We've had ASAP for quite some time, we have LOSA, we're now AQP and have FOQA, all programs run in conjuction with the FAA not a union. Our pilot representative board communicates with other MECs in the airline industry and we had another member of our pilot representative board testify in the hearing to change the rules for voting in a union (in favor of a union). I'm not trying to prove you wrong, but there seem to be some huge misconceptions about SkyWest. And I'll reiterate that we're paid a better wage than most of the union regional carriers out there.
Instead of getting mad at us, why don't you get frustrated with unionized pilot groups that agree to pay rates and work rules that are below ours? With the ALPA name on them, they're "keeping the bar lower" than SkyWest ever has. The SkyWest business model has always depended on fielding higher than average employees, so while XJT et al were "raising the bar" by hiring guys with 500 hours, we didn't let anybody in the door with less than 1,000. I'm not anti-union, I'm pro free thought. I just don't have much respect for people's arguments and rationale when they call me scum, proceed then to insist that their's is the only way of thinking, whilst they work for less money than I do. Its not a jab, it just doesn't compute for me.
Throughout history, tell me about a time when people threatened others into the "just" way of thinking. If your point is so apparent then you don't need to bully people into believing you. Some airlines are run better than others, perhaps the union issue is more of a red herring that keeps you busy fighting with each other rather than realizing that your company strategies are to blame rather than one part (AWAC, just as an example, is notorious for blaming pilot wages) of a large cost structure. Kinda like democrats and republican finger pointing and pumping out rhetoric to distract from their own corruption and inefficiency. I encourage everyone to think for themselves rather than subscribing to opinions formulated by somebody else.
I must not have made myself clear. Wages and work rules are not the only thing I'm talking about. In fact, it's very minor, which is why I only had one sentence about it. The fact of the matter is that pay and work rules have more to do with collective bargaining within the reality of a companies financial success.
My bigger point was everything unionized pilot groups have done for safety and security of the industry. What has the Skywest pilot group done to submit NPRM comments on lithium batteries, pilot fatigue, professionalism, ATP requirements, requirements of pilot certificates, etc? The fact that you point out that there was another pilot making the case for democratic unionizing further makes my case. It doesn't matter when your sapa president talks with the cal MEC or UAL MEC on issues because they know that it doesn't mean that much without a NMB recognized union with a president who can sign an MOU and putting on legally binding terms the agreement between parties. Which brings up another point. Can you produce your asap MOU? I've asked this many times and I've only gotten silence. The facf that you point out that your asap is run in conjunction with the faa, shows a lack of understanding of the true protections of the program, which is why Im curious to read the mou and who are the parties signatory to it. When I talk about asap, FOQA, and crewpass, I'm not saying that coat tail riders like Skywest dont take advantage of them, I'm saying that they were not involved in the development of the programs. Even the template used for the MOU itself was developed by ALPA. And hundreds of other things that you and I take for granted are were also developed with the help of ALPA such as tcas, standard T, approach light systems, etc. Or things that ALPA pushed to have required such as stronger crash axes, wx radar, nonpunitive use of cvr recordings, etc.
When was the last time, Skywest as a pilot group, participated in any ARC, commission, court filling, administrative appeal of a government agency, testified before congress, lobbied, were members of an NTSB investigation, etc, etc, etc.
Until Skywest pilots can speak with one voice, with the strength of a NMB recognized union, put a legally binding signature to paper, in representing their interest through legally required/standardized union elections, in my mind they will continue to ride the coat tails that have made this industry better and safer for everyone.