Originally Posted by
shroomwell
In general I value your opinions and what you have posted on this forum, now and in the past. But unless you are an active member of management who will be in the the negotiating room with both sides present, why would you post something like this? Surely you you know that management will see this or have it printed out for them to read. You are hurting our cause, YOUR union’s cause, when you say things like this. Frankly I am surprised you would put something like this out, especially considering your previous union negotiating experience in your previous career. Please consider your potential audience, many of whom certainly are not active K4 ALPA members. We intend to have pay raises, as well as much better retirement and a host of other things that we WILL achieve at the negotiating table.
JMO
Thank you for the complement. That’s why it is listed as my predictions. Anyone who thinks that big pay raises and retirement benefits are in your future does not understand how things at K4 work. More importantly, you would be placing an unrealistic burden on our negotiating committee. When the environment creates a situation where it makes more money to pay more money, they will pay more money. Company needed to expand, we couldn’t hire pilots. Hence new contract.
Atlas is a perfect example of how the RR labor act is against the working man. They work for a debt heavy company and have a solidarity against overtime. They are not filling classes. Yet their management still manages to not negotiate in good faith, keep the ship afloat and even manage to keep us from acquiring 4 new airframes. I too have heard the 2021 deadline from DHL. I wonder what Atlas will do with all those 400’s they haven’t leased?
Please do not put unrealistic goals on our negotiating committee. IMO, presenting things that enhance quality of life and either help efficiency, or don’t cost much is the way to go. Your Union management and negotiating committee are very aware of the behind the scene financial situation with other staff members. The company is solid financially, but is not flush with cash. It cost money to expand and like anything most things, the return on investment, takes a while.
Solidarity comes from union members knowing all the facts and having realistic expectations. What I write in no way influences what the company or our negotiating committee does. Their people, like our people are 6 moves ahead of these statements.
My statements are on a new hire forum, and intended to give a potential new hire who might get the impression that we are the next FedEx, a dose of reality.