Originally Posted by
Carl Spackler
Section 6 can be opened at any time.
It is NOT asking too much to begin Section 6 now with the goal of an industry leading contract by 2012.
This pilot group has shown no limits to cooperation with management. It's time management shows a similar level of cooperation. But management won't know what to cooperate about if we all share your low expectations. Let's make the request, and make it now.
Carl-
I share your fears about the low expectations among some pilots and I'm with you in spirit, but -
I think the way the NMB operates nowadays has made "Section 6" almost meaningless. Amendable dates have become meaningless. Witness the number of pilot groups that are
years beyond their amendable date and still far from agreement.
The NMB is never going to release American Airlines. They certainly will never release Delta. Huge airlines have become akin to public utilities. Too vital to the economy for the govt to ever allow a total shutdown. The NMB is theoretically an independent agency but they have become captives of the administration and Congress, neither of which wants to see an airline strike. We are, in effect, just like the air controllers. We are operating under a de facto no strike clause and management knows it.
I think Lee Moak and DALPA realize that as well. They say they are committed to incremental contract improvements when the opportunities arise. I agree with that strategy but I think we need to impress upon them that the membership wants the next LOA or JV or whatever to be that opportunity. No more freebies.
In the longer term, we've got to find new and innovative ways to exert pressure on management to achieve our contractual goals short of full-blown section 6 self-help. The APA "set your hair on fire" methods have clearly been ineffective. There has to be a better way.
The RLA is broken. It doesn't work anymore. Finding the new way forward in labor relations under the RLA should be the focus of our energy.