bla bla bla

Please state your reayson's for voting yes or no, and how long you have been at skyw or flown 121, thank you.

Please just keep this to your specific reaysons only. Thanks.

bla bla bla

I will Vote yes to ALPA!
Reasons,
To protect what we have here in the event of new management changes and styles in the future.
To protect my certificates and medical in the event of any unforeseen events.
To help fellow pilots push for higher standards and raise the bar for future generations.

I have been flying 121 for 3 1/2 years.

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Please explain your votes thanks......

JetJock16

A very small sample, but the numbers are at least showing something on this forum.

Hayduke

Since there's no way to determine whether those voting are SKW folks, it doesn't mean much...although I hope the actual vote goes similarly.

I've been at SKW for a little over a year, 121 for about 2yrs (prior ALPA carrier). I'll be voting yes without a doubt, but I'm not one of these radically pro-ALPA guys who thinks that SKW management is evil and always out to get us.

In fact, I don't even really believe that at this exact moment ALPA is absolutely necessary here. Our work rules and pay are (for the most part) better than the majority of the industry and pilots are not being constantly fired or disciplined for mistakes or bogus reasons. Overall, I'm extremely happy here as is almost everybody I know.

That being said, I fully recognize the fact that this all could change at any moment. What we have now--pay scales, work rules, the fact that guys aren't getting fired for running planes off runways--is all totally at the whim of our management. Certain other airlines have shown that that there are plenty of pilots who will fly under much crappier conditions than we do, and I really have respect for our management for not screwing us more than they do. But the company is growing rapidly, and to expect that the mutual respect between pilots and management is going to stay intact enough to sustain the benefits we already have as we get up over 3000 pilots is fantasy. It's already started--our pay has been effectively getting cut the last few years, we're flying bigger jets for almost identical pay, and there's been a couple isolated incidents of rougue managers firing people for bogus reasons. This is our chance to protect ourselves, because even though things are pretty much fine and dandy now there are absolutely no guarantees that they'll continue that way.

If ALPA is voted in, I really hope that we elect folks who will still respect the airline. I hated the fact at my previous carrier that I wouldn't even have known who the CEO was if his name hadn't been written on the bathroom wall next to the words "blows goats". I hope we can follow what I hear is Expressjet's model and maintain a decent working relationship with management and a level of respect for the company.

HSLD

The poll in this thread has no bearing on the vote at Skywest because any registered user can vote. However, it's encouraging to see a pro-labor slant from the majority of the users here.

ExperimentalAB

Hayduke...very well said. ALPA may not have my vote this time around, but if it does go through we all have to stick together and make sure we vote ONLY the best in. We can't sacrifice the great mgmt-pilot relationship we have now just for the sake of union representation.

JetJock16

I pose the question, what if "the great mgmt-pilot relationship we have now" is just an outstanding job by Mgmnt at keeping up the smoke and mirrors. Usually there are little “Tell-Tell” signs that a shift has begun and without taking action to protect what we have the "next time around" will be after SKW has furloughed 400 pilots, taken 13% from us and change haft our policies in their favor. At that point we can vote in ALPA with the hopes of getting what we had back.

Just a question, we really don't know the answer. But if Mgmnt is who they say they are then a union shouldn't destroy our relationship. Should it? Just look at SWA as an example, they have an excellent Mgmnt/SWAPA relationship.

I'm not a huge ALPA supporter but I am trying to have a little foresight, trying to be proactive and not reactive. Good examples of why not to vote in a union here at SKW have happened to far in the past, not enough in the present. By the time we actually need ALPA; we'll most likely have new Mgmnt, set during new times in a new cycle of this industry. Yes, for now Chip is JA predecessor, but do we really now him or the next guy after him? We can’t even begin to guess what those circumstances will be but we can start the ground work to protect against the flip side. I really like SKW and I respect Mgmnt, I am not Anti-Mgmnt and I do believe they will do a great job in the future guiding this company into her next cycle; but that’s blind optimism.

ExperimentalAB

Saying that we might be looking at a bleak future regarding pay, work-rules, and furlough's is a bit of a stretch in my opinion.

If you were running not only the largest, privately-held regional, but also one of the most-profitable, recognizable, and popular, as well, would you really think about throwing that all away? I certainly wouldn't. My firm belief is that as long as Jerry and the gang stick around, we can expect to be treated very well...After that, hell - it's a crap-shoot, I don't think anybody knows. But a change in managment won't be happening tomorrow, or the next day, or anywhere in the near-future.

JetJock16

You've complete reiterated my point. Yes it is a stretch but it's not that far off from examples set a million times over in our industries history. So saying SKW is different is correct but to say they will never pull the same moves is denial. My point above is that we don't know and things have started to slip here at SKW, so taking steps to protect us is having good foresight and IF MGMNT IS WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE then ALPA shouldn't matter. If Mgmnt changes their ways then we know we made the right decision, if they don’t then we continue to show them our support by working hard and maintaining our vocal support.