Thread: Next steps...
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Old 10-11-2018, 04:49 AM
  #13  
CantStayAway
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Joined APC: Nov 2016
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Originally Posted by DimpledBalls View Post
I will never say that I hold all the answers to solve the issues but, it is obvious to me and many others that not enough is being done.

First, communicate better with the pilot group whether that be rallies, meetings or more pub events. They are actively holding these events but the message needs to be more clear. The rhetoric that is provided is nothing shy of pathetic. Canned responses that fail to accurately represent the current “asks” and what it ultimately means for our future. Pay close attention during these events. You will operate under the next contract for 8 years, not the 5 years being mentioned by our NC. They claim that the early openers on the following contract will in effect, make this a 3-3.5 year contract. That is not reality. We had early openers on the contract that we are negotiating now and we have been working on this for the better part of 2.5 years.

It is my opinion that ALPA National is now applying a great deal of pressure to get a TA in front of our pilots. They just want this done because of the vast amount of resources that our negotiations are consuming. The pressure that is being applied ultimately shorts F9 pilots on some very important issues. Obviously, pay being the focus. If the pay rate gets into the ballpark of other 121 carriers, it will be enough to pass a contract. I say no, it is not enough. Pay is important but other areas are just as important. Areas such as health care, retirement and long term disability, et al are important too. When these areas of the contract are discussed at union meetings and pub events the answer from union reps will, without question put F9 last or second to last in all these categories compared to our peers. This is not “Bringing Frontier Pilots into the pattern”

Contracts take time. The NMB is never going to release this pilot group and if we want an industry contract, every pilot needs to fight for it. That fight begins with every pilot expressing their concerns to the MEC, NC, LEC.

Look at my previous post. I am not stating that I have lost confidence in my NC, rather my confidence is diminishing as this negotiation goes on and on. The NC understand the importance of getting a contract completed and I simply feel that key areas will be sacrificed vs. getting it right. If an industry standard contract takes an extra year that would be better than operating under a substandard one.

I mostly agree, lthough I think they’re communicating fine. There’s nothing new to report right now. Otherwise I agree.

If they are feeling pressure to get it done (and I expect the NMB to also ratchet up the pressure on the NC in a couple weeks as well) and they cave to it, we’ve always got our NO vote. It will be up to those who are vehemently opposed to it to educate those who see a 30-40% raise and drool over it. I’m starting to think that no matter how long this drags out the first thing we see for a vote will be mediocre.
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