. citizen? It's difficult in the extreme, and that's an understatement. I looked into it last year when I spent a month flying in Italy. It's not even the JAA licensing that's the hard part (although that's time consuming), it's getting an EU passport and/or EU right of abode on a permanent basis that's the hard part.

But thanks for being so polite about it...

Same thing here. You have to have a US permanent resident card before you can apply or a job in a US airline. And getting a US permanent resident card is a long process in the US as well....lots of paperwork, years of waiting time.

 

[pilotyip]

fortunately

ALPA has a team working on it right now, actually. But, as I said, it's doubtful that we have the support we need in the Senate. Vote appropriately in November.

Fortunately it is such a small voting block that it should make little difference in the election, not to mention the income redistribution plan that comes from those same pro-Labour pols. Most senior guys will protect their income before voting pro-Labour. I could be wrong.

 

[PCL_128]

Most senior guys will protect their income before voting pro-Labour.
[/SIZE]

Amazingly, you don't see the contradiction in your own moronic drivel.

 

[pilotyip]

same guys

Amazingly, you don't see the contradiction in your own moronic drivel.

these are the same guys who gave you "B" scale, scope, and a host of other thing to protect thier position. In your world it may be short signed, but it fits good ole Adam Smith from 1790. Everyone looks out for their won self interest in every transaction.

 

[crj567]

Here in the land of the free, you go to jail if you strike without permission.

You actually just get fired. There really is no "strike jail" in the U.S.

-Althought I agree, in principle. The Railway Labor Act is the worst thing to ever happen to this industry (next to deregulation.)

 

[Lear70]

You actually just get fired. There really is no "strike jail" in the U.S.

-Althought I agree, in principle. The Railway Labor Act is the worst thing to ever happen to this industry (next to deregulation.)

I think he/she was referring to a few times that labor leaders in the U.S. have been thrown in jail, albeit temporarily, for pushing an illegal work action past the point of contempt of court.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Using AirTran as an example, back when the contract became amendable and we had a weak union on property (about 5 years ago), if there were no RLA on the day the contract became amendable, management could have walked in and said, "We're going to unilaterally cut wages by 20%, cut your B fund by 50%, and get rid of the Twomey/Casher award". The pilots would be up in arms, but afraid to walk off the line that very day. Then the company comes in at the last second and says "Unless you sign this new contract that freezes all wages for another 10 years, we're going to follow through with our cuts". It's possible it would have passed. Today is another story.

One of the reasons pilots are ready to make the same mistakes is they don't know their history.

This scenario happen during the infancy of the Airline pilot career. Pilots were met by an armed guard when they showed up to work... escorted to a company official, they were given thier termination notice and an application for employment at a lower wage. It happened, its real.

If pilots really want to be bad ass muther****ers, then give your termination notice to your union rep and tell him to get better wages for you. This also happend and was real. The pilots union leader had a stack of resignation letters when he sat down with management.