Originally Posted by
theUpsideDown
Well we are under the RLA so we are legally obligated to have a process. The boat anchor is not the process, its lack of unity. If the picketing was every single pilot not workijg that day this would be a 6month process.
The company is benefitted by the contract taking forever. Making pilots give a **** is like herding cats. If every pilot waited in a line outside the CPs office like the movie rudy to tell the cp we want blank blank blank... Anyway.
Considering how badly unified pilots are this is ok.
No, the process is the problem and has been for the industry forever. The unity is is not the issue. Management knows they benefit from the process and are not motivated to change it but incentivized to lengthen it. If any other supplier was an exclusive provider there would be resources and efforts made to get a deal done. Our process while being bound by the RLA doesn't have to be punitive. This needs to change. An amendment that only lasts four years in the face of regulatory structure that require it applies regardless of timeline is a boat anchor. The only way to fix this is to provide a means for wage growth for the duration of the contract's applicable period. Given that there's no situation that will ever allow a withdrawal of service upon the self imposed contractual limit on wage progression, there is no reason to limit wage growth for a specific 4 year period. The period beyond agreed upon wage tables needs to be addressed. The fact that contracts take years has nothing to do with the union but rather the incentive for management to not make a deal until motivated to do so. No other business contract takes this long to amend without an escalator clause or bridge provision to address real world costs during a lack of agreement.
In this environment it would be more beneficial to TA everything and throw it against the wall and see what sticks. Unity is only truly revealed when the agreement is shown to be unacceptable. I thought we learned this lesson. All the internal bickering stops when the true nature of managements intent is revealed. This is why they fight for secrecy surrounding negotiations. Bad morale is bad for business so it's been removed as a tool for the union. If we had leadership that was willing to do EVERYTHING legally within their power to exert pressure we would have a real unity. This period beyond the amendable date is akin to indentured servitude.