Originally Posted by
TonyWilliams
Granted, he did not involve himself in the contract negotiations until the end, nor does he have any experience in dealing with a labor union. But he wasn't impressed with the process.
So, buying XJT will also have absolutely nothing to do with whether it is ALPA or not. Obviously, Chip and Jerry aren't going to play games with the ALPA provisions in the XJT contract that seriously limit the company. But they've never once stripped a purchased airline of its crews to then rehire them at first year pay and seniority.
The XJT pilots will do that to themselves, or not. They will have to vote to accept the changes to the contract, or go down with the ship trying to keep them.
Long before ASA was bought, SkyWest bought Sun Aire. They were fully integrated into SkyWest on par. ASA would have been also, in my opinion, had it not been union, or if we had become union. The same would be true of XJT.
Trust me, the pilots aren't very impressed with the bargaining process either. The only reason why "involved himself" in the contract negotiations is because the NMB "involved" him when they required him to show up to the final day of negotiations with the threat that if they didn't come to an agreement the ASA pilots would be sent to a cooling off period.
As far as XJT contract provisions that "seriously limit the company," unless you think that having one seniority list seriously limits the company, there isn't anything in there that would. But if SKW got what they wanted they would be able to transfer aircraft without pilots and in essence would strip "its crews to then rehire them at first year pay and seniority." You are right though that the XJT pilots would do that to themselves if they let SKW get what they want without offering any protections and assurances. Remember, the CAL letter left the door open for XJT to come to terms with them if they provide the savings on the "magnitude" that SKW is offering.
It really does come down to SKW not wanting a certain labor group to organize. For all the talk that SKW treats their employees well but yet they are against wanting them to have a basic right to organize.
Originally Posted by
TonyWilliams
It would be no surprise that many XJT guys and gals would be miffed at the provisions of SkyWest's offer ( I would be, too), but I would be honestly surprised that a majority would vote to (probably) put themselves on the street. Like there's lots of pilot jobs out there right now. But, stranger things have happened.
Listen, I really don't care whether our company buys XJT or not. I doubt seriously that there will be any short term benefit to the pilots at SKW or ASA, and only nebulous long term benefit. Obviously it's important to Jerry that he regain Continental business, and it's also important that we diversify to more carriers. Should United actually fail, for instance, we would be SCREWED (Delta, too, but I think they'll be ok).
Yes, our management will have their way with you
The pilots are open to SKW buying XJT out. But the deal has to be right. If it is not, I think they will rather have XJT management make their own deal with CAL instead. Like I said, the letter left that door open. This is just CAL's way of using SKW to whipsaw XJT into coming to terms to the savings on the "magnitude" that SKW is offering. Its a negotiating tactic. CAL wins either way.
Your management cannot have its way like they legally can with its "at-will" employees. They are required to bargain with us, per the RLA, if they want certain things removed from our contract. If the XJT MEC comes to an agreement on those terms, the pilots would be required to ratify the agreement. There is no legal way for SKW management to "have their way with" us.