Originally Posted by
AncientAliens
I’m sorry but I don’t understand the point of your post. After walking onto the flight deck I go through the logbook with a fine tooth comb, then I hand the book over to the FO to review in case I missed something. If for some reason the a/c is unairworthy the airplane doesn’t move until our concerns are addressed. This same procedure has occurred on every flight I’ve flown for F9 as both a first officer or captain.
As for the NC, they (and we) are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The system under the RLA only works if both parties negotiate in good faith. If either party fails to satisfy their responsibilities it is up to the NMB to apply pressure on said party up to and including permitting a lockout or strike. The current NMB as constituted has abdicated that responsibility.
We began this journey before the conclusion of the 2016 election. Bruce York, the NC, and all the other parties involved on our behalf decided to follow the spirit of the RLA and engage in a good faith effort to conclude an agreement in a timely manner. That effort failed. The next step was to impress upon the NMB that an impasse in bargaining had occurred and per the purview of the RLA a release to self help should be authorized. The current NMB members, who were appointed following the surprise result of the 2016 election don’t believe we should have the opportunity to exercise our right to self help for purely political reasons. Without the threat of a walkout the company has no reason to bargain in good faith, the system fails, and they keep pocketing millions of extra dollars each day.
Do I agree with everything the NC has done, of course not, but hindsight is always 20/20. You can call our good faith efforts naive, we played by the rules and lost. But if you are trying to find someone to blame look no further than Indigo and the NMB, they are the ones who didn’t respect the process.
I agree with this.
THE PROCESS ONLY WORKS IF THE NMB ALLOWS FOR SELF-HELP! That's it. That is all. Without that possibility, the company is under no obligation to do anything in our favor (outside of the lack of ability to expand). If no other pilot joined F9 from today until whenever, why would Indigo change anything? The aircraft orders could go elsewhere. The current route structure we fly would continue and be continually scaled back as needed (due to attrition). They could essentially keep F9 the exact same until the last pilot retired or left then close the doors. With every person that leaves, it actually makes their job easier w/ less manpower to have to deal with and/or pay their share of insurance, disability, etc. Hell, there's not even something that prevents them from starting a new airline w/ a slightly better contract (it just has to be better than most regionals).
The point of this thread is appropo. However, there really is no such thing as ultimate pilot unity. You can probably get somewhere between 70-90% of the pilot group to act in accordance w/ all the actions proposed but there will never be 100% participation. History has proven this via multiple other airline negotiations. I happen to think the F9 pilot group is pretty close to terminal unity from those who are going to contribute. And from what I've seen (which is limited), people are already checking and double checking Mx logs, MELs, manifests, etc. We're all already doing the job as per our guidance in Vol 1 and 2 and will continue to.
So, while the frustration of this thread is certainly understandable, until we get a favorable NMB stance/decision (or leave), things will stay exactly the same. Complaining about the MEC or NC is displaced.