Today's Wallstreet Journal, page B3...Union Strong

[FamilyGuy]

Extending the CBA was a predictable expense that would not have really changed the bottom line back to WB significantly and definitely not BH profits. Short and simple, they got greedy.

What is happening now was controllable by people that should have known better. A very profitable company, in actual dollars back to BH (not to mention to soft money passing one pocket to the other), makes for an unfavorable bargaining climate for the Company. The more the economy improves, especially for the wealthiest of the world, the more the concessions fall on deaf ears.

It is all actually somewhat entertaining to watch. Leadership has sufficiently ticked off all the employee groups, unionized or not, so the call to arms against the big bad NUC is getting nowhere. It is an impossible sell to get employees to agree to take cuts all the while, desiring more profits to BH.

BH is making money hand over fist, all the while poking a stick in the eye of the working class in America as smart BH people find Duracell loopholes in the tax laws so BH can avoid paying taxes. At the end of the day BH investors make massive returns and the rest of us just want to be treated with respect and compensated appropriately for the product we deliver.

As a good benchmark, about 4 years ago, NJASAP bought one share of BRK.A for around $115K. Today that share is worth $218K. BH does not need more from NJ employees.

Don't underestimate Jordan's desire to make a name for himself and look good to Warren. This is a guy whose first career plan was to go into politics. He views NJ as a stepping stone in his career and would love to 'solve the union problem' at NJ so that he can put that line on his resume. He is not focused on what is best for NJ, but rather what is best for JH.

 

[JustPlaneTruth]

Don't underestimate Jordan's desire to make a name for himself and look good to Warren. This is a guy whose first career plan was to go into politics. He views NJ as a stepping stone in his career and would love to 'solve the union problem' at NJ so that he can put that line on his resume. He is not focused on what is best for NJ, but rather what is best for JH.

I can assure you I never underestimate anyone. I have pretty much seen it all from both parties so I have learned to "Expect the unexpected."

 

[pilotyip]

I can assure you I never underestimate anyone. I have pretty much seen it all from both parties so I have learned to "Expect the unexpected."

as opposed to expect nothing and never be disappointed

 

[imacdog]

That's true; as experienced professionals, we expect far more than "nothing" for our services.

 

[FRACfa]

IBT didn't back down to company. Some interesting letters and Teamsers call it out. To read all letters on www.netjetsflightattendants.com. http://http://netjetsflightattendants.com/2014/11/ibt-responds-netjets-suit-jobs-teamsters/

 

[acaTerry]

as opposed to expect nothing and never be disappointed

You mean work for free? Or work for crumbs? I have to disagree. Professional services with good results earn the appropriate reward. Anyone who thinks otherwise should just go and flip burgers....a job that is equal to their self worth.

 

[pilotyip]

You mean work for free? Or work for crumbs? I have to disagree. Professional services with good results earn the appropriate reward. Anyone who thinks otherwise should just go and flip burgers....a job that is equal to their self worth.

Of course not, but to take job and have expectations it will something different leads to disappointment. Life too short to run around being disappointed. If things don't work out, vote with your feet. Remember unions take care of the upper 51% of its members and those members will vote to preserve their position even if it means screwing the 49%

 

[JustPlaneTruth]

.....Remember unions take care of the upper 51% of its members and those members will vote to preserve their position even if it means screwing the 49%

This is your opinion and not supportable by factual evidence at all.

 

[pilotyip]

This is your opinion and not supportable by factual evidence at all.

right B scale, regional airlines instead of mainline flying, saple to the bottom of the list, etc were all management ideas

 

[JustPlaneTruth]

right B scale, regional airlines instead of mainline flying, saple to the bottom of the list, etc were all management ideas

Explain how any of that has to do with the numbers top 51 and bottom 49 as a percent of seniority.

 

[JustPlaneTruth]

right B scale, regional airlines instead of mainline flying, saple to the bottom of the list, etc were all management ideas

Additionally, you say "unions" with the implication being all unions as opposed to some, a few, once in history, etc. None of what you speak of are in play with NJASAP since there are no regionals, no b scales and NJI was not stapled.

 

[JustPlaneTruth]

right B scale, regional airlines instead of mainline flying, saple to the bottom of the list, etc were all management ideas

In my best Columbo impression, just one more thing. Unions follow the will of the membership through surveys. In the cases you cite, the "evil union" would have to gone against the will of the membership for some other motivation and got it to pass against the will of a large portion of the membership. If all the things you cite were the will of the membership and voted in by them then onus is on the the members and not the body leading the union at the time.

 

[G4dude]

Thats not the end of what Smith says (check out Book 1 Chapter 10) and I got some FA Hayek and Henry Hazlitt for you too.

IMO the Unions are part of capitalism. We can't individually negotiate with management.

I worked non union and can attest to what Downwind posted. People are flying tired, on broken airplanes and low pay. Even Santulli said in aviation you want union pilots who can't be pressured.

I'll see your Hazlitt and Hayek, and raise you Walter Williams and Thomas Sowell.

 

[gunfyter]

I'll see your Hazlitt and Hayek, and raise you Walter Williams and Thomas Sowell.

Love them. Know where you are coming from...

But don't forget to look for "that which is not seen". In the arguments against unions what is not seen is that managements unite/collude to keep wages lower than market.

A Union Buster Confesses:

http://www.amazon.com/Union-Buster-.../ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

 

[ghostrider64]

Remember unions take care of the upper 51% of its members and those members will vote to preserve their position even if it means screwing the 49%

Need I remind you that very junior pilots at NJA are flying G's, solely because the union wanted to be FAIR! Those pilots will never be in the top 51%, nor will they ever live in fear of having their wages cut, to reflect their true seniority.