Originally Posted by
mercys ghost
Is there any hard data out there on how many jobs have been saved from unjust termination by having assistance from union representation?
There is at least one, DD. It took him many months and tens of thousands of dollars to get his job back. It’s reasonable to assume that almost no one who has been fired at Skywest can afford to spend that kind of money while out of work.
My point is that it doesn’t have to be this way for any pilot. So having it happen just once is one too many when there is a feasible alternative that also brings other value on top of just having legal representation.
Originally Posted by
mercys ghost
Anyone who is employed by a company runs the risks of termination, and that is not unique to pilots. The recurring argument I keep seeing is that having a union gives you an army of attorneys at your side. You are saying these guys cannot afford an attorney, but can afford to dump money into a union?
Just for the record, my specific argument for ALPA is foremost the safety, security, and pilot assistance advocacy that that organization brings to the pilots. That’s not to say there also isn’t much value in having a contract legally recognized by the NMB and the representation that comes along with that. It’s not like having representation is nothing.
It’s no different than your auto insurance. If someone T-bones you at no fault of your own, your insurance company will represent your case in front of an arbitrator against the attorneys of the other driver’s insurance company. Would you rather have to either represent yourself against attorneys from the other side or have to pay out of pocket for your own attorney? Or would you rather pay insurance premiums in case you find yourself in that situation? You can afford the insurance premiums every month but most people cannot afford the out of pocket expense to pay for an attorney, especially if you are out of a job until you can win and get it back.
You can think of ALPA as an insurance policy. The big difference is that the ALPA insurance company doesn’t just represent you if you find yourself in need of representing. They also advocate for your safety and security at all levels and agencies of government.
Originally Posted by
mercys ghost
You are correct, it is an assumption. However, I do have hard data to show that the one non-union carrier regional airline is miles ahead of any of its competition. If your management is doing, and has done the things you say, do you honestly think for one second they would be willing to continue with the same business plan if a union were on property? I feel pretty comfortable when my assumption, and plenty of info to back it up.
Skywest management has had years dealing with pilot unions. It wasn’t contentious and they didn’t change their business plans. The main difference is that with a union, the pilots now get a seat at the adult table to have the adult conversations. It didn’t mean that the two side always agreed. Many times they agreed to disagree and the subject was sent to an arbitrator. If anything, it takes contention out of the picture because both sides know they have a dispute resolution mechanism. Things become more professional when disagreeing knowing that they can send it to a third party for a unbiased outcome. Skywest management are very smart and savvy, which is not necessarily a bad thing. So they are not going to do anything rash just because pilots now have more of a say in their QOL. It simply changes the relationship of one that is more of a professional type, more hands off, attorneys dealing with attorneys when needed. And management dealing with MEC reps when working out other issues. It’s in everyone’s best interest to work together. What you have without a union is basically a one way street.