Yip, no question some come across as more agressive than others in union matters, but your assessment here is way off. At least with the unions at NJA. People are trying to educate those who live in fear of any action their management threatens. Even when those threats are so far fetched and unlikely as to be laughable. However, after the dust settles, those same people have no trouble enjoying the gains those willing to fight for achieve.
We are not being unreasonable, as some in our senior management portray. Some examples:
Management wants concessions across the board, and has refused to come to any compromise to date. These include reduction in compensation, increased employee contribution to the cost of healthcare (our current deductibles and copays are indeed contribution), agreement from union employees to not cross other union picket lines, reduction in earned sick days, degraded after midnight language, zero COLA, and other unreasonable demands in a time of record profits.
Our third quarter results are in. In spite of huge increases in the use of vendor aircraft and the purchase of new equipment, our profits rose by 8% while our debt has been slashed. Additionally, management wants to lower our fees so lower level millionaires can afford us by taking from those that can least afford it. In other words, they want us to subsidize the uber rich.
Management insults employees to their faces. Ask the FAs, or the guy that was insulted in SAV because he has been with us for 35 years and clearly has no ambition. Dedication means nothing to people like our senior managers.
Management considers us part time employees, in spite of 80+ hours of duty in a tour, not to mention separation from home and family 24/7 for that tour.
Management directs HR staff to perpetuate the lie that the Cadillac Plan tax burden from the ACA will cost the company huge sums of money. We don't come near the threashold for said taxes.
Management uses intimidation, coersion, threats, insults, reprisals and any means they see fit to destroy morale and unity in all groups employed by NJA, union or not.
Pilots are being called and asked about why they fatigued, in spilte of our "no harm no foul, best policy in the industry" claims. A simple review of the schedule, or a look at the required URP report would speak volumes. The calls are simply an intimidation tactic.
Pilots are being questioned about mx issues discovered during pre and post flight. Again in an attempt to intimidate pilots into flying broken aircraft.
We have a hostage situation ongoing, and while some think those terminated must have deserved it, we have won every arbitration case to date. Why do you think they postponed the last two cases already agreed to and scheduled?
Working conditions have reached the level of a hostile working environment under any definition of the term. This is not very bright considering the effect on safety, much less efficiency.
Our goals are simply to be treated with the respect we have earned while building this company and to be well compensated for those efforts. We do, after all, safely and efficiently carry the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet. Not unreasonable at all, and requires resolve on our part to make it happen.
