USAPA facing another challenge.....Despair

[Cowboy75]

Despair - by Former ALPA CLT LEC F/O Rep. Lance Svendsen

Forwarded With Author's Permission

Gentlemen,

The majority of pilots I fly with and talk with are now resigned to the fact we will never get a new contract. They think that is their lot in life and there is nothing they can do about it. Despair is rampant.

Most have also figured out that the Nicolau Award is not, nor will it ever, go away.

Most have also figured out that USAPA’s promises will never be realized, making the whole move to USAPA a counterproductive mistake. I am also starting to notice a little push back towards USAPA as more and more pilots are realizing they were duped. Where is my Date of Hire contract in 90 days?

USAPA has become everything the pilots who voted for USAPA wanted to eliminate. The gravy train, flight pay loss abuse, special treatment, in fighting, recalls, greedy lawyers, fancy hotels, and worst of all, a dictatorship Adolf Hitler would be proud of. The problem is they took the biggest abusers at ALPA and gave them their own union, without any adult supervision.

Most have also figured out Lee Seham has received millions of our dollars on a wild goose chase that he knew was a wild goose chase from the beginning. He will continue to chase that goose as long as we pay him to do so, and laugh all the way to the bank as he did at other labor groups until they fired him.

I sat quietly yesterday in the crew room and listened to a USAPA dignitary discuss our current issues with about five pilots. Nothing, and I say again, nothing he said was true, and nothing he predicted was a realistic outcome. USAPA has not negotiated with the company since they came into existence and now they are doing everything in their power to delay their inevitable failure to keep their gravy train at TOGA THRUST.

How long are you guys going to listen to their lies, and how long are you going to be cowered into submission?

It’s time for all of us to stand up and tell the King he has no clothes!

It’s time to realize that when USAPA was elected to force the East will on the West by majority rule, the East sealed their fate. A fate that makes the Nicolau Award the new seniority list, without conditions and restrictions. Like it or not, it is what it is.

This pilot group has sacrificed more than any other pilot group in the history of aviation to save their jobs. So where is the payback? The Nicolau Award? No, but it is a sad fact of life that we need to move beyond so we can stop committing economic suicide. I did everything in my power to eliminate, modify, or put fences around the award but failed. It’s time to move on.

Gentlemen, we deserve a new contract. We earned it. Isn’t it time we got one?

Still looking for the Pony,

Lance Svendsen
​

 

[ableone]

Can't be true.

MCDoosh would disagree.

 

[Citjok]

Is not just the union that gets you a contract. They are only half of the equation. The airline management is the other half (if they want to give you a contract of course.)

 

[Metrojet]

Despair - by Former ALPA CLT LEC F/O Rep. Lance Svendsen

Forwarded With Author's Permission

Gentlemen,

The majority of pilots I fly with and talk with are now resigned to the fact we will never get a new contract. They think that is their lot in life and there is nothing they can do about it. Despair is rampant.

Most have also figured out that the Nicolau Award is not, nor will it ever, go away.

Most have also figured out that USAPA’s promises will never be realized, making the whole move to USAPA a counterproductive mistake. I am also starting to notice a little push back towards USAPA as more and more pilots are realizing they were duped. Where is my Date of Hire contract in 90 days?

USAPA has become everything the pilots who voted for USAPA wanted to eliminate. The gravy train, flight pay loss abuse, special treatment, in fighting, recalls, greedy lawyers, fancy hotels, and worst of all, a dictatorship Adolf Hitler would be proud of. The problem is they took the biggest abusers at ALPA and gave them their own union, without any adult supervision.

Most have also figured out Lee Seham has received millions of our dollars on a wild goose chase that he knew was a wild goose chase from the beginning. He will continue to chase that goose as long as we pay him to do so, and laugh all the way to the bank as he did at other labor groups until they fired him.

I sat quietly yesterday in the crew room and listened to a USAPA dignitary discuss our current issues with about five pilots. Nothing, and I say again, nothing he said was true, and nothing he predicted was a realistic outcome. USAPA has not negotiated with the company since they came into existence and now they are doing everything in their power to delay their inevitable failure to keep their gravy train at TOGA THRUST.

How long are you guys going to listen to their lies, and how long are you going to be cowered into submission?

It’s time for all of us to stand up and tell the King he has no clothes!

It’s time to realize that when USAPA was elected to force the East will on the West by majority rule, the East sealed their fate. A fate that makes the Nicolau Award the new seniority list, without conditions and restrictions. Like it or not, it is what it is.

This pilot group has sacrificed more than any other pilot group in the history of aviation to save their jobs. So where is the payback? The Nicolau Award? No, but it is a sad fact of life that we need to move beyond so we can stop committing economic suicide. I did everything in my power to eliminate, modify, or put fences around the award but failed. It’s time to move on.

Gentlemen, we deserve a new contract. We earned it. Isn’t it time we got one?

Still looking for the Pony,

Lance Svendsen
​

Hey Lance -

How about taking a leave and let someone else have your east seat - who deserves it.

Metrojet

 

[FR8mastr]

This is just the usual management wanna bees squirming for "a contract, any contract". These ALPA do boys will and have given away anything and everything, just to get " a contract". The author of the article did in fact play a part in the joke that we are working for now. Why is he all of a sudden upset?? easy, he is not on the gravy train anymore!

We will get a contract when the pilots grow a pair or when management needs it for whatever scam they are up to requires it.
So in my opinion we will get one when management needs one.
I wont vote for some POS contract, just so I can say "look I have a new contract". I am already working under a pile of crap, I am not willing to give up more just so a bunch of blow hards can claim "they got us a contract"

I cant believe anyone still falls for this crap! Why are we working the way we are? Look in the mirror, and ALPA. (its not just ALPA, its also the ALPA types, ie: the current leadership.

 

[FNG320]

Despair - by Former ALPA CLT LEC F/O Rep. Lance Svendsen

Forwarded With Author's Permission

Gentlemen,

The majority of pilots I fly with and talk with are now resigned to the fact we will never get a new contract. They think that is their lot in life and there is nothing they can do about it. Despair is rampant.

Most have also figured out that the Nicolau Award is not, nor will it ever, go away.

Most have also figured out that USAPA’s promises will never be realized, making the whole move to USAPA a counterproductive mistake. I am also starting to notice a little push back towards USAPA as more and more pilots are realizing they were duped. Where is my Date of Hire contract in 90 days?

USAPA has become everything the pilots who voted for USAPA wanted to eliminate. The gravy train, flight pay loss abuse, special treatment, in fighting, recalls, greedy lawyers, fancy hotels, and worst of all, a dictatorship Adolf Hitler would be proud of. The problem is they took the biggest abusers at ALPA and gave them their own union, without any adult supervision.

Most have also figured out Lee Seham has received millions of our dollars on a wild goose chase that he knew was a wild goose chase from the beginning. He will continue to chase that goose as long as we pay him to do so, and laugh all the way to the bank as he did at other labor groups until they fired him.

I sat quietly yesterday in the crew room and listened to a USAPA dignitary discuss our current issues with about five pilots. Nothing, and I say again, nothing he said was true, and nothing he predicted was a realistic outcome. USAPA has not negotiated with the company since they came into existence and now they are doing everything in their power to delay their inevitable failure to keep their gravy train at TOGA THRUST.

How long are you guys going to listen to their lies, and how long are you going to be cowered into submission?

It’s time for all of us to stand up and tell the King he has no clothes!

It’s time to realize that when USAPA was elected to force the East will on the West by majority rule, the East sealed their fate. A fate that makes the Nicolau Award the new seniority list, without conditions and restrictions. Like it or not, it is what it is.

This pilot group has sacrificed more than any other pilot group in the history of aviation to save their jobs. So where is the payback? The Nicolau Award? No, but it is a sad fact of life that we need to move beyond so we can stop committing economic suicide. I did everything in my power to eliminate, modify, or put fences around the award but failed. It’s time to move on.

Gentlemen, we deserve a new contract. We earned it. Isn’t it time we got one?

Still looking for the Pony,

Lance Svendsen
​

Looking at this from an outside point of view, if the USAPA leadership do not stop charging windmills, nothing will change. While what happend to teh USAir pilots is crap, it was casued by the USAir MEC trying to obtain DOH at all cost. A better and fairer SLI could have been obtained if they had actually negotiated or a more reasonable presentation for SLI been given to Nicolua. USAir reps were given numerous inputs from Nicolua that DOH was not going to float, yet they ignored his inputs (ignoring the guy with the gun that he was going to shoot you if you moved, then moving). THe same people/types that forced the DOH issue seem to still be in charge of USAPA.

With that said, the bottom line is that the Nic award is not going to go away. The sooner the East pilots see this and move on the sooner things can get fixed. Remember, next December, age 65 starts to hit USAir pilots in large numbers and instead of having a decent pay check for their last few years, they will retire with BK pay rates that have not changed for 4-6-8 years. Hell, in 10 years, a major portion of the east pilost will be retired and maybe thier replacements will be able to get things moving. Now, do you want to continue to keep the BK pay rates another 10 years? However, doing this just hurts everyone on both side, but hurts the east pilots more.

It is time for the east pilots to recognize the fight is a lost cause and move on. If they don't, they need to expect to retire under a BK pay rate. The USAir pilots need to either get rid of USAPA, or vote in new leaders that are ready to accept the Nic award and get the process moving. Only then will ANY USAir pilots (east or west) see any improvements. Remember, most of the west pilots will be still employed at USair, after most of the East pilots are forced to retire at 65. If you want to get a piece of the pie, you need to do it now, or accept you will never get any.

Just my opinion......

FNG

 

[johnsonrod]

I think Lance has it right. He has "seen the light." The East jackholes will never win.

 

[Dan Roman]

Looking at this from an outside point of view, if the USAPA leadership do not stop charging windmills, nothing will change. While what happend to teh USAir pilots is crap, it was casued by the USAir MEC trying to obtain DOH at all cost. A better and fairer SLI could have been obtained if they had actually negotiated or a more reasonable presentation for SLI been given to Nicolua. USAir reps were given numerous inputs from Nicolua that DOH was not going to float, yet they ignored his inputs (ignoring the guy with the gun that he was going to shoot you if you moved, then moving). THe same people/types that forced the DOH issue seem to still be in charge of USAPA.

With that said, the bottom line is that the Nic award is not going to go away. The sooner the East pilots see this and move on the sooner things can get fixed. Remember, next December, age 65 starts to hit USAir pilots in large numbers and instead of having a decent pay check for their last few years, they will retire with BK pay rates that have not changed for 4-6-8 years. Hell, in 10 years, a major portion of the east pilost will be retired and maybe thier replacements will be able to get things moving. Now, do you want to continue to keep the BK pay rates another 10 years? However, doing this just hurts everyone on both side, but hurts the east pilots more.

It is time for the east pilots to recognize the fight is a lost cause and move on. If they don't, they need to expect to retire under a BK pay rate. The USAir pilots need to either get rid of USAPA, or vote in new leaders that are ready to accept the Nic award and get the process moving. Only then will ANY USAir pilots (east or west) see any improvements. Remember, most of the west pilots will be still employed at USair, after most of the East pilots are forced to retire at 65. If you want to get a piece of the pie, you need to do it now, or accept you will never get any.

Just my opinion......

FNG

Well said, the bottom line is, any pilot group that got an improved contract in this industry did it with a strong unified pilot group. There has never been a fractured group that has made any significant gains. You simply cannot accomplish anything as pilot group unless you are unified and all pulling in the same direction. That simple fact seems to escape a lot of pilots.

 

[BeCareful!]

Lance is a joke, and he's a big part of the reason for LOA9 93 and the wet-our-collective-pants pension termination which we are learning was a farce.

I take it that the west likes Lance, though, because he's a white flag waver and you guys want the Nic now over and above a respectable contract, right? I guess you think an A330 seat or our higher 757 pay is worth selling out the whole industry.

What I don't get is this: why not join forces with us to get a quality contract? If you're so *&^%$%$# sure you'll win "DFRII" then it seems to me the fastest way to get that thing filed is with a joint contract that "harms" you. Jesus, let's just move forward. Not even the bed wetting Lance can make east pilots drop their swords, so picket with us and start walking the walk toward a contract. Then, you get to sue again! Hoooya!

 

[AutoBus]

Looking at this from an outside point of view, if the USAPA leadership do not stop charging windmills, nothing will change. While what happend to teh USAir pilots is crap, it was casued by the USAir MEC trying to obtain DOH at all cost. A better and fairer SLI could have been obtained if they had actually negotiated or a more reasonable presentation for SLI been given to Nicolua. USAir reps were given numerous inputs from Nicolua that DOH was not going to float, yet they ignored his inputs (ignoring the guy with the gun that he was going to shoot you if you moved, then moving).

You can't fix stupid, it's time for USAPA to go.