Omni Air
10-03-2016 | 09:33 AM
#1816
Line Holder
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: B777 Left
In case you had the crazy notion of coming here to work, this just came out from the union about our contract negotiations.
October 3, 2016
Airline Professionals Association | Teamsters Local 1224
Affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Logo_DropShadow.gif
September 2016 Negotiations Update
Fellow Omni Pilots,
Your union Negotiating Committee met with the company for negotiations the week of September 26 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Our bargaining session started on a positive note, as we reached agreement on three outstanding items, some of which have been open since May. One item will help crew members protect their days off from involuntary assignments. Another addresses travel home for pilots who experience emergencies while on the road. The remaining section should provide pilots with an additional option to improve their schedules.
After making some progress, we were optimistic that the momentum would carry through into our bargaining over financial proposals. In July, the union proposed a comprehensive economic package that addressed pay rates, credits, quality of travel, benefits and several other items. We finished presenting our economic package in August with a formal proposal on health insurance.
These proposals were crafted based on your input that compensation and benefits needed to be significantly improved to account for the increased value of pilots in the labor market. But we also heard loud and clear that pay changes wouldn't be enough – a new agreement would need to address quality of life issues, especially those that have plagued company travel.
We started this week by reminding the company how important it was that any counter they might offer comprehensively respond to both our financial and quality of life concerns. Unfortunately, when the company proposed its economic package on Thursday, it appeared to have not received that message.
The company's package addressed pay rates only, and in a manner that we know would be unacceptable to the pilot group. It completely ignored, and indeed demanded the withdrawal of the various other economic concerns raised by the committee. It also ignored and demanded the withdrawal of our quality of life proposals related to travel. Finally, the company punted on addressing our benefits proposals until a later date.
We all know that a slightly tweaked pay scale without other improvements solves nothing. And while we have no problem with aggressive bargaining, we need "bargaining" to occur to be able to make progress – the company's response this week fell short of that.
The company's proposal simply did not provide the union with the language and explanation needed from which we could negotiate. We have requested that the company respond more fully to our proposals at our next scheduled meeting. Additionally, the union and company have agreed to again discuss our travel-related concerns using an interest-based framework.
The company knows that its compensation and benefits have fallen behind where Omni needs to be in the industry to attract and retain qualified pilots. Obviously, the pilot group knows this too – we feel it in our pocket books every single day.
Unfortunately, this month, we did not see a sense of urgency to address this problem. September brought a non-proposal on economics. October/November needs to bring something better or this company simply will not be able to compete for labor in the industry.
To that point, on Friday, our brothers and sisters at Kalitta Air announced an agreement in principle on a new collective bargaining agreement. In addition to other, significant improvements, the deal will increase existing hourly pay rates by 55 percent, reduce the number of days worked in a month to 16 and provide business class travel on certain legs. Kalitta operates B767s too and is hiring, as is practically every other airline in the country.
Our next bargaining session is scheduled for the week of October 31. We will keep you apprised of additional developments and thank you for your continued support.
Fly safe and stay united,
Omni Negotiating Committee
APA Teamsters Local 1224
October 3, 2016
Airline Professionals Association | Teamsters Local 1224
Affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Logo_DropShadow.gif
September 2016 Negotiations Update
Fellow Omni Pilots,
Your union Negotiating Committee met with the company for negotiations the week of September 26 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Our bargaining session started on a positive note, as we reached agreement on three outstanding items, some of which have been open since May. One item will help crew members protect their days off from involuntary assignments. Another addresses travel home for pilots who experience emergencies while on the road. The remaining section should provide pilots with an additional option to improve their schedules.
After making some progress, we were optimistic that the momentum would carry through into our bargaining over financial proposals. In July, the union proposed a comprehensive economic package that addressed pay rates, credits, quality of travel, benefits and several other items. We finished presenting our economic package in August with a formal proposal on health insurance.
These proposals were crafted based on your input that compensation and benefits needed to be significantly improved to account for the increased value of pilots in the labor market. But we also heard loud and clear that pay changes wouldn't be enough – a new agreement would need to address quality of life issues, especially those that have plagued company travel.
We started this week by reminding the company how important it was that any counter they might offer comprehensively respond to both our financial and quality of life concerns. Unfortunately, when the company proposed its economic package on Thursday, it appeared to have not received that message.
The company's package addressed pay rates only, and in a manner that we know would be unacceptable to the pilot group. It completely ignored, and indeed demanded the withdrawal of the various other economic concerns raised by the committee. It also ignored and demanded the withdrawal of our quality of life proposals related to travel. Finally, the company punted on addressing our benefits proposals until a later date.
We all know that a slightly tweaked pay scale without other improvements solves nothing. And while we have no problem with aggressive bargaining, we need "bargaining" to occur to be able to make progress – the company's response this week fell short of that.
The company's proposal simply did not provide the union with the language and explanation needed from which we could negotiate. We have requested that the company respond more fully to our proposals at our next scheduled meeting. Additionally, the union and company have agreed to again discuss our travel-related concerns using an interest-based framework.
The company knows that its compensation and benefits have fallen behind where Omni needs to be in the industry to attract and retain qualified pilots. Obviously, the pilot group knows this too – we feel it in our pocket books every single day.
Unfortunately, this month, we did not see a sense of urgency to address this problem. September brought a non-proposal on economics. October/November needs to bring something better or this company simply will not be able to compete for labor in the industry.
To that point, on Friday, our brothers and sisters at Kalitta Air announced an agreement in principle on a new collective bargaining agreement. In addition to other, significant improvements, the deal will increase existing hourly pay rates by 55 percent, reduce the number of days worked in a month to 16 and provide business class travel on certain legs. Kalitta operates B767s too and is hiring, as is practically every other airline in the country.
Our next bargaining session is scheduled for the week of October 31. We will keep you apprised of additional developments and thank you for your continued support.
Fly safe and stay united,
Omni Negotiating Committee
APA Teamsters Local 1224
10-13-2016 | 11:06 AM
#1820
Banned
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,378
Likes: 0
From: 7th green
Its not the old "trace one molecule of carbon from a Pterodactyl to the exaust of your engine." While they will expect you to understand which components are driven by which hydraulic or electrical system, you won't have to draw a system diagram.
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