BSOuthisplace

The pilot group has the power to change its representation. Just sayin’, your MEC is elected.

BizJet

We're lucky if we get 5 people in the LEC meetings.

This issue is the pilot group is so young they don't give a crap about it until they get screwed over. I've already been almost screwed several times by management. So I know the importance.

FlyyGuyy

most of our pilots act like 5 year olds. they don't understand the law. they don't understand how anything works from negotiations or union bylaws. they don't know how to look ANYTHING up in our contract. they don't put forth any effort to learn anything about the union, the law or how it works, so unfortunately the union has to treat us all like morons.

we need as a collective group to learn the way things work and behave appropriately. then we as a collective group can be treated like adults. and maybe we might stand a chance at understanding why a LOA might read or look the way it does.

BizJet

We did have someone seriously ask would the Union protect them if they blackmailed the company and went to the media about XYZ topic. I'll give the online group a few more months before it screws us over. We almost had it in NOV when someone threatened to do harm against the company.

I've had a CP tell me to my face we're the most unprofessional childish group of pilots he has ever worked among. He had one guy call him at 1 am and screamed over the phone about the lack of hotel vans.

I've read the contract and understood most of it. Most of my questions are about the bizarre CCP/SDO formulas and the gray areas under some of the unknown MOU/LOAs.

It would help a lot if the Union actually taught the guys about the contract in INDOC. Instead, we got pizza and 30 minutes of BS about pilots vs the company,

HeliHooker

I agree that the 30 minute meeting we got with ALPA during Indoc is completely worthless...especially for those who have never been a part of a union. This is one area that could be significantly improved.

FlyyGuyy

I'll agree with this too. They don't do anything to prep us or unite us in the beginning. The pizza is a joke. They should do that at least 2 times during indoc.

TallFlyer

The union doesn't (and shouldn't) spend a lot of time talking about the contract in Indoc because your first goal should be getting through Systems, IPT, your Oral, Sims, your Checkride, Differences, then finally IOE. Ditto the silly company presentation on scheduling, Flica, etc. The only reason both of those topics are covered when they are is that's the last time they can get an entire new hire class in one room.

By the time you've crammed all that information into your brain whatever you learned in a hypothetical 1-2 hour presentation about ALPA or scheduling is going to be long gone.

I will agree that pilots need to put more effort into learning the contract once they are out on the line (which is why a lot of my responses on the FB group are just contract references), and I will gladly talk to pilots that I encounter in the terminal (know how many times I get to hear "oh, you're that guy...." in an airport?). But if all you want to do is kvetch from your limited perspective and not actually listen, well, aint nobody got time for that.

If anyone reading this has never actually read anything in the contract, let me suggest that sections 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, and 25 should be on your soon to read list. Then, all the LOAs except the recent Thanksgiving and Christmas agreements.

joseolay

You're right, it's too much for new hires to take in during training and the best time to study and learn the contract is right after completion of IOE. Unfortunately, we live in a world that's not so perfect and we can't expect every new hire to pick up the CBA, read it over and understand it all. Most are too lazy to read it, and many of the ones that do read don't comprehend, then ask captains on the line that don't correctly understand and provide misleading information.

It would benefit ALPA and the pilot group tremendously if ALPA funded CBA learning/study classes were offered. A representative from ALPA could teach a 1-2 hour class at or around the airport. Time slots could be published and RSVP'd and any one pilot could attend but the focus would be on new hires that recently finished IOE. I'm sure you have some excuse why that is not possible but I know ALPA volunteers that would love to do stuff like this, but the upper MEC folks(probably) don't want to fund it.

irrelevant

"Hot" reserve is a perfect time to study the contract.

chrisreedrules

Your first year you will learn the contract pretty well because your experience typically runs the gamut from new hire on reserve (Hot, SCR, and LCR) to line holder. There are specifics to each. If you think scheduling is trying to pull something refer to your contract and if that fails talk to someone who has more experience than you about it and if that isn’t working then you can always email your rep. That’s how I learned things. By experiencing them. You aren’t going to start flying the line and become a super contract genius overnight.