Originally Posted by
rvr1800
Ok how about this. We can all agree things need to be fixed. We voted in ALPA for a reason and we still don't have a contract. So the problems that existed then still exist now. Guys are getting impatient. It's not propaganda. It's the truth. Most of the guys I fly with want change and aren't just "happy to be here". They are stuck here for better or worse and that's just a product of our industry.
On the flip side of the coin it's not a bad thing to be satisfied and happy to work at JetBlue. I am. Truly. I don't dread coming to work. We have a great pilot group and for the most part our fellow employees are all happy and pleasant people to work with.
This bickering back and forth is not productive to any of us. I'm guilty as much as the next guy. We need to stand united. Things will get better. They have to.
I don't disagree with any of this. The CBA progress is good, so I'm happy with where we are. I will become unhappy if we go into mediation, and stop making forward progress. Our negotiations are moving along well, so as long as progress is being made, things are good. There absolutely is pressure on both sides to get a deal quickly. ALPA wants one for obvious reasons, and management wants one because Jetblue needs to be able to compete for pilots. Someone said earlier that it isn't a problem yet, but will be in a year. Management is already looking at that year and beyond. They know that a CBA is critical to our business survival, and that's why they are asking for more negotiating days.
My last carrier took 6 years to negotiate a deal. We got parked, had a strike vote, etc. We aren't there yet. Not even close. I believe that most of the people who think we are moving slowly have zero experience with airline negotiations. If we get a contract next year, that's lightning fast, especially for an initial CBA. We need this to be done right, and it takes time to do so.