Originally Posted by
dawgdriver
I don't know about the details, but I gather there's ongoing discussion that the Federal Courts finding of status quo violations may be enough to initiate strike actions. The RLA apparently allows for this and this company is spending big bucks scrambling to reverse the court-ordered injunction. Is this because they know they can't fix their mess fast enough to avoid a strike? Who knows, but they will continue stumbling, and eventually hand the union the dagger. Things are getting interesting and the bulk of our pilots are wanting to strike.
Status quo violations during a time like this are, well, status quo. The RLA is not in any way on the employees' side. Historically, the NMB does not allow a job action until 1 of 2 scenarios has played out: all but a few sections of a contract are agreed upon (pay is always last), OR the disparity is so wide that there is no hope (Eastern is a good example of this). The second example takes much, much longer to play itself out, and the company only has to be able to show some form of progress.
As for "wanting to strike," believe me, I understand the frustration. I've been there, and done that. But understand this: nobody wins in a strike. The problem is that the company will say that at a certain point, they will have to shut down or shed jobs because of the losses. By then, their credibility is so far gone you don't know when to believe them. It's a fine line.
This statement is false. The majority of our passengers do not originate from these two states. The Arizona side is a small, stagnated part of an already minimal presence on the west coast. You ask any average Phoenician about g4, they don’t know who you’re talking about. G4 was not issued any major slots in critical city’s, no EAS either. G4 doesn’t move the DOT needle. No congressman is going to be phoning the DOT asking why he can’t get back home. In this sense the corporate mantra will work in our favor, “were a travel company” is more accurate from an essential air carrier standpoint.
G4 is also a bad neighbor airline; local Florida news is constantly reporting passenger frustration stories, i.e. our melt down last winter, was all over the local airways. Passenger’s stuck for days, holidays ruined. Have you heard of our numerous air returns? Local Florida news has.
Politically important? Not g4. Our flight attendants have gone before the NMB previous and are becoming very familiar with our emt’s strategy. NMB has made statements recently reflecting their concern for g4’s lack of cooperation. Everyone here is familiar with the RLA, we can read too. Will we strike tomorrow, of course not. Will it take several years, I don’t think so.
The majority of the passengers may not originate from those two states, but the businesses that they frequent (and their lobbying associations) will make a lot of noise. Further, there are some big political names in those states that carry a lot of weight in DC.
I wish you guys the best of luck, but I wouldn't be holding your breath for a strike anytime soon. Don't forget, this works both ways: once the cooling off period is over, they can lock you out. I don't know that they would, but they do have that option.