Originally Posted by
Baradium
I'm not an Alaska pilot, I simply chimed in because your information seems so contradictory to what happens in the industry. So what you're saying is that every carrier simply has a union which does not know how to negotiate with the railway labor act?
Not at all.
In the very recent past, both Frontier and Spirit pilots voted 100% for a strike authorization. This sent a very strong signal to their respective managements making the possibility of a strike ever occurring that much more miniscule. The goal is to attain your goals WITHOUT having to strike by sending a message that you are willing to strike if you absolutely have to. Again, peace through strength.
Note that Spirit pilots also struck in 2010 reinforcing the message that they are willing to take it all the way. Spirit pilots just approved a contract giving them an average of approximately a 40% pay raise. That is not too shabby.
In 2015, UPS pilots voted 99.9% to authorize a strike. They ended up with a 40% increase to their pension plan.
All of the above unions have done at least some things right. I would argue, though, that collectively as a profession, we could increase our own fortunes by playing the mediation game impeccably and pressing the federal courts for release (after 2 to 2.5 years) if the NMB is applying a patently arbitrary and unreasonable rationale to their case for not releasing us (that, by the way, is the legal test the federal courts have created for us if the NMB is not releasing us).
And, you do know that when a mediator says they will "put you on ice forever", they are lying? You do know mediators use lying as a way to spur on negotiations, right?