Originally Posted by
morerightrudder
Thank you for the basic lecture on how a CBA works. Unfortunately, your points are not applicable here because RAH does not follow your line of reasoning. Their approach has been "we'll interpret the contract any way we want, and sue us if you can". They know that in any court action, they can outgun and outlawyer the union. The union knows this as well as they do not have the resources to fight every violation of the status quo. And those who have worked at RAH for more than a couple of years would know that there are many.
If the union had agreed to the hiring bonuses, there would have been an LOA or an MOU to that effect. There was not, and anyone who followed the union's communications would know that they opposed bonuses for new hires.
Assuming that the union wants the hiring bonuses because they are not in court shows a lack of understanding of this situation.
I don't have a lack of understanding of the situation at all. Republic, Gojet and the other who are in negotiations complain about their lack of contracts yet they don't do the one legal thing that would get the contract done. The bonuses allow the companies to outbid the competition to get pilots. Its a separate pay scale for the new guy. Without the bonus the companies would not get pilots. They would have to ground planes or finish the contract. They would finish the contract.
And with the contract finished pilot would go there. With the bonuses gone the other airlines would have to up their pay scales to get pilots. The companies would be going to the unions asking for higher pay scales.
I don't care what other violations of status quo there are out there, all together they do not equate to the bonus violation. Stop the bonuses and ever regional pilot in the country will get a 50% raise within 6 months and 100% in a year.
It is not expensive to file a motion for an injunction. The bonuses are a clear violation of the status quo. The companies will go into panic mode as soon as it is done because you will have them by the balls. When you have them by the balls their hearts and minds will follow.
Here are more excuses I hear from pilots: "We need the bonuses to get more pilots. Without new FOs I can't upgrade to captain and without getting captain time I will never make it to American", "The new hires are not really employees", "The company agrees to give them the bonus before they start training, so it is done before they are hired". None of these have any legal validity.