Originally Posted by
80ktsClamp
LM himself said a couple meetings ago that "pattern bargaining" is dead. Are our unionoids and friends trying to say otherwise?
I think he was referring to the fact the union has all the leverage of a spaghetti noodle after having been boiled for a week. Since under the RLA we can't really withdraw our services and management has substantially replaced our services, the point is well taken that we've got to be ready to "negotiate" when scraps fall from the table.
Look at examples like Swissair and what's going on a Lufthansa. If they struck, management would giggle and say "Fragen, die nicht!"
Originally Posted by
newKnow
The whole "I don't want to ask for too much, even though the company is making record profits, because the company might lose money later on and make us give it back" plan is pretty lame to me.
New K
Knew N,
With nonsensical scope limits, we do have real exposures to market forces. Does anyone doubt that the Company (and our Union) would seek to maximize revenue if a serious threat existed to the Company's survival? Both sides would be telling us how smart it would be to utilized outsourced flying to its maximum certified capacity. (That's the OBJECTIVE limit) In a serious downturn does anyone seriously think $40 million dollar regional jets under long term contracts are going to get parked, when management already touts the flexibility provided them by operating a fully depreciated mainline narrowbody fleet that costs little more than fuel for the trip to Victorville?
(... and before the apologists start talking about 50 seaters, no, I'm talking E175's that could even replace our Latin America work)
ALPA will never come right out and say we now have to compete with the alter ego airlines they assisted in creating, but that's the truth of the matter.