Originally Posted by shiznit

"The Contract survey is the first step towards a strike vote"
-Capt. Donatelli

What has more leverage for Negotiators: a 53% turnout for a strike vote or 99% turnout for a strike vote?

If we get 99% of our fellow pilots to do the survey, it gives the NC a strong mandate at the table to get much more of what we ask.

If only half do the survey, well, that's not nearly the same amount of leverage for the NC is it?

Are you going to help IMPROVE the NC's leverage to get a better deal or are you going to REDUCE the NC's leverage?

If you are satisfied with 4/8/3/3 sure, let's have only 53% do the survey again.

Originally Posted by RonRicco

I have to agree with Shiz on this, and I guess Carl as well. Pilots give input/direction in many different ways. Look at the CDO issue, there was no survey or poll (that I know of anyway) but pilots gave input directly to their reps and were heard.

With a 53 percent response rate on a survey, that certainly leaves the door open that 47 percent of pilots with differing (or maybe the same) views gave input to their reps in alternative ways and unless we consider the survey the ultimate mandate, that form of input must be factored in as well.

How do you make the survey the ultimate, or at least the heaviest weighted mandate? 100 percent participation. For every pilot that refuses to fill it out, the less statistically valid it becomes.

Say we only end up with 40 percent that fill it out this time and the vote on CDO's is slightly "no", but the squeaky wheel this time happens to be people that are in favor. The rep is going to have to make more of a judgement call when it come to saying "no to cdo" than he otherwise would have if the participation rate was 100 percent.

The survey is but one form of input. The less participation, the more discretion you are giving to your reps. For me, that isn't exactly an option I am thrilled about considering the 117 issue.....