It's good to hear that some people at least have an open mind. I'm over on the ExpressJet side and I definitely think one list is the way to go. I also agree that an in-house union is the way to go. I certainly don't speak for anyone except myself, but I have no interest in merging so I can fly CRJs or take your bases (although I wouldn't mind MSP), I just want to make sure that we don't get into a whipsaw scenario.

 

Upper management aka old guys, from what I hear don't want one list for the reason of protecting the SkyWest company culture and the pilot group that they've hired on...which I tend to agree with. However, I would like to keep ORD as a base, and I see it going more and more towards ExpressJet, which worries me a little.

Also, I've never been with a union carrier before, and I really don't see the point having one. You pay more and more each year, and it creates a more of an us vs. them mentality...which ends up usually screwing the 'us' which are the pilots. Yeah, SkyWest's pilots and management bicker over some stuff, and some pilots feel that way, but we work pretty well without having one, and for the most part get along with our management side. I'll probably get flak for this, but being non-unionized has allowed us to grow faster than other unionized carriers.

 

One list. If we have a union, it needs to be independent. Couldn't care less about the fences either way.

 

You don't want our union reps from ASA, nothing but a bunch of pus$y...cats running around with their tails between their legs.

 

I guess you don't know what you don't know!

How are your medical benefits working for you?

Since there's not a collective bargaining agreement between you and management, could they legally cut your pay at their discretion? (rhetorical)

Since there's not a collective entity representing you or your pilots, who will represent you at a disciplinary hearing? Who will represent and help you regain active status in the event of loss of medical?

Who will GRIEVE work rule violations or payroll violations?

Who will keep the company from changing the terms of your employment without a contract or a union?

Don't be naive, you don't have to get ALPA, but unions are a necessary evil in this industry.

You don't have aeromedical
You don't have legal
You don't have a compliance team
Your ASAP is only certificate action protection, not punitive.
You don't have a vote or a voice if the company decides to change the terms of your employment
And good relations will only go as far and as long as its profitable to the company or until labor reaches a boiling point. So you tell me....

 

That's fairly inflammatory. This kind of discussion is one of the reasons it's so hard to GET a union at SKW...it alienates people.

The current student council is the best we have ever had, and the elected group is better and more motivated than the majority of regional union MEC's

Maybe yamaha hasn't worked under alpa but I have...I've seen it at it's worst so you can't fool me or the other thousand or so who have BTDT. I would actually like some sort of union at SKW (and one list) but you're not helping any...

 

What ever we decide do not use Regional in the name!

Im all for it, we could just hire all ALPA's aero medical and law professionals, they already did the leg work for us. Nothing against ALPA but they have a major conflict of interest during every contrat we negotiate

 

Rickair,

The vision I have is for an in-house representation that fosters excellent relations with management while protecting our rights as pilots (but has a legal basis to do so) and also contains reps from each pre-merged group. If your guys are great now, nominate them to represent you in the new representation.

Dues for in-house would probably be less than ALPA as we wouldn't have to support the national agenda, and we would have more than adequate funds with a 7000+ member group.

 

Dude get off your horse! Seriously, we all know you worked under the old MESA MEC back in the day. As mentioned earlier, the union is as strong as its constituents, so it doesn't matter who you guys get, if you don't have a culture change!

As far as the student council is concerned, even a first year f/o knows that without a collective bargaining agreement, any kind of organization has zero legal recourse or power.

As far as one list, we all want it, but just like the union J.A. will never allow that to happen. I would be shocked if a group as institutionalized as yours has the nerve to organize.

 

Hi GoAround -

Why have you not responded to my PM from a few weeks ago? Or responded within a thread after I posed the question twice.

"Where was it that you witnessed the ASA MEC walk out of some kind of joint meeting?"