Originally Posted by
putzin
Ummm, Jetblue and Virgin for that matter, didn't "set any bars". They rode the wave of dues paying members for free. Unfortunately it appears our mec is enthralled with making their wages our starting point and too many want to reference them.
Both of those airlines have done nothing yet to be included in the list of professionals who fought for their wages to be increased and our wages shouldn't be starting there!
Anything short of the pay from carriers who actually "set the bar", should get a big fat "No" vote on any new TA we receive.
That's an offensive post, laughable, and completely ignores history. You were a CA here and should know better. Both B6 and VX are ALPA now. Both these airlines are also relatively newer on the market compared to Spirit and others. B6 started flying in 2000 and VX in 2007. 7 years in, I'd say what VX isn't bad all things considered.
Rode the waves of dues paying members? No one at VX was a newbie to the industry. You know what makes up the group. Ex-Aloha, ex-Midwest, ex-ATA, ex-Champion, ex-AWA, ex-US Airways, ex-TWA, ex- ex- ex a crap load of airlines in which they were dues paying ALPA members left with no job at the end of the day. People here are ex-MEC Chairs, ex-Vice Chairs of their respective airline before and have fought to try and make this place better. VAPA tried in 2012 which was not even 5 years into existence for the company. That union drive failed on a technicality when it came to counting the cards. Just as soon as it was dead, the motions slowly started again for a union drive and it was ALPA. Maybe you have forgotten since you left, but no one is just riding the coattails. Not since the first day the VAPA drive began.
Unfortunately it appears our mec is enthralled with making their wages our starting point and too many want to reference them.
Your MEC embracing that is your problem. And yes, even the National Mediation Board members that mediate will look at your group to include jetBlue and Virgin. You may not like it but it is a peer defined by the NMB and so it is what it is. Good luck in your contract fight and for the sake of pattern bargaining I really do hope you get a package better than jetblue and Virgin. But don't be so quick to throw stones, in one way or another we are all in this together.