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?