FDX LEC 26 Vote closes tomorrow at 10am CST
 

Pretty clear choices between candidates and their views. No reason not to vote if you are in Block 11, Block 3, or Block 6. You can vote for all 3 block reps as an LEC 26 member. Vote now or forever hold you peace! That is all..

FDD

Funny how everyone is so quick to complain about what our MEC does for us yet probably less than 20% will vote. There are about 1500 guys in these blocks. Would be nice to have at least half cast a ballot for something this important! Won't happen though!

Did you see how many ballots were cast during the nomination portion? A whopping 86 ballots...only 25-26 had a candidate for Block 6. After they threw out the ones that were invalid (due to no signature, etc.) only 19 ballots counted to determine the top two candidates for this block.

It really is pathetic how much we complain about things, but how little we are willing to do to affect any kind of change. I would like to think that things like Age 60 & 4a2b would get members more engaged in the union and the election processes, but who am I kidding? For the most part, as long as our pilots have money in their pocket and decent catering, they could care less about anything else.

I'm willing to bet the participation in the Scheduling and Negotiation surveys will be relatively low as well....we are truly our own worst enemies.

Fly Safe!

For the record, I'm in Block 6 and voted during the nomination & election phases and did both surveys. :)

It only takes about 15-20 minutes during a layover or a hub turn with the online access. One doesn't even have to do it on his/her time off! UFB!

..............

The company has removed ACP's, to be eventually replaced by "professional" flight managers. The current leadership (PC, JB, OR and now BM) has one priority......expand the profit margin. If, as a pilot group, we think that management will be there to help with any issues we might have, good luck!! We are considered nothing but a cost center. I was told by one member of the companies upper managers, "if you have a problem, go to the union....that's what you pay dues for".
If we don't get the RIGHT people into our union leadership positions, by voting for them NOW, we're just rolling over and playing dead in managements eyes. See how far that gets us at the negotiating table. Vote for those that are willing to serve, and not those that WANT to be served. VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!!!

I'll get off my soapbox now.......

Results are in and the people have spoken...Status quo it is.

For those not in LEC 26, can you be more specific?

Didn't see any of the campaign e-mails.

Not sure I agree with you here. 2 of the 3 have never been a Rep before. They won against candidates that have been reps before. Looks like new blood to me. If you are in LEC 26, be sure they hear what you think as they all pledged to listen. Takes a little more effort than passing judgement and posting before anyone has taken office but it might be worth it!

'

I don't sit on the sidelines by any means, especially when you compare me to the average union member.
Is sitting in on 4 Pilot-to Pilot calls (even though I'm not a P2P rep), emailing my block rep with several different issues, sitting through practically every hub turn meeting I could make (instead of sleeping those nights away), studying the Cologne and Hong Kong issues thoroughly (even though I never planned to go there) and completing every survey put out to our pilot force since 2005 enough for you?

How many P2P call have you logged into in the past year?

I guess my point is that statements like " I strongly support the current direction of the MEC Chairman..." in any candidate's email greatly concern me. I expect my block rep to listen, and they all promised to do that. However, I ALSO expect them to stand up for what the majority of his or her block wants, regardless of the opinions of the other members of the MEC. Statements like the one above make me believe that they are predisposed to falling in line when they are told to do so...

Which means that you want to go directly into "real" negotiations and if they do not agree based on their assessment of the current economic times they must be only "falling in line"?

I think what the vote shows is that the majority of people in that block also support the direction the MEC chairman has taken.

I voted for the new guys but do not support the direction the MEC has taken and I did not vote yes for the last TA.

However, I firmly believe we need to take our 3% now that we have it coming to us, or the money will be lost forever.

[QUOTE=ptarmigan;1083625]Which means that you want to go directly into "real" negotiations and if they do not agree based on their assessment of the current economic times they must be only "falling in line"?
QUOTE]

What are you talking about dude?

I've made no comments regarding the upcoming decision about the "relief valve" option in our current contract, so don't put words in my mouth and say that I want to go directly into anything. FYI - the newly elected reps won't even take office until after the decision has long since been made about whether or not we take the 3% raise or return to, as you call it, "real" negotiations. We should hear something regarding the relief valve option some time during the first week of January. How do I know? P2P call this past week. Not a P2P rep. Just thought it was important enough to listen in on....

As for your other comments, I still don't have a clue what you are saying...

In my opinion, a block rep has the responsibilitiy to determine what the majority of his block feels about an impending vote or issue, and then represent that majority, regardless of what other blocks are saying or doing. If he or she determines that they are going to vote "their heart", and not what their block majority wants, then they are failing at their job. If your block rep votes the party line as all of the other block reps are voting, when he or she clearly knows that the members of their block want something else then YES, they are "falling in line".

Why do I fear this type of behavior and statements of support one way or another? I have it on good authority that during this past election, phone call were made to certain candidates and it was "explained to them" that if they did get into office, they had a "responsibility and obligation to vote the same way as the rest of their LEC did". If they couldn't commit to doing so, regardless of the issue, they would be campaigned against. Not voted against, CAMPAIGNED AGAINST. Never mind what their block wanted...they were going to be expected to stick together as an LEC on EVERY issue, no matter what it was . I know one candidate was even told that he had to vote with his LEC because the by-laws said he had to. What kind of crap is that? If the block rep stands up for their block's interests, they'll never go wrong, regardless of how they vote.

I hope my newly LEC reps prove me wrong; only time will tell. Nobody can seriously believe that we are all going to agree on every issue. The senior guys have certain things that they covet. The junior guys have things that help make or break their quality of life. The instructor block has things that they hold near and dear to their heart. I'm just saying that it shouldn't be a crime for a block rep to stand up for what the folks in their block want, and I for one expect my block rep to do so.

Herk

I misunderstood your previous post. I agree with what you wrote here.

Some past MEC officers and block reps believe they were (are) representatives of a republic. That it was their responsibility to do what was good for you (them), not what you wanted.

Many of those are out. DW, DM, WR, DR. TC and BM are back.

I don't know how you got that their replacements are doing the same thing. Sounds like effective marketing by the group that wants back in.

If it's true then it might just be systemic.

However, if the majority of your block (or pilot group) wants one thing and you want another......saying you are doing "the right thing" provides you cover. A least that's what the former regime used, to legitimize going against the wishes of the majority. If the current group is "status quo" vis-a-vis the last gang........I'll take the status quo. Maybe there's something better on the horizon, but re-cycling the last bunch isn't it.

Amen to that!

Representatives should do what their constituents want, but they also have a duty to educate the constituents so that the constituents are basing their desires based on actual facts and not rumor and wishful thinking. Usually only a small percentage takes the time to do this. Surveys are useless without true education first.

And surveys are useless when the questions are designed to elicit a certain response or avoid other responses.

Results with out publishing the actual questions and actual responses are nothing but propaganda.