Originally Posted by
Bucking Bar
As union members, we should remember that we do not control management, but we are responsible for our own actions. As much as I sympathize for the Frontier pilots, strategically, they sure appear to be going down the wrong road.
Skyway pilots were treated as separate and not protected by MidWest pilots. Midwest pilots were treated as separate and not protected by Northwest (Delta) pilots. Now Frontier's pilots has maneuvered to keep themselves separate from Republic's pilots. Delta found reasons to separate Compass and watched 500 members of their MEC vanish. US Air has continued a labor battle that prevents it from moving forward. The end result of disunity is nearly always the same.
In contrast the Delta & Northwest pilots found unity and have benefited (on the whole). Republic pilots fought for unity (scope) and they too have benefited from unity.
FWIW, take a lesson from history. What has worked elsewhere and what hasn't?
Bucking Bar,
Also, thank you for reminding anyone who wishes to reflect on it that the dismantling of Midwest was begun by TPG/Northwest. For almost a quarter of a century Northwest had spent a great deal of energy and capital towards putting Midwest out of business. How much simpler and cheaper it was to simply buy them!
For some reason the instigators of all this have been forgotten and RAH has gotten all the blame.
Republic management can be accused of being opportunistic, but it was Northwest (with TPG as their front) who were the ones who parted out YX. ( the famous line from the movie Wallstreet..."because it's wreckable"). As you noted, the NWA....then Delta... unions idly watched as though a disinterested observer. Very similar to the just months earlier scenerio with Midwest and Skyway.
As long as we (pilots) act as though our individual interests are somehow seperate from our collective interests we will continue to see our work pay,benefits etc erode. Management would be foolish not to capitalize (pun intended) on our willingness to sacrifice the well being of the whole for an individual short term gain.