It will be interesting to see if a in house union at F9 can stand up to Franke. The truth is every single piece of beneficial language we won in our contract has been ignored and we are still, close to 3 and a half years later, in court fighting for it to be set right at NK. I said a long time a go, at least at NK, a in house union would have been bankrupted in legal fees after about 2 years under Franke.

 

We have to get the Single Transportation System ruling by the NMB overturned before we can oust the IBT. The former Ford and Harrison Attorney, Ron Henson, who was the VP of Labor Relations (that sort of makes you wonder what type of “relations” they wanted), did everything possible to screw that process up. He was, and I must assume is still, an idiot.

You’re correct, there is a 24-month waiting period before a change in representation can be made. That period was up in June of this year.

However, unless we get the STS ruling overturned the decert vote would include all RAH pilots (somewhere between 2,000 and 2,800). If the STS is not overturned, perhaps there are enough “native RAH” pilots that are fed up with the IBT doing NOTHING for them in three years to successfully decert the IBT.


The “natives” have to be careful though, IBT 357’s Constitution and Bylaws state:

SECTION 19: MEMBERSHIP

(D). Responsibility of Member to the Local Union:

(4) “No member shall engage in dual unionism or espouse dual unionism or disaffiliation, or be a party to any activity to secure the disestablishment of the Local Union as the collective bargaining agent for any employee.”


The penalty for such behavior is:

SECTION 20: CHARGES & TRIALS

(A). “Each member of this Union shall have the right to fair treatment in the application of union rules and law in accordance with the International Constitution and these Bylaws. In applying the rules and procedures relating to union discipline, the essential requirements of due process of law (notice, hearing, and judgment based upon the
evidence) shall be observed, without, however, requiring the technical formality followed in courts of law.”

(B). Trials and Appeals:

(4). “In the event of non-compliance with the decision handed down by a trial or appellate body, the member, elected Business Agent, Officer or Local Union shall stand suspended from rights and privileges under the International Constitution until the provisions of the decision have been complied with, unless the General President has waived payment of a fine or stayed the effectiveness of the decision pending appeal. If, however, the decision carries with it an order of expulsion, then such order of expulsion shall immediately take effect, unless the General President has stayed the effectiveness of the decision pending appeal.”


So, any IBT pilot that publicly supports a decert effort may face fines or expulsion.

At least a few “native RAH” pilots seem to have had enough of this debacle. Again, how much time, money (dues, assessments) and effort is this really worth. Shouldn’t the REAL goal be getting at least four Articles of the CHQ CBA modified? How long ago was it that RAH offered the FO’s a raise that 357 refused to even consider?

 

Don't give up that equity stake, Frontier pilots!

Franke is going to put you over a barrel as it is - Spirit ALPA mistakenly didn't secure an equity stake in the airline, which would have made things a LOT better.

When Spirit IPO'd (and that is the only goal of Franke and Indigo, to 'fix up' Frontier and then take you public, obviously), the price was $12. SAVE now trades at $35 - almost a 300% return. 1% of Spirit would be worth $25.4M today. That's about $50K per pilot we gave up by not getting a 1% stake in Spirit.

$50K into Franke's pocket, or into yours. This is the first test of the Frontier pilots by Franke. Good luck - learn from Spirit ALPA's mistakes.

 

Moderator... why is this person continuously allowed to call others names. He real gives the great guys at Frontier group a black eye. The guys at both Republic and Frontier are some of the best I have worked with in my 25 plus years of flying.

 

Word. Netjets, and I think UPS removed the teamsters.

 

Good luck Frontier people, hopefully you can escape the RAH disaster without too much drama. The teamsters really need to just let it go. I bet if they put it to a vote, a majority of native RAH pilots would be just fine with that. The union needs to focus their energy elsewhere.

 

Regarding: toomanyrjs

I agree. I am a Frontier pilot and am embarassed and ashamed of the comments by toomanyrjs. I realize this process has polarized the native RAH pilots and the Frontier pilots. It is very unfortunate it turned this way.

The announced sale of Frontier was a small victory (and a potential huge victory) in the future of Frontier Airlines as a viable airline and a possible realistic future for the current Frontier pilots. This small victory is but one small step in the road to independence from RAH and the IBT.

That being said, this small victory is also a reason to display a very reasonable dose of humility and thankfulness for our ability to possibly move forward as a stand alone entity.

It is not a reason to throw salt in the wounds of decent RAH native pilots who had hoped for the possiblilty to move into the Airbus of Frontier.

 

Awwwww look!!! The fat ugly girl finally found someone to take her home after the dance now that the lights are starting to flicker on. Good for her!

 

So what's all the hiring about, growth, attrition? What do F9 guys recommend for someone considering applying? Good or bad idea?