Union

[crjdxr]

The biggest thing is not getting paid for the overtime that we work. We have brought it up to management and they pretty much said sorry about your luck, we dont want to rock the boat.

So the biggest thing is not getting paid for overtime. How are you not getting paid at all, as in anything over your scheduled shift is not paid? What about being assigned a shift on a day off? Is the issue not getting 1.5X for anything over 40 hours?

 

[hoover]

How well are you paid? I worked at a company that was paying starting dispatchers 28-30K (salary) a year depending on experience at a time when the going rate for a new hire disaptcher was about 22K a year. If you are earning considerably above the going rate, you might want to think twice about going union.

 

[dispatchguy]

The biggest thing is not getting paid for the overtime that we work. We have brought it up to management and they pretty much said sorry about your luck, we dont want to rock the boat.

So the biggest thing is not getting paid for overtime. How are you not getting paid at all, as in anything over your scheduled shift is not paid? What about being assigned a shift on a day off? Is the issue not getting 1.5X for anything over 40 hours?

Keep this in mind, technically, by law, you arent required to be paid a premium for working overtime. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) doesnt require the payment of overtime for individuals who are subject to the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which unfortunately, airline employees are.

You are paid an overtime premium by the graciousness of the carrier, or by a collective bargaining agreement.

 

[405]

Unions don't fix everything. Neither does the church. Or Gov't.

No, they don't Rez. In our case, it was kind of difficult to fix something that wasn't broken in my opinion. Opinions differ though and I wish them all good luck in their third year of negotiations.

A union was brought in and not much changed. Why? Some one forget to volunteer? Maybe unions for DX-ers at a regional are not pragmatic. If so then why even talk about them....

You're right on there. Nothing changed and it still hasn't changed. Some dispatch offices may need a union and some may not. I still don't feel like we needed a union. Smoke asked about a union and we're (dispatchers) trying to tell him about our various experiences with them.

And if so... then don't complain about limited rights and say in your pay, work rules, etc..

Who's complaining? They sure complain a lot now. The work rules were fine. Before the TWU got here in my opinion, nothing was unfair, our workload was going down and we got pay raises. Now, they're all stuck in union politics and negotiations. Then again, we have a lot of people there that want to do as little work as possible, complain about everything and get paid. A union is perfect for them.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

No, they don't Rez. In our case, it was kind of difficult to fix something that wasn't broken in my opinion. Opinions differ though and I wish them all good luck in their third year of negotiations.

But yet through democracy...you and your colleagues voted.....

You're right on there. Nothing changed and it still hasn't changed. Some dispatch offices may need a union and some may not. I still don't feel like we needed a union. Smoke asked about a union and we're (dispatchers) trying to tell him about our various experiences with them.

So.... I am excluded?

Who's complaining? They sure complain a lot now. The work rules were fine. Before the TWU got here in my opinion, nothing was unfair, our workload was going down and we got pay raises. Now, they're all stuck in union politics and negotiations. Then again, we have a lot of people there that want to do as little work as possible, complain about everything and get paid. A union is perfect for them.

Hows the attrition rate? I can tell you the attrtition rate on my side of the house leaves more and more unexperienced FO's and CA's flying the jets... Is a high attrtion rate and high new DX average with low expereince better or worse?

Did you get an increase in pay for doing load data? (I don't know...genuine question....)

 

[405]

But yet through democracy...you and your colleagues voted.....

Yes we did.

So.... I am excluded?

Say all you want, Rez. We might read it.

Hows the attrition rate? I can tell you the attrtition rate on my side of the house leaves more and more unexperienced FO's and CA's flying the jets... Is a high attrtion rate and high new DX average with low expereince better or worse?

So far attrition hasn't been too bad on our side. That's going to change soon. Very soon. I'll keep my opinions to myself about everyone being new.

Did you get an increase in pay for doing load data? (I don't know...genuine question....)

Genuine answer to follow. No, we didn't get anything for absorbing CLC. And there won't be anything on the next contract about it either. The TWU won't touch the subject of CLC.

 

[crjdxr]

Keep this in mind, technically, by law, you arent required to be paid a premium for working overtime. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) doesnt require the payment of overtime for individuals who are subject to the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which unfortunately, airline employees are.

You are paid an overtime premium by the graciousness of the carrier, or by a collective bargaining agreement.

Bingo. Again, Smoke, vote with your feet if at all possible.

 

[dispatchguy]

Keep this in mind, technically, by law, you arent required to be paid a premium for working overtime. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) doesnt require the payment of overtime for individuals who are subject to the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which unfortunately, airline employees are.

You are paid an overtime premium by the graciousness of the carrier, or by a collective bargaining agreement.

For your reading pleasure, the citation for this is at http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/29/usc_sec_29_00000213----000-.html at 29 USC 213(b)(3).

 

[RVSM]

FWIW,
1-Unions are only as good as the local elected leadership. Again, only as good as your local elected leadership. Your votes count so pay attention.
2- Been in a union shop for 14 years. No significant complaints. (at least none that a local election cycle didn't cure)
3-Our company decided to "revamp" the department.
Brought in some non union folks to "assist" us in doing what we do. Union said, "You can't have non union folks doing union work." Mgmt said, "Yes, we can."
1 year later: binding 3rd party says, "No you can't"
Without a union, you too can be undercut and outsourced!
3b-If you contract doesn't specifically state all XYZ flights and tails will be dispatched by ABC union dispatchers at DEF location. You better make sure it does next go around before the greedy ##%$&@'s at Jeppesen "outsource" you as soon as they figure out who to pay off to make the rule change happen.

 

[ShutupandFly]

But yet through democracy...you and your colleagues voted.....

Funny thing is during the last vote the union could not even get a majority of the dispatchers to support it.