Originally Posted by
the apprentice
I think you might be missing my complete message all together. You have to think beyond what you are looking for. Currently we have two issues to address. The first deals under the current CBA. The CBA that was signed several year ago is already outdated and leaves no room for scalability for either the company or the pilot group. The company is playing there card. That is to knowingly break the contract as they please and deal with the consequences at a later time. Remember the CBA is not punitive in nature and all they will have to do is make you whole of such contract violation. This is called breakage. As a pilot group what is being done every time the company violates the terms of the agreement? The fact is we just curl up into the fetal position wait for our next day off and then do it all over again. If the contract violation are such a big issue then what is the union doing about it? Why are the lawyers not involved? Lets start to use the court systems to our favor after all contract law is contract law and all you need to make a contract valid is 1. an offer 2. an acceptance 3. an intention to create a legal relationship and 4. a consideration (Usually in the form of money)
Agreed. If the company weighs that it's better to break the contract to achieve a bigger goal they'll do it. If the union was putting a lot more fire under their (the company) ass in the way that you mentioned, the company would think twice with decisions on breaking contract cuz now the repercussions are greater on the weighing scale. And to be honest, the lawyer on our union side seems weak.
Originally Posted by
the apprentice
Now the second thing that needs to be address is that you have to look at the business aspect. You are asking for QOL, Language, Pay, health insurance, etc etc etc. What are you bringing to the table? What do you have to offer? From the business aspect you are just an expense at the very best you could be a cost avoidance measure. The reality is that you need to generate revenue and until you are able to demonstrate that you bring revenue to the organization then you will be stuck under the current CBA which leave the avenues for interpretation and breakage open.
What is being brought to the table is more pilots to staff the alleged 61 jets to come. We might be an expense on a balance sheet but we are also of great asset to keep the company running. From a business and market standpoint, the market is not in the company's favor - rolling back to supply and demand. At the current market for regionals, especially C5 who can't currently staff, if the company can't get pilots to fly the jets they can't increase revenue unless they open an ice cream shop on the side of North Olmsted. The market demand already demonstrates for us that they need us to increase revenue. It's an airline, until Boeing start selling pilotless planes (and people will actually fly on them) the "I am a pilot" is enough to demonstrate to the company that pilots bring revenue. If the market was the total opposite then I would agree with your insight. I mentioned QOL, language etc. because those are some of the things that will make a better environment for incumbent pilots and in return, the company will get what they want - staffing 61 jets. No one will come to a ****ty company if they(the pilot) have choices to do better. It only makes sense. Pilot community is small, pilots talk.
Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to. -Branson
Originally Posted by
the apprentice
This is a fear based management team their professional identity is their only source of personal power, and they more than anyone else in their sphere know how fragile that power is. They don't feel whole and healthy. They don't have the self esteem to build anyone else up and make the people who work for them feel strong and capable.You can easily see how fearful people put into management positions would not only devote their lives to pleasing their superiors by becoming almost machinelike in their devotion to the structure of business the rules and punishments and obsessive measurement but also take pride and almost delight in treating their employees like dirt. The false sense of bureaucratic power conferred on them by higher level managers becomes a substitute for self esteem. Healthy people grow their muscles throughout life, but unhealthy, fearful managers get their fake self esteem by hitting the marks that other people tell them to hit.
Totally agree with this. The keyword is Leadership, a word those at the top are lacking. Therefore they resort to fearmonger and deception. They want to push this family-oriented culture, yet they don't hold up their end - and I am not just talking about how they deal with crews on the line, employees at CLE is included too. The top heads hide behind curtains and let the lower heads carry out their nasty tactic, if the lower heads refuse they get replaced cuz they are "expendable". Very ****ty.
A great culture is cultivated properly when it starts from the top down.
Originally Posted by
the apprentice
This is part of why until the management group starts to fear the pilot group breakage will continue. Hence why I ask what do you bring to the table? what do you have to offer?
No more half measures!
I think I answered this up top. However, Yes when the management ass burns to charcoal they will start to fear the breakage.
Plugging it in the company's "formula":
Significant increase in cost of breakage = > their goal
Embarassing.