USA Jet Union Update

[Spencer]

Contrary to the misinformation the company has sent out regarding pay and dues, the pilots are considered by the UAW to be salaried employees and will be charged 1.15% of their BASE salary. It is approximately $60 a month depending on your salary.
NOT $240. Must be that new math

 

[pilotyip]

Not so fast Spencer

Get you facts straight before you give out information. When you have that dues will be based 1.15% of base salary in writing signed by an officer of the international union, then it will be fact. But until that time you are as guilty as anyone of putting out misinformation. The company took their dues numbers from the UAW constitution as quoted in their letter.

 

[Spencer]

Well the letter is on its way. Maybe you'll get a copy.

 

[pilotyip]

another unfulfilled promise

Here is typical unfulfilled promises from the union supporters. Spencer, the undercover type guy who hides behind a false name, and makes promises that can not be delivered. I have not seen a copy of what he stated above he would deliver. Could it be it is the holidays and all the Int'l officers are spending union dues attending a conference in Florida? Again talk about management deflection, here is another case of Spencer, the great unknown who is afraid to go public, failing to deliver. Get ready for it guys, non-delivery will become the wave of the future.

 

[Bill Nelson]

My experience shows that only uninformed people or scabs are "totally" against unions.

Informed people realize that you have nothing to lose by getting a union, you only stand to gain something. You may not gain much, but you certainly won't lose anything!

Your 1.5% dues will be reimbursed during your first contract. You can take it to the bank that you will see at least a 1.5% pay increase with your first contract that will cover your dues.

At least you would have a real grievance process in place. A union might not do much for you, but they keep the management crooks honest. At least as honest as possible.

 

[goastar]

American icon

Apparently all the smart ones get to fly the cool stuff, I guess pilotyip was at the bottom of his class. It is not his fault though, he is a product of society. Just wanted to make sure I was PC.

 

[pilotyip]

Non-Scab

For Goatstar: If you have checked my other posts, you will know I did not cross the CAL picket line in 1983 when I was offered a job. So I can officially wear the tag of non-scab. I am a former union member who worked for an airline represented by ALPA and one represented by the teamsters. Both out of business, USA Jet is the best place I have ever worked, and it does not need a union. The only pilots really rooting for union a USA Jet are the guys who fly for our competitors, I understand the Ameristart pilots cannot wait until we have our slowdown or strike. OBTW! I graduated at the top of my class in primany, advanced multi-engine and advanced airborne Navigation school, again you are demonstrating you are probalby another uninformed union guy who does not know what he is talking about.

 

[PilotAg]

Actually here at Ameristar, I really don't care if your company has a union or not.

 

[pilotyip]

heard on the street

Only passing along what was told to me by a crewmember on his encounter with an Ameristar crew, PilotAg may not care but some one seems to.

 

[Spencer]

If the only pilots that what a union at USA Jet are the Ameristar guys why did the UAW get 80% of the pilots to sign cards in 2 weeks. There must not be any problems at USA Jet. Maybe the Ameristar guys signed the cards. Yeah, that's it. It was them.

 

[pilotyip]

80% of what?

I know of at least a dozen senority list pilots who were not given a chance to not sign the cards, because they are pro-management, myself included. Funny I can make up 80% of anything if I control the population, That's statistics, if you control the population without random generation, the statistical conclusion is not valid. The 80% is therefore not valid. But those UAW guys they like that number so they go with number, valid or not. OBTW, where is the dues letter another undelivered promise from spencer deflection

 

[Bill Nelson]

The national mediation board only requires 50% plus 1 to approve a union. It is based off the total number of pilots on the seniority list. Regardless of your vote, or lack of a chance to vote, it still will be based statistically off of the number of pilots on the seniority list.

Are you a management pilot? Assistant chief, etc.? Maybe this is why you were not included in the vote.

BTW, they don't count "no" votes. They are just making a running tally of the "yes" votes and looking for the 50%+1. I don't think you were left off because of your "pro-management" stance. possibly you are ineligible to be a part of the union vote.

 

[Spencer]

80% of the 79 pilots listed on the seniority list posted by USA Jet on their board. You were included on the list of pilots and if you want a union card to sign I'm sure we can get you one. No one got one mailed to them. You had to ask someone for them or attend a meeting.

 

[cruxx@9]

VERY WELL SAID

Thank you Bill, the American Idol, for your earlier post. Unions are not the big, bad scary thing everyone tries to make them out to be. The only people that are really scared of them are the ones that will have to be held accountable to them.

On the other post "USA Jet Unionized" the nay sayers keep reminding us that unions are a thing of the past. That UAW membership is down considerably. Unions are not only a thing of the past, they are in need in present society. Maybe not everywhere, at every company. There are those special places where the employees are treated with respect and are fairly dealt with and there really is no reason for the employees to organize. Then there are places where things weren't too bad until a change of management...the second generation for instance, steps in and things change. This happens all the time and this is why unions are still in existance and a need.

Some one posted that the UAW is losing membership because there is no more need for organized workers. The UAW is losing membership because of plant automation as well as relocation of the plants. The plant owners are soooo greedy they move the plants to Mexico and other countries where they can pay the workers next to nothing and treat them as they did back in the 1930's. The big problem is who is going to buy the $30,000 car that is being built by $500/month employees?

This is why there needs to be unions. I think we will see more white collar organization in the next decades as that part of the workforce grows.

In our little on demand world, things are all subject to the competion. That means one company...Ameristar. What if Tom Wachmydorfer decided to pay his pilots commuter wages? Would we follow suit? Who knows. Where will it stop here at USA Jet?

Do I think things are decent here?

Yes I do. I believe this is one of the best companies I have ever worked for.

Now that doesn't mean a lot. I've always and only flown freight and USA Jet is not even the best company I've worked for, it's just not the worst.

If the union vote goes, I agree with Bill. Things won't be wonderful unless management wants to make them wonderful. But we will have an unified voice, and a course of action. Something we don't have now.

Look at SWA, they are union and the management works well with the employees there. Granted, there are other places that doesn't happen. It all comes down to the maturity of the the management and the employee representation. It's only as bad as everyone wants to make it.

Keep 'em in the green