N4S,
Don't really imagine you are going to get any angry responses.
Think most of us understand the facts. Simply in awe that it went this way.
Realize, most of us were not at UPS when the original actions were decided, and many hired after the Dorsey event.
At this point, hoping FQS accretion will still go forward successfully with long fences to protect what you all have earned.
This benefits the IPA membership.
Afterall, if the FQS has something better, now represented by IPA, then beneficial as a marker precedent for the rest of the IPA. Therefore IPA has vested interest in maintaining your benefits, pension, etc. It also provides IPA opportunity to capture skills and insights of UPS that would benefit all parties.
Originally Posted by
Need4Speed
Definitely not trying to kick a hornet's nest here, but some of the recent information being posted on this thread is worth paying attention to. I am an FQS, and was here from the beginning of the airline. Right or wrong, good or bad, it was the job I was offered - and is the job I accepted. It's been a good career, and I have no regrets. I am nearing the end of my career here, so the outcome of any integration plan will not affect me one way or another. Whether it ever happens or not is anyone's guess.
In the early days of the airline, Rob Dorsey and I spoke often about his ideas regarding many aspects of the airline (anyone who knows Rob knows that he wasn't shy about expressing his opinions). Rob felt strongly that there needed to be changes in the Flight Operations structure. He felt that the "Fleet Supervisors", as they were referred to at the time, should have representation. Rob climbed WAY out on a limb to try to make this happen. He knew that strength was in numbers, and he counted on the IPA to back him up when he decided to move forward with his plan. I still remember the day that the IPA dealt Rob the coup-de-Gras when they "officially" took the position that they had no desire to represent the UPS Mgmt Pilots. That was the beninning of the end for Rob, and the rest is history. Many "Fleet Supervisors" who supported the integration felt terribly betrayed, and couldn't understand this position.
Somebody mentioned in a past thread that if there was ever a "right time" for the integration, it was early in the history of the airline. They were exactly right. Now, the FQSs are deeply vested in their pension and retiree health care plans that would change drastically if any type of integration were to occur now. This is one reason (among others) why there doesn't appear to be much support in the form of "cards" being returned.
I'm sure there will be many angry responses to this post, which will have a different version of what happened back then - and that's OK. I'm not interested in debating this, and I'm not interested in discussing whether or not I even agreed with Rob. Again, I'm not trying to defend any position here - I just feel like this perspective is worth being voiced. I really believe the IPA missed a huge opportunity back then, and now it may be too late.
Notadog,
We can all conjecture the motivations of UPS. It all boils down to money and control. Insert rest of explanation.....
The present is that UPS has forever sealed the fate of any further similiar opportunity in the future that could have been mutually beneficial to all parties. That is arrogant and shortsighted management at the highest levels.
Believe the furlough and rejection of the MOU sealed the fate that UPS is going to deal with a much more enaged and challenging membership. Had they continued the MOU process, they could have extracted hundreds of millions of dollars from the IPA via a less engaged and more docile IPA. ( Including contract waivers, no grievances filed, deal cutting by individual crews, etc)
They were getting the money now and likely would have gotten a less costly contract next go around. Opportunities lost.
From a management view: Can't understand a management philosophy that encourages strict contract awareness and engagement before contract talks???
Originally Posted by
notadog
Don't kid yourself. As far as the company was concerned, the MOU was not going to prevent furloughs. The MOU was about footing the bill for 125 DC8 crew members who were sitting at home collecting full pay and benefits.
BM tried his usual "let's make a deal" and the company laughed all the way to the bank.
The furloughs were coming, the company just was slick enough to wring $100 million out of the pilots in spite of it.