Originally Posted by
rickair7777
I have some real issues with alpa's track record in regional-land, but with great difficulty I finally decided to vote yes on the last drive, on the assumption that it might be good for the industry as a whole.
It would be easier to vote yes next time, if there is a next time.
Actually I almost suspect that the company wants a pilot union now...they can allow alpa to deal with the ASA/SKW integration, play off the pilots against the other employees (we have to cut YOUR compensation because of the greedy pilots union...) and avoid having to make hard decisions.
They may see this as likely or inevitable, and are reducing compensation as much as practical in advance of a contract.
Agree with your assessment. Not SKW,but the industry is similiar. The market is what it is, pilots have predictable inertia. The 'No Union" folks are a management dream right now. They can cut benefits,stop pay increases, change scheduling rules to anything they want. You, the pilot has no choice. No recourse when they fire you for any reason. It is slow, but will be a steady downturn. You know, the frog in a pot thing. Management has given up on being a non union carrier because they see lots of financial benefits during a long and tortuous transition. It was not always that way. Business is that way and management will think business. Until now, no union was best management practice, no longer.
Management knows the inertia will give them plenty of time to drag you all down to a miserable state, you will vote in a union eventually. They will not really discourage it by that time. They need it for the next strategic event. Then you are all subject to RLA and will take you years for ALPA or otherwise to negotiate your first contract. Management $$$$$$ ahead.
Your first contract: Management will start with basement benefits. Basically why they will freefall from here forward. Management is already starting negotiations with you. Have they not always raised benefits? This is your first reductions, they are not nearly the last.
The negotiations will predictably divide the pilot group. You will all blame each other for the mess, not management. Sweeeeet!!! Pilots are so easy to predict. Management $$$$$$ ahead.
If management gets there way, it will be ALPA because it gives them options with ASA. An in house union would not be in their plans.
In any case, good luck, they hope you all sit back, relax and move on the inertia of the past, not your future.
Strategically, they are way ahead of you in planning savings while the pilots blame and fight among each other. They will accept the acrimony because it will save them 10's of millions ao dollars for the next decade. Good luck with your future. Pilot predictability is now going to work for managements financial bottom line. Management $$$$$ ahead.
Best bet is get your leaders in the group to start thinking strategically and support them in the actions you all choose. Sitting on the side lines is a management expectation. Looking forward?? Management is hoping you look backward to previous votes, etc.
If you support SAPA, is it such a far stretch to give them some teeth?
Best of futures to all of us. Read about the RLA, time to get educated. It is a thorny road, but so is doing nothing.