The Flight Options Army

[netjetwife]

The management could ...could walk into our negotiators with a contract that mirrors the industry standard pay, schedule and benefits package, and we'd have a contract in a month.

Ultimately, the owners will have the final say. The only question is who they will believe is to blame. I speak with these people everyday. I know the answer. The credibility gap from owners isn't with the pilots.

Good post, Ace! I agree that the owners see the obvious--professional pilots are taking them safely where they need to go. I hardly think they expect that service should be theirs for less than the going rate. When it comes to safety they surely don't want to take a chance that "you get what you pay for" will be what they think in the middle of a crash. Owners realize that experienced pilots will leave if they aren't compensated according to their skills. I have no doubt that they'd be shocked to know that some pilots qualify for government assistance. I'm just as sure that Flight Options isn't proudly telling owners that the pilots are underpaid/overworked. Made aware of the facts, how could they deny the justification of your contract battle?

As for management, they know that low morale and poor motivation has a ripple effect which impacts performance and growth. When they get past their arrogance and anger at having the pilots stand up to them, they'll calm down and realize that working together is in everyone's best interest. They may do so grudgingly, but if the pilots hold their ground, they'll come around.

WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT YOU CAN'T GO BACK, YOU ARE MORE COMPELLED TO MOVE FORWARD

 

[Galaxy]

Dime -- I know 6 FLoPs owners and not one is close to being happy. Each is waiting for their respective contract to be up and most have already contacted NJA. One will move to CS. Of course, this is only a very limited sample. Personally, I do not know anyone moving from NJA to FLOPS. I know some who are considering CS but that is it.

Fly safe.

You are very correct NJAOwner.. It is sad but the owners I have talked to are very upset and eager to jump ship. Some are owners on the retiring fleets and FLOPS can no longer meet thier needs so they are going elsewhere. Most however are just fed up with the lack of integrity from OSR. It is not OSR's fault though-they are just relaying info given to them by the schedulers. I do not claim to know the fix to the problems but something has to be done because operations as normal will be the end to FLOPS.
Just take a look at thier new programs:
Pilot incentives for sales
Fractional First

 

[dash_trash]

The illustrious upper management must go! They have such a stellar record; lets start with AmericaWest … Bankruptcy; USAirways Metro Jet … bye, bye. USAirways Shuttle … rolled into mainline. USAirways Express … retroactive pay cuts, etc. Oh, did I mention the 2 Bankruptcies, and the bonus taken in the first bankruptcy. While others were loosing there jobs, or taking substantial pay, benefit, and retirement hits, they got a bonus.

Now that’s leading by example!

 

[netjetwife]

When upper management is morally bankrupt no one should be surprised that the company ends up financially bankrupt. Getting a bonus for cutting costs..read that workers...just adds insult to injury. Disgusting! Just another reason unions are needed...

 

[NJAowner]

NJA buying FLOPS

Just my opinion, but I do not think NJA will ever buy FLOPS --- that is just a dream of the FLOPs employees. Since many FLOPs owners are migrating to NJA naturally (and for free), why would NJA pay for owners who are coming anyway. It does not need FLOPs' equipment, doesn't need its operations, doesn't need its support operations.

Fly safe.

 

[netjetwife]

Desperate times result in very hopeful dreams. In the light of day, one realizes that the answer is to fight for the contract that makes the job worth keeping--all on its own. Listen to your leaders Options pilots. Follow their advice. Build your $ war chest. Dig in your heels on your just demands. That's what the NJ pilots did and others in the industry (or the regionals, for that matter) can do it, too.
Best Wishes!
NJW

 

[FamilyGuy]

When upper management is morally bankrupt no one should be surprised that the company ends up financially bankrupt. Getting a bonus for cutting costs..read that workers...just adds insult to injury. Disgusting! Just another reason unions are needed...

How can you honestly try to imply that unions have the moral high ground vs corporate management?

Truth be told, there are probably equal amounts of fraud and criminal acts on both sides.

And do not make the mistake of assuming I condone giving bonuses to managment whose sole contribution is to cut heads. Sometimes that is an unfortunate necessity, but it should be part of a larger strategic vision.

 

[FamilyGuy]

Just my opinion, but I do not think NJA will ever buy FLOPS --- that is just a dream of the FLOPs employees. Since many FLOPs owners are migrating to NJA naturally (and for free), why would NJA pay for owners who are coming anyway. It does not need FLOPs' equipment, doesn't need its operations, doesn't need its support operations.

Fly safe.

Good observations.

Another reason why NetJets will probably never buy FLOPs is that they have no interest in assuming the money losing deals FLOPs has made in an effort to attract and retain owners.

 

[netjetwife]

My statement was made as a general observation on situations. No specific groups were named--by choice. It was intended to caution workers to stand up for their interests, and not just rely on the "goodness" of the company to treat them fairly. I agree that immorality can be found in any group. I firmly believe that members must police their own lest they be harmed by the actions of a corrupt few. Any organization, in this case a union, is a direct reflection of its membership. Therefore, it is only right to judge each group, management or union, on the merits of their own behavior.

 

[NJAowner]

Leverage

As I have said before, the power in negotiations comes down to leverage. In the NJA-NJA Pilots battle owners were for the most part not a player -- the pie remained the same size (or slightly smaller). In a FLOPS-FLOPS Pilot battle, both sides are fighting over an ever decreasing size of the pie and the battle is just accelerating the decrease in size. FLOPs pilots and management should not think their battle is just like the NJA battle. It i smuch, much different, and both sides will come out as losers.

Fly safe.

 

[AceCrackshot]

NJA Owner:

While I am far from the business type that you presumably are, I would make a couple of observations.

I am forced to fight for industry standard pay and benefits. My company could have forseen the impact of the NetJets contract and planned for it accordingly. I spoke personnally with middle and upper management who believed that "a contract will never happen."

Their failure to plan even a rudimentary response to the shifting tide in the industry doesn't constitute a reason for me to subsidize the richest 1/4 of 1% of Americans. If we're that poorly led, that gives me every incentive to pursue a "max pay to the last day" philosopy. That is what I'm advocating to our union leadership. If the doors are slated to close, they we might as well get our fair share.

Market share is a fluctuating thing. I haven't used a Commodore computer in awhile. If management could come up with a really good product, the market would respond. I am convinced of that. However, with Flight Options management spending dollars on worthless HR initiatives, and management creating fluffed up titles and redundant vice presidents by the day, I fail to see where cutting my meager salary or forcing me to take vacation is the answer. We're growing tail, with not as many teeth.

Again, if Raytheon wants to fight in the fractional business, then maybe we could get a industry standard contract, and work on making a lean competitive organization. The pilots are ready to fight in the marketplace. Our management isn't. They can't and so they won't. They simply aren't smart enough. The evidence for that is as clear as day.

So we become the low hanging fruit. I don't consider my management the enemy. It is a shame that they don't return the sentiment.

 

[cjdriver]

Can someone explain the motive behind forcing vacation at FLOPS, if not to make the balance sheet more attractive to a potential buyer? BTW, Good luck to all.

 

[netjetwife]

I think some of the same sentiments do apply across the industry. Posts like Ace's could have been made by a NJ pilot a year ago--easily. Pilot salaries need to be figured as a cost of doing business. They pay the fuel costs, at the market rate. The px understand there is a fixed cost expense in fuel, catering food etc that gets figured into the product price. Why should pilots get short-changed? Asking for the going rate is only fair. It shouldn't be up to pilots to absorb the financial mistakes of management. We heard all the same excuses at NJ and they didn't go under did they? What do the pilots call it? FUD ...fear..uncertainty...doubt. It is a staple of contract battles. If they can't pay the pilots a fair rate for their professional skills maybe they need to make drastic changes in how they run the company. It's time to stop balancing the budget on the backs of the pilots.

Hang in there Options Pilots!
Netjetwife

 

[flyjetspeed]

I spoke personnally with middle and upper management who believed that "a contract will never happen."

Then it is past the time to implement an "exit strategy"!

Their failure to plan even a rudimentary response to the shifting tide in the industry...

It may well be that your company has already folded their hand and the pilots will be the last to discover that.

If we're that poorly led, that gives me every incentive to pursue a "max pay to the last day" philosopy. That is what I'm advocating to our union leadership. If the doors are slated to close, they we might as well get our fair share.

Only if you are among the last to leave, don't forget to turn off the lights.

If management could come up with a really good product, the market would respond. I am convinced of that.

Again, what if your management has run dry of ideas?

Again, if Raytheon wants to fight in the fractional business, then maybe we could get a industry standard contract, and work on making a lean competitive organization. The pilots are ready to fight in the marketplace. Our management isn't. They can't and so they won't. They simply aren't smart enough. The evidence for that is as clear as day.

They do not seem to want to fight, they seem to want to flee! It looks like the end game has begun and your company is short of material and it's position on the board is poor. My condolances.

So we become the low hanging fruit. I don't consider my management the enemy. It is a shame that they don't return the sentiment.

NJA will not be picking that friut! Why pay for something, we are going to get for free? If this post comes across as unfeeling it's only because my assessment of the situation, thus far, is dismal for FO. You sound like a solid trooper and NJ would be fortunate to have you. Perhaps it's time to leave with your head held high? Just my .02

 

[Hawkered]

Is our Union going off the rails?

I don't know guys. The pilots that were complaining before the contract are still complaining now. Things have improved, but we have the same agitators on the union board, and they're the same 20 or so all of the time.

We have a new union referendum that will make the union stifling as anything management is accused of being, once it has been completely built.

Yeah, I know we're supposed to love the union. Do we really need a dues increase when they they just got one with our pay increase?

Okay, so Flight Options has a union...or does it? Who's really behind this union institution at Flight Options, or all of the strings being pulled the IBT 1108 Columbus office?

Why should I have to pay for that with a dues increase?

I voted no!