BrianH

As one who attended the informational picketing event, I was hoping that finally, the MEC would start to lead. Yet it looks like the opposite has happened, other than the platitudes, they have gone NORDO. The informational picketing event seems to have been a maximum effort event which drained them completely. How many of us know that since the informational picketing event, the MEC held a week long meeting in MEM? And during that week, there was a joint council meeting. Very few can say they knew about the meeting as less than 20 line pilots attended. Thankfully, there were a few more attending the PUB event, you know the one with the free beer.

When are the pilots going to demand the MEC start leading. I even had a conversation with a management pilot who was disappointed with APLA's leadership.

There are forces trying to "get to the finishline" as fast as possible quietly. I get the money cost of time cost, but I also understand the time cost of money. If we have the highest pay rates for one day what did we accomplish? If our work rules degrade and everyone passes us again like in '15 who is to blame? Do you remember how we worked through Covid? How many of us are still locked down around the world? Do we expect a best value contract?



In the end, You will get the contract you deserve, and every TA is an IQ test. So far we are not testing well. And we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Corned Beef

Didn’t our vice chair just recently send out a comm in response to the SCP’s email? I’m not saying their innocent, but I don’t see what you’re seeing here.

I got emails regarding the week long meeting. I got emails about the joint council meeting. I knew about all of it through union comms.

Noworkallplay

Recently I have seen a Chair Message, Vice Message, NC Message, PUB Event, Joint Council Meeting and Picketing Rally Video. All in the past 3 weeks.

Check the lessons learned at UA thread. We, and most other airlines, have pilots more worried about collecting 140+ hrs a month. Applying leverage/pressure is nothing but lip service for them. It has become very clear to many what our problems are. It’s our pilot group.

BluePAX

This is the only paragraph that should matter.

USMCFDX

Two words: Stockholm syndrome

BrianH

Yep they sent out emails. All filled with platitudes. NO solid focused facts. No leadership. Yes the Vice Chair did put out a letter about the SPC's email, what was the call to action in the vice chair's letter?

Any other calls to action?

Perhaps the Officers have been to the AOC for hub turn meetings taking questions and listening.


My concern is no followup. We had one Informational picketing event. Is that all we are going to do? If I was on the other side, I could get past that one day with ease. And for the record, we have over a thousand additional pilots since '15 yet I count 397 pilots on the line outside AOC on the informational picketing line, in '15 it was over 700.


Your contract, your choice.

Noworkallplay

Those things are secondary and inconsequential. Whether the meetings are at the AOC or in person at another location have no bearing on the fact there is in person opportunities. I would assess that the turn out would be substantially better by having an event at a buffalo wild wings or some other type of location. Based upon your post it sounds like the turn out for in person meetings is much better by having them offsite from the AOC. I saw the picture of the last pub event in the ALPA emails and it looks like they were very well attended. Much better attended than a hub turn meeting while everyone is trying to sleep.

what appears to be happening with you and some others is the inability to assess the real problem. That is the greed within our crew force and many others throughout the airline industry. Most pilots are unwilling to apply any leverage if it means they would have to give up time or money. There is no thought about the betterment of the whole only about the betterment of ME. Subcontractors

HvypurplePylot

Ahhh yes BrianH here to stir the pot. It's been a few weeks. I've engaged the spc committee about some future events, have you?
The emails, the videos, the meetings, oh yea all that's not good enough. Unless BrianH is on the MEC it'll never be good enough. WE ARE THE UNION. If our pilots can't bother to show up to a meeting that's not the MECs fault. Don't confuse the apathy of the 6000 independent contractors with the hard work done by the volunteers and elected union leadership every day.

Sluggo_63

You're exactly right. BrianH hates not being "in the know" or at the center of attention. He can't stand the fact that people chose others to represent them rather than him.

As far as his post, it's obviously incorrect. I was all set to go to Memphis for the picketing, then got COVID, so couldn't go. I wanted to know about future events and if there were going to be any others planned. I sent a DART to the SPSC and received a response literally within 15 minutes that answered my questions. So, BrianH... maybe you should be asking actual questions to your reps instead of rhetorical ones here online that are just meant to sow dissent. Whose side are you on, really?

BrianH

SO what did the SPSC DART say about future events? Got the dates for us?

If you read my posts, you will see I am trying to get more than 20 pilots to attend a joint council meeting. Out of the roughly 4000 pilots in MEM less that 20 showed for the meeting. How is that about me?

When I got here 130K/year was the max pension, and it still is. I would like to leave this place better than I found it for the ones who follow us. The company could afford IRS limits then, and they sure can afford them today, we just have to be unified to demand them. That takes leadership.


Getting the point. This is about all of our pilots' future. So I ask again, where is the leadership in these "End Days of Negotiations."


Are you leaving it to fate? Or are you engaged? Will you demand your representatives do their job and lead, or not, the choice is all of ours. Either way, the clock is ticking.