Originally Posted by
PotatoChip
Fine, but 2200 days of negotiations / 365 days a year = over SIX years of negotiations. That's more than just the new-hires. It does hold water. You are arguing that you went there thinking that a new contract would be voted in AND better sooner than later. That's your fault. You took that risk. I'm sorry that you didn't have a crystal ball. I didn't either (see furloughed).
I know pilots have their reasons for deciding to work at RAH, and that's fine. But don't go there, and then complain about the inability to receive a decent contract when the pilot group does seemingly little to attain it. What have you done? You personally and as a pilot group. Put up a website, voted no... And continued working under the same pathetic contract while securing new flying.
I'm not hating on everyone at RAH. I know people there, and again, understand reasons for gaining employment there. But I am concerned with individuals who aren't doing anything other than continuous complaints about how they get it up the bum by management there. What exactly did you expect?!?
Nitpicking here, but you probably don't completely understand the seniority/relative seniority here. I was hired in early 08 and have the same relative seniority as someone in late 2010, as we were furloughed and integrated. We didn't hire much in 2011 and really only started bulk hiring last year. If you're addressing 'you know what you were getting into' to guys hired last year, fine, but most others have been here.
As for those hired recently, many are new to this business and don't understand the processes (hopefully boards like APC can help), and others have no other money making skills than piloting and have found themselves desperate for jobs. Or maybe they still have hope for this being a viable career and are committed to paying their (never ending) dues.
2200 days is too long, and many parties are to blame. Partially us, partially the union, mostly management and their tactics of corruption with NMB. In fact, the only blame we have is by not REACTING and walking the fine line of work action. I guess we're just being legal, but I think we're laying down to the corruption. We're losing. You might dismiss me as a conspiracy theorist, but I could give you facts that would raise anyone's eyebrows.
Now, we are trying to bring to light those deeper rooted problems. Certainly admirable, and if it works, will hopefully help those in the future that find themselves in this situation. But in the mean time, no contract for us for the foreseeable future. The point of this whole thread is to fully educate those considering employment here...so that they really do know what they're getting into, and hopefully divert enough that management is forced to succumb to the forces of supply and demand.
FWIW, my choices in '08 were the two class date offers I received: American Eagle, and Republic. I STILL wish I had chosen Eagle. Oh well, you know what they say about hindsight.