It's this damn RLA. If we were allowed to strike whenever we decided to things would be much different I promise you. Longshoremen make bank because they can shut the whole country down when they strike. We should have the same empowerment, but we don't so we have to settle with this crappy union deal. Got a better solution, I'd like to hear it. Going it on your own at Airways aint gonna work either. It will just be a different set of jokers/bureaucracy to deal with. AND, if you think the company won't have their fingers in it more than they do now... good luck with that.
:(

I actually posed that question to a very senior ALPA type from FDX. He explained that alpa is reluctant to open up the RLA for revision because there are provisions which benefit labor also. The airlines are afraid to push for changes for the same reason...nobody knows what we would end up with in the end if congress opened up the RLA can of worms.

For example, our contracts do not expire they become ammenable but are still in force. Non-RLA contracts apparently expire, and management is then free to change compensation and workrules any way they like until a new contract is signed. Of course the workers can walk out immediately too...

Not sure I agree, but this is what alpa thinks.

how has Mesa not striked with the way they are being treated?

You guys are nuts who work there. nuts.

Agreed. There is good and bad, but... why do we have to have congress with their fingers in our pie? Heck, I think I'd want to be able to use any means necessary to better my (collective) lot in life WITHOUT the dang government's permission. The company can whipsaw us after all, so why shouldn't we have ready access to symmetrical negotiating tactics... that's all. I know what you are saying there about ALPA's stance. But... that's all. It works for UAW and Longshoremen... why not us? We aren't law enforcement, and I don't buy this crud about "national security"... bologna. If the country is being attacked, every able citizen is going to jump on board to defend 'er... strike or no strike. I just think it is too "big brother-ish". Let US duke it out when we feel like it. Ok, enough rah rah rah.

Yes, we at MAG are a crazzzy bunch. Screwing around in the sim a while back during some down time we tried doing an inverted ILS. That's fun. Reversed sensing on the GS! Bwahaha!

Its struck and you can't just go out and do it legally. You need to vote on it and be released by the NMB. They could wildcat, but that would take big balls...