If you are serious about better contracts...
 

Then All (or at least a hell of a lot of) pilots are going to need to inform themselves about how the Railway Labor Act is SUPPOSED to work. And if you want a career in this business, you ought to know this stuff anyway.

https://www.americanbar.org/content/...thcheckdam.pdf

After that, it’s going to be apparent that things aren’t working, at least not as they are supposed to work. One of the areas where it isn’t working is that the NMB is not following the time limits specified in the law for either reaching agreement, arbitration, or mediation, OR FOR RELEASING THE COMPANY AND WORKERS TO SELF HELP.


Self Help
Self help can take several forms, including a strike or slowdown, a lockout (meaning that the company does not allow its workers to work), the hiring of replacement workers, imposition by management of a contract or contract change, or the intervention of Congressional action

Perhaps it’s time for ALL REGIONAL UNIONS to join in a class action federal case to ask the federal courts to actually enforce the timelines given in the RLA. The RLA is - in theory - a neutral law, providing both sides AND THE PUBLIC stability. But by dragging out the process, it becomes very one sided in favor of management. Dragging their heels on improved wages and working conditions favors them. Adherence to the timelines given in the law would restore a measure of neutrality.

"that's not how it's done"

- union mecs, probably

They will probably never release anyone again. When Spirit got released and they’re cheap fares were no longer servicing Colombia, their transport minister literally told the Spirit executives get the aircraft here now or don’t ever come back. And then we had scabs. Also American has not been in negotiations since the late 90’s.

Which means the only way to enforce the timelines given in the underlying law may be to force the NMB through direct legal action against them. It would seem pretty easy to make the case to a judge that they are not following the timelines specified in the law.