Thread: Vote Baron/cook/riggs Ballot Closes Monday 11-10-08 10:00 Est
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Old 11-08-2008 | 09:15 AM
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Fellow pilots of EWR:

We are at a critical juncture in our careers. It is time to right the wrongs of the past. PLEASE DO NOT VOTE FOR THE FAMILIAR NAME.
Please take time to consider the following letter.
If you have already voted, you can change your vote up to the final day of the election. The election closes on November 10, 2008

Time to vote!

Once again, it’s time to vote for new union leadership in the EWR LEC. All members in good standing have an opportunity to personally shape our future by voting. Please take the time to educate yourselves on the issues and the candidates. Believe it or not, each vote is important. Each vote is your voice expressing your desires. Those who will be chosen will have an enormous task to ahead of them. Contract 02 not only took pay, work rules, and benefits, it also took a large measure of dignity and respect which our company continually preaches. We, as pilots have an enormous amount of responsibility for the safety and well being of our passengers and crew. It’s time to take back what was negotiated away with the help of the unscrupulous, thieving representation we had during Contract 02. It’s time to return the dignity and respect we have lost.

The following information is based in fact and has been corroborated.

We have two teams vying for your support and votes. The first “ticket” is that of Todd Falstad for Captain Rep, Bob Lombardo for First Officer Rep, and Jeff Nason for Secretary Treasurer. The second “ticket” is that of Jayson Baron for Captain Rep, Tara Cook for First Officer Rep, and Kaye Riggs for Secretary Treasurer. Both tickets want the same thing, an industry leading contract. How each ticket will proceed with this challenge illuminates the difference between the two tickets.

Falstad, Lombardo, and Nason will approach this challenge with due diligence, hindsight of the past, and the intelligence and the drive to secure the future. They are fully aware of the challenges ahead of us and will proceed with the lessons learned of the past in their minds. They will involve all pilots in the decision making process, unlike the past. They will use advanced technological communication which will keep all pilots informed. They have your best interests in mind.

Baron, Cook, and Riggs, in comparison, want to throw gasoline on the fire. While a certain amount of angst is warranted, we have to be careful not to burn down the house. We also need to consider the character, integrity, and loyality of each candidate. Jayson Baron recently resolved a festering 5 month trip loss issue after walking out on a union commitment which he was paid for. He had to be shamed into paying what he owed, or was he? Jayson claims he was the victim of union injustice. Jayson's trip loss issue was his own doing. He has no one to blame but himself. No one forced him to quit his position on the SPC. No one told him to not attend the Houston rally in the name of unity after he quit. No one forced him to take the money he was paid in advance for working the Houston Rally. He preaches unity, yet he didn't show any. He took the money freely. Yes, he tried to make arrangements for payback. He was given options by the union. He didn't like any of them. In August I was sent the infamous email correspondence between Jayson and Randy Hodge. It was cut and dried. I told Jayson to pay the money back in August. Confronted with the thought of a trip loss scandal hampering his election chances, he miraculously paid what he owed just in time for the election, all the while claiming he was a victim. It took Jayson FIVE months to write a check! Why did it take so long? Could Jayson be trying to buy this election? While it’s wonderful Jayson paid the money back, the act of walking out on our union shows a true lack of character, loyalty and integrity. Let's not forget that "unity" word. What will Jayson do if elected to office? Jayson seems to be full of emotion and no substance. As an example, Jayson is in favor of 24 hour “European style” smart strike strategy when it is legal. The only time we as a pilot group could strike would be after the 30 day cooling off period. If we are going to strike, I guarantee it will be for more than 24 hours, when it is legal. What will be Jayson's triggering mechanism for a work stoppage? Yes, I know it's not his decision alone. Just the thought of using an excessive amount of emotion in times like this can be detrimental. If you want an example of how not to strike, look no further than what the American Airlines pilots tried. Tara Cook is a furloughed American pilot with a current seniority number. Rest assured, Tara Cook will scamper off to American when they need pilots to fill those B787 aircraft they just ordered. I would if I had a seniority number at American Airlines. What happens if Continental enters intoa deal with American? Tara Cook enters this election with a known conflict of interest. Tara Cook agrees with all of Jayson’s ideas for such job actions. Maybe that’s why they both wear APA tie tacks. I guess she didn’t learn anything from the 45.5 million dollar fine imposed on the APA by the judge in that case. Neither did Jayson. Kaye Riggs was fired from the union for publishing a letter he wrote which he wanted to send out as a blast mail to all CALALPA members. When CALALPA attorneys told him no, he published the letter on CalForums. This is the perfect place to publish a letter since the company reads the CalForums daily.Is this what we can expect from Kaye Riggs? Kaye Riggs has also dismissed Jayson’s trip loss issue as political smear fodder. If Jayson had paid the money back instead of delaying payment and making deals, it wouldn’t have been an issue. Kaye Riggs stated in a recent letter on CalForums regarding Jayson's payback to the union, " (His payment) is far more than I would have done under the circumstances-and moved on". That says a lot about Kaye Riggs loyalty to our union. To say this was a non event, is a slap in the face to all pilots. Former negotiating committee member Tim Boyens endorses Team Baron. Tim Boyens resigned the Negotiating Committee after he was told by our MEC to stop talking to the UAL MEC during recent negotiations. He seemed to be operating independently from the MEC. He apparently thought he knew best. Do you notice Team Baron and those who endorse them tend to quit or get fired on their union commitments? Do we really want to entrust our collective futures with those who seem to have no direction other than raw emotion? Do we want to entrust our futures to those who quit when they don't get their way? It’s time for intelligence in representation, not unchecked emotions and irresponsibility. We cannot afford to try an antagonistical approach to our next contract with team Baron.

I am endorsing Todd Falstad, Bob Lombardo, and Jeff Nason for our new LEC representatives. We need an intelligent, patient, and steady representation guiding us through the process of our next contract. They will request the involvement of all pilots in the EWR base. You will be heard and see results. If you want a say in your future, then they are the team. They will represent the EWR pilot’s best interest on Contract 08 and beyond.

Thank you for you time in this most important matter,
John Ringel
B756 Captain, EWR

To cast your vote please follow these instructions;
Log on to https://crewroom.alpa.org Click on “My ALPA” followed by “Elections.” Follow the directions to obtain a replacement activation code. You may call ALPA membership at 1-888-359-2572, prompt 3. Once you establish your voter credentials, your VIN and PIN become your permanent voter credentials for all MEC and local council elections. Put it in a safe place. Log in and request your ballot. Please cast your vote, Falstad, Lombardo, Nason