Long time lurker but felt compelled to make an account because I think most of you are nucking futs.

Has IBT been stellar? No. Do they have work to do? Absolutely.

The fact of the matter is we're getting absolutely spitroasted as a pilot group with GU and IBT on one side but we're first and foremost getting bent over by MG and his circle jerk. They sit there and brag about industry leading this and that in earnings calls but then send us emails saying we're the next Spirit if we don't bend the knee. Get the f out of here. They literally think the pilot group is unskilled labor, MG has said it out loud.

You got FhimiGPT sending out a daily diatribe trying to cripple what little we do have going for us to help out his management homies. They're spending a fortune on F&H to start rumors that pilots gobble up like candy. ALPA ain't gonna fix a thing.

Yeah, so many of our pilots want to be represented by a "real pilot union" but you have to work for a real airline for that to matter. Sucks the legacies turned you down or you were too scared to jump but you reap what you sow. Keep banging away on the keyboard, arm chair quarterbacking the few people that are at least trying to do something while MG keeps taking you to the wood shed.

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Support from a real union such as ALPA would’ve prevented us from ever being where we are now. Previous union leadership screwed us big time, where it never would’ve happened to an ALPA carrier so I have to say I disagree.

Never got turned down and am not jumping because I see what this place can easily be, and frankly, seniority is way to good. With decent pay, benefits, and more clear work rule language, this place sh*ts on any pilot job out there.

Strongly agree that Fihmi is f*ing annoying as hell and it’s clear F&H write his emails

 

My conversations go back.... way back lol. I don't wanna disclose here obviously what many have said. All I can say is this... theres a few "Never teamsters", a few after the contract if things look bad it's time to pull the plug. Exponentially more "Get our local back, get a deal, and run the local without hidden agendas". And another few that are always teamsters.
Most people I've spoken to in the last few weeks really just want to get nominations and elections going. They're more focused on getting the local back and getting a contract.

I understand you along with others have been frustrated for the fact that many were too afraid to pull the trigger last year bc they feared it would derrail negotiations, and as you have mentioned, the retention bonus on the line as well as losing their medical coverage. I know you say it's not like that, but unfortunately unless someone stepped up, stuck their neck out and focused on stating any actual facts about an ALPA drive, then everyone will do what they think is best with the information they have at that point in time. Hope this answer helps brother.

 

Greg, of course management and MG are trying to screw us - that’s what all management does. Name an airline where pilots and management assign kumbaya. I’ll wait. Did they treat you like royalty at World? You still complaining about the your time at World Airways?

we pay the union to protect us from management’s predatory tactics - that’s what the money is for.

The reason the ibt is an abomination is because they were so content to just have AR send them money each month that they didn’t care if AR was screwing us.

I never understand people like you. If you believed management was friendly to pilots then you also must believe pilots don’t need unions to protect them from management. Your logic is completely circular and broken.

anyay thanks for lurking and finally making a post, it’s good to hear from our trustee Greg U.

 

What address you want me to send your jump to conclusions mat to?

The need for unions is clear. What I don't understand is how ALPA is some magical unicorn that is going to get the company to quit taking their ball and going home. Probably should of started with ALPA. If we get a bad contract by all means bring them in. 2118 is about to have a leader that (hopefully) isn't a sociopath for the first time ever. No point to switching now.

 

Switching to ALPA makes sense for multiple reasons. Mergers would be much easier if it were to happen. A big one is how they handle negotiations. They have different teams of specialists come in for each section of the contract and hammer out section after section. Not the same 4 inexperienced pilots and 2 lawyers for the entire contract. 1400 days of negotiations would not happen under modern ALPA. If you seriously can’t see the benefit to that then idk what else to say. We’ll be lucky to have a contract in under 1800 days at this point

 

IBT vs ALPA question: What’s up with Frontier and their quest for a new contract under ALPA?
Just doing some research on the two unions and looks like ALPA may not be the fixer.

 

in 2012 or so I was asked in the panel interview what I thought about pilot unions. I replied that I’d seen an interesting documentary about Walmart and the union drive where the consultant said “a company gets the union they deserve”. Eagle at the time had the most outstanding grievances and was combative I didn’t get the job at allegiant 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

Here's something you need to understand about ALPA. They have way better national resources availble and are way more operationally organized than IBT but they are an "association of independent MECs". In other words "ALPA National" is just an umbrella group that manages funds, provides resources, and deals in politics. It's not a top down org like IBT. Your actual union is your MEC (local) and not all MECs are created equal. You're going to see a group like Frontier or Spirit with far less resources and far less bite than a group like Delta or United. Even less at the regionals. But that doesn't mean it's bad overall. Like any union it depends on who you elect to run it.

Would G4 do better with ALPA support? Probably. Just because of the greater National resources available to you. It should be pretty obvious to everyone but Tom by now that IBT only really cares about truckers not pilots and just wants your fat paychecks. That's why Airline Division is the joke of the industry with no serious airlines represented and you have the bush league Teamster thug guys running your local right now.

The only thing I'd give IBT props for is Teamcare. That's the best insurance I've ever had. You'll never get a deal like that again trust me. All the legacies are worse. But I digress.

Only you guys can decide what's best but I think IBT has shown you who they really are here in the decade you've been members with little to show for it. If I were you I'd give ALPA a serious look. ALPA negotiations generally last 2-5 years. IBT doesn't seem to have any game plan to get your contract done and let's not forget it was signed in 2016. You've missed a whole contract cycle now as Delta is already gearing up for their next contract and they're the first in the industry to go. Don't miss another cycle as the lowest paid Airbus pilots in the nation.

 

exactly. Where is the support from IBT? Nonexistent. Missed a contract cycle? Try 2