Originally Posted by
Technique Only
Let me start by saying this is my very first post on this forum but I felt it was important for us as a pilot group to reflect on the most recent union’s “win” with the NQN grievance and newest COVID MOU. Also, this outcome gives me very little hope as to how our upcoming CBA will turn out in the future.
As a background, I chose not to tell the company my vaccine status and lost over 40 hours of pay due to NQN in recent months because of it. I fully understood based on the company’s FCIFs that I would be placed in this status and not be able to pick up trips during these footprints. However, prior to these company actions, the union apparently had a verbal agreement with the company that pilots affected by not being able to fly to certain countries would be put in sub which the union emailed us about. This agreement obviously changed rather quickly. I also read the grievance the union had put out in regards to this which spelled out how they wanted the company to pay any pilots that were affected by this NQN status draft pay for those dropped trips in response to this penalizing of pilots by not being able to pick up trips during these footprints. This grievance to the company has now been pulled off ALPA’s website and modified to something totally different now which I don’t understand.
After reading the agreement between our union and the company, I was very upset to learn that the only thing our union got from the company was that any pilots put in NQN would get makeup bank for those dropped trips. That really wasn’t a “win” at all since I was given makeup hours for my trips when they were dropped for NQN by the company at the time it happened. So any previous NQN pilots basically got nothing from this grievance. Also, future trips dropped for NQN will be rewarded with reserve days which goes against seniority in so many ways. The “wins” we got in the grievance resolution only benefit those who have reported their vaccine status and have gotten the vaccine. Our union claims it is a “win” to not have a mandated vaccine but this would be illegal in the state of Tennessee for any Memphis based pilots at the very least based on Title 14 of the Tennessee law code. This most likely is the reason the company has not pursued this mandate prior to this grievance resolution. I would add that it should be illegal that the company put us in NQN status to begin with since this violates Title 14 by saying we are unable to work during those periods based on our vaccine status.
I am truly worried these “wins” the union touts from this grievance show a bad precedent as to what our future CBA will be like. Although we as pilots feel not flying draft, AVA, and selling vacation will help push the company towards a CBA, the union’s grievance resolution shows we will do whatever the company needs just for some extra money. All of these grievance “wins” with the extra pay disruptions and pay for booster shots only help the company in the long run to have more pilots capable of flying more international trips and also the company probably knows more pilots will get the vaccine and put their vaccine status in the system for some extra money. Our union could have really made a stand against the company with this grievance but once again we folded. This result brings back all the memories of our current CBA and how it went down in 2015. There was lots of talk about all of the gray area work rules and how the language needed to be better but we folded very quickly as soon as we were enticed by the big pay raises. I hope our union can change course and fix this way of thinking before we blow another CBA with the company.
In 2013, 14, and 15 as negotiations dragged on, it is true the pilot force was woefully uneducated and after the NC told the MEC they had a "TA in concept," the long poles in the tent fell like they where falling off a tall mule. The pilots were told how much money they were going to make. Sound familiar?
Fellow pilots, Let history be your guide. Yes the pay rates went up with contract 15, but so did the amount of work we did for each and every credit hour earned. Look at your bid packs from 2014 and compare them to today. Are you not working harder for each credit hour earned? How many Benjamins did that cost you each and ever trip to this day. If all you do is turn to section 3 and look at pay rates, you will again do yourself a great disservice.
Treat me professionally and compensate me fairly. That means I need to read the entire contract, ask intelligent questions, and vote only after careful consideration of the entire TA. It is time for every pilot to become responsible for understanding their contract.
Tech only, your concerns are valid. Further, has the NC catalogued the give backs in this transition MOU? If they are so proud of their MOU, which passed the MEC by the way, why can't they be open about the give backs? Further if this is a transition medical MOU where is the Travel MOU transition? Is it coming out soon?
If all you want is more money, and that is your singular barometer, this will be a rinse and repeat TA whenever it happens.
We are well on our way down the same tracks as 2015 with the exception of the MEC finances. Sacrifice quality of life for money. That always works out well for us...
Oh and if the improvements to our pension only gives a 50% replacement ratio for the pilots retiring soon, ask yourself how long has it been since the last improvement to our pension, and calculate when you think it is going to be addresses again in the future. Now how much of an improvement do you want?