The company needs a deal for a certain RFP.... We need a deal we can live with for 5-10 years. The current TA is concessionary. We SHOULD be working on a 4th generation contract, instead we have polished the turd that is a 3rd generation contract.

 

From what i am hearing this contract is going to do almost nothing for us with scope. Its just going to prevent colgan from getting jets, which never was going to happen anyways. No integration unless colgan wants it too, no protection from colgan getting bunches more of q400's with the money we earned for this company. And there is no gaurantee of us ever getting more planes either, so 3 years from now we could be exactly where we are now. Higney, please tell me i am wrong.

 

Which one?

 

There are a lot of things we SHOULD be getting, but the reality of the situation we have this TA, and we also have FO's making $23k a year who can barely afford basic necessities, and voting no will mean at least 2 more years at this poverty level with no guarantee things are going to get any better.

 

is this site considered a social networking site that FOley and management are looking to nail you for typing slanderous statements about pinnacle?

 

You guys amaze me.
Here it is in a nutshell. The silence over the last two years from your MEC on how and why things were going the way they were going is deafening. Here is where the the metal of the 9E MEC gets tested. Watch what they say and how they say it. A true leader or group of individuals given the task to lead would stand up and stipulate that the Negoitiation Committee did precisely as they were instructed to do on the priority of issues that we assigned them to do. They would look at the package in totum bearing reference to all the Wilson polling done among the pilot group as to what the most important factors were to the pilot group. They (MEC) would look at the package and remember that this process started over 5 years ago when things were very different for the Regionals. They would then stand up to the microphone and tell the pilot group that the MEC is reviewing the material of the TA and would pass that information along to the pilot group at the earliest moment. Instead you have nothing official other than a bunch of bantering about a stupid sigining bonus when the TA is not offically up for vote yet and an MEC Chairman that dismissed everyone in your conference call with if you don't like it then call your MEC reps?
9E has spent an large amount of ALPA's money to get this contract. Major stirdes have been made within the last year and especially the last six months to get to this point.
What does the scope have that you don't like? Have you really seen it or just hearsey? If you've seen it then I'm calling you to the carpet. What part of holding company, successorship, and parent clause do you not like. That is better than anything the big boys have. Besides, do you really want to be merged into one seniority list with a company like Colgan right now? Are you wanting to have the benefit of their growth? If so you must also take the slide of their negative growth also. No offense to the pilots there but they have a real public relations nightmare on their hands and it is far from over. Where are all those Saabs going to go in 2010 that are flying out of LGA when LCC pulls the plug on them? (See the Aug. 12 joint announcement about gate and terminal agreement between LCC and DAL for reference)

Here is a scenario I hope you consider for all the guys who believe in STFD. At this point in time you do not want to have the big new target on your back. While industry average might not seem like a lot right now it is a start in the right direction since your contract was last ratified in I believe 1999 to 2000 range. If you punt this one when other people are reducing frequency and pairings to cities all over the world due to a reccesionary economy God help you. There will be a motion at the next BOD of ALPA National to pull your authorization to the MCF immediately.

If the 9E's authorization to the MCF is pulled then enjoy the ride gentlemen. You think 5 years from ammendable date was a long time then just wait. The Company will have all the leverage they need to keep you in purgatory for eternity at that point.

I am not trying to incite or flamebait gentlemen. I think your reactions to this TA without seeing it for yourself are based purely on emotions and the feeling of taking ownership of a position during your negotiations. While I completely understand the former, the later will cloud your judgement and give the company the upper hand no matter what you do.

If this TA does not get past your MEC then you have some serious problems that are too lengthy to post here tonight. Until then I wish you all the best. If the TA gets to you then read it in it completely before making an irrational decision based solely on emotion.

And worry about that Stupid signing bonus after you have a new contract guys. Come on...what are you thinking?

 

We're damned if we do, damned if we don't then, in the public ALPA court of opinion.....

If the details of this TA come out and we've passed it, and people think we should have voted no, we'll get the same treatment Mesa guys got..... if we turn it down.... we'll get our funding pulled..... great..... solidarity at its finest?

 

Dismissed everyone? Thats rich. I have heard over a hundred different schemes on how to split up the $10,000,000 and they are all valid and they are all biased in at least some way. Expectedly, everyone is out for the biggest chunk of cash possible.

I've got some ideas as to what I think is fair and I've told my status rep. Ultimately, MEC status reps are the only ones with direct influence on the issue so they need to hear the opinions. If anyone wants to express their dissatisfaction or offer a suggestion their status rep is where it belongs. I'm already doing 14 hour days with the Negotiating Committee trying to get a full language, completed deal to the MEC for review.

- Scott Erickson

 

Best idea brought up, after the fact, by certain people here at ASA was to have the Signing bonus' split up between the workforce that had been there working under the contract, since the time it became amendable. To use seniority alone did not seem fair and allowed certain people at the upper echelon to get a payday, and at the lower end people got money who just signed on. To be fair in such a situation, it would be interesting to see a MEC apply this, but I doubt we'll ever see such a thing.

 

Scott I think you and the MEC are doing a great job. Keep it up!!