Originally Posted by
slumav505
My personal view on the we bought you issue is this:
2.) Federal law does not allow for a staple. (Had the F9 SLI team gone in with a different approach it might have gone much differently. Alas they did not so more than likely their proposal was tossed out the window shortly after reading page 1)
You can't really pick Frontier and accuse them of being the only ones that tried a "staple." First, it wasn't a staple and second, the IBT's first proposal put 1,300 of their pilots at the top of the list. The number gradually decreased with each proposal but the last one I remember still had something like 350+ RAH pilots at the top of the list.
The argument (which I never fully understood) was that even if RAH lost every CPA, those 350+ would still have a job and should therefore be at the top of the list.
Originally Posted by
slumav505
3.) My upgrade time has now increased because at the very least my management team, instead of pursuing CPA contracts is busy trying to learn it's @$$ from a hole in the ground dealing with running an airline that flies for itself. Skywest got a deal with Airways, we've missed out on a few others as well.
RAH hasn't even bid on a CPA since they bought F9, have they? I'm not certain, so please correct me if I'm wrong.
Originally Posted by
slumav505
4.)At the same time you guys should have some sort of protection that if F9 goes tits up and we secure a large CPA or have a ton of attrition you can fly here and stay current with a decent QOL until you find a better place to be.
At the first meeting in Dallas in January of 2010, the RAH pilot's committee expressed serious concerns that all Frontier was bringing was risk that didn't exist in the CPA/FFD side of the business. Our simple solution to their concerns was, OK, let us be separate, we're willing to take the risk and remove the risk to your side of the business. Obviously, that wasn't the way it played out.
Bryan's motivation for purchasing a Branded operation was that he believed the CPA/FFD operation was "a melting ice cube." He wanted to diversify the business in the event that became true.
With the American regional aviation model broken, consolidation is the answer | CAPA
Originally Posted by
slumav505
5.) The animosity in this relationship did not start with local 357/1224/747. It came from FAPA.
I don't know how you can make that statement. I guess it depends on where in the timeline you start determining that the "animosity" began. For us, as I've said over and over, it began in Dallas in January of 2010, when we met for the "negotiation" part of the process and steadily went down hill from there. If you weren't in Dallas, I don't know how you can declare that what happened there wasn't the beginning of the "animosity."
Originally Posted by
slumav505
Had you guys come out with the RPC idea right away and meant it, before we were able to get our ducks in a row in 2010, it would have won easily. Most people here were fed up with IBT, myself included.
I agree. But bear in mind that we were in discussions with IBT National over how to best address the representation issue. At one point they told us they were open to the idea of a separate Local for the Frontier pilots. We were trying to work together to come to a mutually agreeable and beneficial solution. It was only after IBT National cancelled the next meeting and told us to pound sand that we started to explore other solutions, such as RPC. We should have started sooner and attempted to get more of a "buy-in" from the RAH pilots, but that would have gone against the spirit of trying to work with the IBT and solving the problem together.
Instead of trying to work with the Frontier group, they finally said, "It's our way or the highway." That didn't help with the level of animosity that had been building.
Originally Posted by
slumav505
There has been a dramatic shift in the way things work around here.
I agree Pat and his committee were a positive change. I believe that if Pat and his group had been allowed to operate without having to run everything through the Trustee, things could have been much different. The Trustee did everything he could to alienate every Frontier pilot that he spoke with, I don't know if that was intentional or not.
I guess we'll see how the new President and his ExCo do, now that they are out of trusteeship. We haven't heard a lot of positive things about your new President in regards to Frontier or from RAH Management. I'm not going to judge one way or another until Craig has a chance to show us what he's for or against.
I do wonder, if the new Board decides to keep the Trustee, why they would want him and what it will cost the membership to retain him. Has anyone asked what IBT National would charge 357 for his "services?"
Originally Posted by
slumav505
If you guys took the time to get involved with your new union you would see that. There's plenty of room under 1 roof here.
You see, we don't feel that it is "our" union. The first thing National did was to sue the Company over our LOA 67. Next, they demanded (twice now) that our Merger Committee drop our suit challenging Eischen's award. Then they ordered our Merger Committee to disperse. Along with that, they tried to fire our Attorneys and DEMANDED that we turn all of our money over to 357 immediately.
Pat was very courageous and accommodating and came to DEN, with Doug, once to meet with the Frontier pilots. I, and many others, were impressed by Pat's willingness to meet with us.
Since that meeting, we have heard NOTHING from the IBT or 357, except for their demands on our pilot group and our old union. If the IBT or 357 really wanted any serious level of participation, doesn't it seem as though they would at least try to establish a dialogue collectively or individually with Frontier pilots?
We feel we got the IBT shoved down our throats and since the IBT has done nothing to earn any level of trust, fraternity, respect or unity.
So, those are my thoughts on the situation.......