Originally Posted by
Clocks
What service did you provide ASA for those years?
You didn't provide any, you were unemployed. ... If you don't think the contract is fair you should have applied somewhere else or worked to change it while you were on property (I assume you're working on getting it changed now?).
Just my thoughts after 25 months on furlough.
Clock,
- Was his furlough voluntary?
- Were pilots with less longevity employed doing "his" work while he was involuntarily on furlough?
The way I see it, a union's #1 job is to protect it's member's jobs. After all, without pilots the union has nobody to represent. The pilot needs his longevity protected, the union needs pilots to represent. It is a symbiotic relationship. When a union allows one division of a Company to furlough while another division hires it is a failure to deliver job #1. Frankly, United and Delta should not be outsourcing and SkyWest should not be playing games with who gets work.
When I worked for ASA (& the reason I left) was that we were punished for holding firm to our demand for a better contract. Our 900's and some 700's were diverted to SkyWest. ASA pilots were demoted (as they were already on the Certificate and staffing for the new jets when the Company engaged in immoral activity).
The term "immoral" is justified. If ALPA had staged "self help" in the form of a strike, or suspension of service, pilots would have gone to jail and ALPA would have been fined. SkyWest engaged in self help without repercussion.
So yeah, I think he's right to direct his LEC to push his MEC to make him whole. He should write a resolution and get it passed at his next LEC meeting. He's got some good folks providing representation at ASA ... put them to work.