Originally Posted by
baseball
If we're going to "run the act" as it's said in the business, then we need to be prepared with some patience as that takes time. There are 2 groups at the table, and both can run pieces and parts of the RLA. It's designed to be slow and inefficient so that at the end of the day, hopefully, cooler heads prevail.
The key is to make management think they have more to gain in the short term by negotiating with us with honor, integrity, and in good faith and in return they can have a great and profitable Thanksgiving and Christmas. Not to worry about summer, they already bought themselves a peaceful and uneventful summer just by negotiating the TA, as crapp-ey as it was.
You must convince management via an information war that you mean business and that it will be cheaper, more convenient, and result in less embarrassment to both government oversight and the traveling public to meet our "reasonable demands." We must be perceived as "reasonable". That being said, my level of reasonableness may be different from yours.
The MEC left the pilots behind in this TA, and management knows it. The information war can only be a rouse, unless ALPA gets its act together. Strike committees, etc. And a direct marketing campaign to the BOD, government, and public must occur. Quickly....
The RLA does provide strong leverage, but it will take a while. Lots of LEC/MEC change-overs will happen in order to run the act. At the end of the day, it is only as strong as your willingness to strike. Consider that please. Don't answer it, but consider it.
👍👍
We're about to find out if Kirby really needs us on board to achieve his United Next goals. I 'think' he does... but I wouldn't bet much $$ on that.
The RLA provides the legal framework and we should immediately (post TA vote) tell/show everyone that we are choosing the path of maximum pressure - even though we know it's a long path. The change in the nature & tenor of the pilot-management relationship will be noticed and reported on immediately. Our leadership needs to be vocal about this change in a professional but firm way. Along with that we'll need to conduct every legal action to demonstrate that we are serious and committed to getting the right contract.
The RLA provides the legal opportunity to threaten a strike - which is powerful. Taking definitive action to prove that we will go that direction will, IMO, yield near term results due to this critical point in executing strategic plans. At a minimum we need to replace several LEC reps, replace Mike Hamilton, replace the NC (& some SMEs), and then get OUR house in order and present a comprehensive list of 'must haves' & red lines to the company, They will never take us seriously if the same NC members return to the table. Similarly, Kirby and the BOD need to see a different MC in order to understand that we are changing our tactics.
In true pilot fashion our biggest challenge will be to not shoot ourselves in the foot. Beware the opportunists and flamethrowers who tell us what we want to hear! We need smart, clear eyed, and reasonable leaders who know how to tell UNITED what we want them to hear.