LOL, in exchange for an open door policy... DUH! A direct relationship with your leadership. A contrarian work model. The chance for simply average compensation. Where have you been? This is what jetBlue is all about!

Not to mention the industry leading health insurance programs!

I try to ask people what their health insurance is like no matter where they are working. I am going to quit asking because its embarrassing when you compare. My garbage man who I know well for doing me the favor of picking up branches and things of that sort has better health insurance. I hope the cost keeps going up too cause you get what you vote for. No disrespect to garbage collectors but how sad that professional pilots don't think they deserve better.

Thank the 1193 for the continued DR we have. No CBA = no improvement or in our case back to industry standard.

Can 'beneficial to the individual pilot' examples of the direct relationship be provided? By law companies have to treat each employee the same. If special favors are done, which is understandable, how does one get special favor status?

So what are some examples? Thanks.

The way you interpret the phrase and the way jetblue applies the phrase are a little different. The term beneficial to the individual pilot simply means you do not have union presence. According to Jetblue this affords you the privilege of speaking directly with a member of management to voice your opinion. According to Jetblue a union prevents you from doing this.
Jetblue believes this direct relationship allows the company and the pilot group to collaborate to make improvements. From pay, to flight scheduling manuals to insurance the collaboration has meant absolutely nothing. In each case the pilot group was made to form various groups and committees to study the issues, make recommendations and have those recommendations taken into account before the changes were implemented.
In each case the suggestions were never considered and unilateral changes were made and subsequently implemented. This is the direct relationship.

The beneficial to the individual pilot agreement means if you have a dispute with Jetblue you are to follow a set dispute resolution manual which spells out how the individual pilot must proceed. It prevents you from collectively disputing an issue. It provides you access mediation and later arbitration after you navigate the 6 month process internal without legal support. After you are granted access to a mediator and later arbitrator you are responsible for shouldering ALL the cost associated with fighting this legal battle. Jetblues suggestion is that mediation and aribitration are fair for the individual. While on the surface this may seem true Jetblue has displayed time and time again that any mediation or arbitration will be met with stiff legal support on the behalf of the company while the individual pilot is not provided any. Again, YOU the pilot are responsible for paying this bill.

Jetblue violated the seniority of 14 new hires with respect to aircraft assignment. When the dispute was raised the company debated and later ignored the dispute. The group hired a lawyer and followed jetblues dispute resolution. Jetblue settled with 13 of the 14. One individual could not afford a lawyer and was left out of the process. This is a very good example of how the process is "beneficial to the individual pilot".

Of course there is 3A but that's just a bunch of greedy pilots according to Jebtlue.

Jetblue violated the seniority of 14 new hires with respect to aircraft assignment. When the dispute was raised the company debated and later ignored the dispute. The group hired a lawyer and followed jetblues dispute resolution. Jetblue settled with 13 of the 14. One individual could not afford a lawyer and was left out of the process.



Can you elaborate on this case? What, where, when, results?

I flew with one of these 13, he couldn't elaborate on the settlement. However, after his settlement he was "unofficially" let out of his equipment lock a year early. He did not know "or could not elaborate" how it happened but during one of the bid periods last year he was awarded upgrade a year early on a different type. He also mentioned that Verna K left shortly after the original incident.

The lesson learned here was never put anything in writing... Hence the 5 documents goat rope Charlie Foxtrot. I would wager that the current US tax code is easier to decipher.

We need hundreds of guys to go through much pain, experience it and then spread the word. Then and only then will people realize that maybe this mumbo jumbo about being able to negotiate for yourself like a loner may not be the best thing for your career.

Like I said about healthcare costing thousands out of pocket, its not enough, it needs to be several thousand more dollars out of pocket so more people feel the pain. When just a few suffer with no unity it gets zero attention "ahh doesn't affect me so why worry?" When I read you could be up to $14,000 out of pocket in certain health insurance scenarios it made me mad at first but then I thought, heck why not just have it go to $28,000 or just round it up to $30,000? Maybe that would be enough to think this koolaid drink called "blue direct relationship" is not so yummy or healthy after all.

The company is smart enough to know there won't be push back at this point because history has shown there will be no unity among workgroups. You think the company doesn't know they can get away with shifting these costs to individuals? These folks are smarter than some give them credit for.

In business for over a decade and they know the pilots are just individuals with no unity, no direction and no collaboration. No group, including the pilots have stood up and said enough so the pain continues and will for many years. Translation - stick it to the employees cause we know they won't do anything about it. Like getting punched in the face repeatedly and not sticking up and fighting back, its the same scenario. Sorry to be so blunt, but the message is so clear and obvious.

What airline would jetBlue pilots prefer to merge with should that day arrive?

One that allows us to keep our jobs.

VA, if not wrong the only ones not union.

There is no benefit to JB pilots in merging with another small, young pilot group like VA, Spirit, etc. In an ideal world, we'd merge with a giant legacy with tons of retirements who would view us as a solution to the upcoming scarcity of pilots qualified to fill their seats. They'd keep us employed because we as a pilot group would be as much a selling point as the routes and terminals. We fly around with nearly a 90% load factor and opening a new route means shutting down an existing route due to lack of airframes. We're lean enough to survive a merger with a legacy, let's not screw it up by merging with an equal and all stagnating at the same seniority level for the next 20+ years.

That being said, I'm speaking of an absolutely ideal world. In a more realistic world, myself and other younger FOs get hired at a legacy and just put JB in our rear view mirror rather than taking the risk of wasting our young age on a sloowwwwwwly growing carrier with very little attrition.

WN cannot dominate NYC without JFK where B6 and AA dominate along with the Caribbean. B6 entered/exited ATL while WN bought their way in. I believe this could be the next big merger. Equipment is different but that didn't stop them from bidding for F9, although I believe there was more behind that move than an actual desire to acquire F9.

You must be on a personal leave of absense right now. Everyone I know that voted NO to Alpa last year, will now vote YES to Alpa in the wake of the health care massive increases.

Family tree's are being changed as pilots look at the health costs of having another child, then shy away due to extreme costs. Nobody can afford to even have a baby, let alone an injury.

JetBlue unified the pilot group by screwing us with terrible health care and a rediculously high max out of pocket expenses and deductible.


They've crossed the line, and will get the union they deserve. Simple as that.

+1

Legacy carrier with lots of retirements would help mitigate any short term pain since a majority of us are younger than the average at places like AA/UA/DL.

I've not flown with one single pilot since the recent changes who will NOT support voting in a union now.

:eek:AMAZINGLY.... I have... and I just don't understand.:confused:

Future of Jetblue?
 

I support an in house union. I will not vote yes for ALPA.

+1

This.

deleted....

You'd rather have an underfunded organization with no infrastructure go up against a management team that is hostile to unions of all kinds to fight for a contract for you? You'd rather spend years spinning your wheels, fighting the good fight for a contract, getting outspent 10 to 1 at every turn before you finally realize that it's not going to work and you choose to affiliate yourself with a national union? Interesting choice.

The goal here is to get a CBA. The fastest route to that is with a national union that has funding, resources and experience. Why reinvent the wheel? Get a CBA as quickly as possible, and then take stock of the service you're getting from a national union that has helped you do so and if appropriate, run a drive to start your in house then, after you've established a proper CBA. The national organization just lends resources, I don't care if it's ALPA, Teamsters, NFLPA or the Seamstress Union, we just need a CBA as soon as possible and an upstart in house union is a poor way to go about it.

Why would you want to waste time that could be spent negotiating a contract on housekeeping items like fundraising, and hiring attorneys and SMEs while spending money out of your tiny little starter war chest to counter the union-busting campaign that your multi billion dollar company and their consultant groups like Ford and Harrison and MWW are running against you to keep membership and unity low.

Like the Avatar.

Did you finish JBU yet? IOE? Indoc?

Future of Jetblue?
 

Doesn't matter. I come from an ALPA carrier, and I went to the national conventions. I came here precisely because JetBlue isn't ALPA. I'll not vote to rejoin that organization. If it gets voted in, fine, but I don't have to assist.

It isn't personal against you. We all get to vote how we choose. You guys are very vocal, so I just let you all know that there are opposing feelings out there.

Southerner,
I respect that, however, sign a card, get to the vote and please just dont vote NO. Write in who you would like. Fair enough?

Whiskey

Future of Jetblue?
 

That's fair. I'm not opposed to a CBA. I want the merger protections in particular.

Southerner.
Thanks!! See, we can all get along. :) CBA, yes indeed we need one. Merger protections included. I'll take the yes vote ANYDAY. Voting no immediately slams the door closed on any chance of that. Now, when the final yes votes are tallied, the majority decides where we go. As long as it isn't the DR, I'm a happy guy.

To all: There are a lot of hot heads out there, a lot of cool people too. The prior advice goes to anyone out there who isn't particular for ALPA. Please don't just vote NO. The ballot may say ALPA, but there is a write in spot for a union of your choosing. Exercise this, don't just bend over and allow the DR to take advantage of you. I know for a fact there are a lot of Pro in house guys, you don't know where this will lead. Although I believe we need the assistance of ALPA with their finances and expertise to fight the JB machine, I completely respect your choice in not wanting ALPA. Please, please and for the love of GOD PPPLEEAAASSEEE, just don't mark NO when the time comes, write a group in. Otherwise we have NO chance at a CBA.

That is all.

Southerner, welcome aboard and thanks again.

+1

Amen brother!