Originally Posted by
Gunga Din
So, according to a Honolulu news station, it looks like Hawaiian has been in negotiations for about a year also. In this time they've had informational picketing and have now put out a vote for strike authorization.
What have we done? How's our "don't rock the boat" strategy working out?
I'll admit, I've liked the new leadership video and podcasts, but come on already... it's just more talk. Euro and Bendo don't even hide the disrespect they have for us anymore. Their visits to recurrent clearly show this.
How about putting out a statement to stop picking up opentime in June, even at 200%. Stop covering for the stations inept operations. A safety first mx write up policy, some picketing in FLL and Miramar.
Before you say they can't officially take these public positions, I call BS. There are ways to make these positions known.
Getting frustrated
GD
Gunga, apparently the leadership has scared the membership and therefore we can't speak of anything that might cost ALPA money.
So where do we go, what do we do, since the union is playing safe? Instead of trying to incite what might possibly be illegal, why not try to start a movement to accomplish what is legal?
You're on the right track by the way, when you say this "Stop covering for inept operations" !
We have an obligation to fly airplanes for Spirit under the provisions of our CBA and Spirit has the right to expect us to provide work for them while we follow the CBA. In other words, we can't stop all open time because the CBA provides for pilots too fly open time.
But the CBA doesn't cover the non piloting aspect of our jobs that so many of us seem to think are necessary. Things like begging for a release or (my favorite) pulling out our personal cell phones on the flight deck to fix a dispatch or m/x problem. We are not required to do those things under our CBA, we ARE required to fly airplanes - that is after all our job description.
I personally believe that the MEC could legally ask the group to avoid picking up open time above the historical average of open time flying. But I'm not the MEC. ......
Again, let's don't beat the " no open time " drums, let's beat the "just do your job and not everyone else's job " drum. After all, we are a union and union members don't do the jobs of other workers. We don't steal other workers jobs.
One more thing. I, for one, need this job to last the rest of my career. Most of the people I work with express this sentiment.
For that to happen, Spirit needs to operate efficiently. At the present time, a significant amount of Spirit's airport operations are at best inept. As long as the pilots continue to cover up the inefficiency and ineptness of the rest of the operation, those areas will never "grow up" and stand on their own. So it's in OUR long term best interests to allow the rest of the operation to learn how to stand on it's own.
and oh, by the way, learn the CBA!