Dear Pilots,

The union has been making ridiculous assertions lately that “one second after” they are decertified, that the Company will cut your pay, will remove your benefits, will force you to work overtime, or will no longer pay for your airlines, etc., etc. I really think that they believe you are extremely gullible, or that you can be frightened into believing anything.

First, let me ask you this. At Flight Options, RTA, or Flexjet, before this union was in place, did any of these things happen? No way! What is it that would make you believe this would happen now? Nothing! It is a direct insult to your intelligence to even infer that this might happen.

Second, the Company goal is to have the most highly motivated pilot force in our industry, in order to have a competitive advantage. Does it make any sense to you at all that we would do things that would clearly demotivate you? No! How do we attract the 160 pilots we need to hire this year, and for every year hereafter if we continue to capture market share? Not by making it less attractive to work for this Company, that’s for certain!

Clearly, the union does not know you well enough. They believe you will be influenced by their rudimentary statements and tactics, without thinking for yourselves! We at the Company know that we have the best in our pilot force, and won’t fall for these fear-mongering tactics. Their attitude towards you is just one more reason for you to vote for No Representation.

Best Regards,
Joe Salata

Notice that at no time does he say they won't cut pay, change schedules, etc. He weasels around it. Why would we do that? To save money, because we can without a Union. Because we want to. Did those things happen pre contract at Flops? Yes, they did. Forced OT because they would schedule pilots on their last day so they couldn't get home. 100% rolling rest with 2am wake up calls and duty off changed to "make it legal". Airline was not duty time so your day started on the first actual leg. Also, watch Kenn and the five pilots. At no point does Kenn say he will raise everyone's pay to red label. He says he will "equalize" the pay. That is true if he cuts domestic red label pay to "equalize" with large cabin pay too. It isn't the Union who thinks you are gullible, it's Joe who thinks you won't remember or ask those who do. Vote IBT Airline Division.

 

Pilot shortage. Whatever else happens, they'll work you more. Your W-2 will probably be bigger one way or another.

 

Rick, there are about 70 of us that have volunteered in various high profile capacities. We will be terminated within three months, pilot shortage not withstanding.

 

They’re not getting 160 pilots a year in any shape or fashion. Who wants to work that hard, and make no mistake it’s a daily a**kicking even with a contract, to make less money than the airlines while flying for pilot pushing mgt, an emasculated training department and pencil whipped mx?

The mx issues alone were enough to make me walk away. I personally watched the new mx department hook up a GPU and try to convince me that a battery wasn’t dead, take 3 hours to stow O2 masks because they couldn’t be bothered to check the procedure ( they finally called an experienced mechanic on that fleet) and try to goad me into flying an airplane with known, uncommanded trim movement to “see if it would happen again” after they admitted that they did nothing to rectify the situation.

Flex went from a possible career job/ good place to hang your hat during the lost decade to a pariah.

Trying to get as many friends out as I can. Imagine that place with 50, 60, 80 or even more pilots walking out the door in the next few months with a steady train following them thereafter.

 

Those mx shenanigans are nothing new. Been going on for 20 years.

 

It may say Flexjet Red Label but we all know that under the surface it is just good old Flight Options.

 

They’re new to FJ relatively speaking.

 

Who do you fly for? Because I would like your help getting out of here!

 

I've got personal stories that say otherwise. But I get what you're saying..

 

The BS level with regard to mx went up significantly with the merger.

There’ll always be stories at every operator, but Flex mx was always pretty darn good and a day in 121 initial will open your eyes to how good the training department was.