Originally Posted by
Normann
I am not concerned about the participation. This was a vote, about weather we should have a vote. Was this the second or third recall attempt on Frank? I guess we could say the third including the election. Back then the 26ers had momentum. Most of us were unhappy with how things went down during and after the strike. There were things to complain about. Back then the major sections of the CBA were not tested and complied with. Lot has changed since.
I am concerned about participation. We only managed to draw around sixty or so members to the meeting. (I had to fly and left after about ten mins into the meeting, so that number is just my observation, it could be wrong by a few) This is out of a Local membership of 330 pilots. Even more bothersome is that we only managed that number because of the recall. In good times, without political issues like recalls, we only draw in the thirty's. In fact, my main point in talking to pilots about being effective, is "go to a meeting, participate in YOUR association".
As far as your assertion that this was the third recall attempt, I must protest. A regularly scheduled election is NOT a recall. Since I was the losing candidate (90 to 89) in the last normal election, I can speak to the fact that the campaign was not against Frank, at least not on my part. I campaigned on: merger Committee, increased participation, stronger committee's, etc. It certainly wasn't about OT, but maybe that's why I didn't win.
I will also disagree with your point that the 26%'rs had momentum and that "most of us were unhappy about the way things went down during and after the strike". I don't wear a 26% lanyard, I fly very little OT. I commute and don't pick up or trade, etc, etc, etc. I was not the 26% candidate. Had the 26%'rs been irate, they would have had run one of their members.
In regard to this latest recall effort, the recall movement didn't even have an organized effort to support their recall. (One guy offering to gather proxies at the Dunkin Donuts is not a fully organized effort.) The pilot that called for recall did so because his circle of friends/acquaintances is upset about the way things are going. They believed, incorrectly, that their movement was "grass roots". Considering that the vote total in opposition to recall almost doubled the meeting attendance, it was obviously not "grass roots".
The recall that took place in Frank's first year was about one of the FO's being turned in to the Feds. Frank explained why he called the FAA and the members kept him in. Over and done with. Totally unrelated to the last one.
As it turns out the contract has actually been working well for the majority. QOL guys still have their time at home, and more than before. OT guys are still making good money and most OT guys realized that making 250h credit a month was never a long term reality. The company has also chosen to comply with the CBA more often than not. At the moment there is no desire for change.
Finally, and I think this had a key role once again, most of us think it was wrong trying to remove an honest person from his position to rearrange the balance in voting to pursue a relatively narrow agenda. Even the opposition was not willing to openly question Frank's integrity.
Still some good things may come out of this effort. In the past year the leadership has accepted that a significant amount of guys are interested in working extra and it is not just a handful of pilots. Even if it is 5% or 26% their voice needs to be heard. May be we will see changes on the communication front as well. Time will tell. I am happy this one is over.
agreed in principle, but an unorganized effort to recall just gained 65 votes for recall, obviously there is a desire to change. Not a majority of politically active members, but a significant number to be sure.