TheDashRocks

In return for your dues you have received a contract that is better than the last, the elimination of a non-union alter ego which has reduced the company's leverage over you, and an on-going national effort to improve duty regs to reduce fatigue. I am just scratching the surface.

You know exactly what it takes to be a rep, but sadly do not have the time to do the job properly. Nonsense. Either nut up or shut up. Your "scumbag" crack is out of line. Much of what you receive from our Union is the result of hard work performed by volunteers who receive no pay.

Many of us are tired and angry at the state of our work lives. It is easy to come up with a grocery list of things the union should have fixed long ago. The sad fact is that the RLA is severely tilted toward the employer. We would be paid and treated quite differently if we could legally call a strike in less than a month. Our gains are too often measured in years and inches.

"I prefer you just say 'Thank you'. Either way I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to". -Colonel Nathan R. Jessop

Sniper

As a furloughed Mesa FO (ie, very junior pilot), how have you seen this info? Usually this info is highly guarded, so I'm surprised to see you claim to have access to all of MAG ALPA and ALPA National's financials.

While you may not have time to be an FO rep (not all do), did you volunteer for any committees, or do anything to help your pilots and ALPA out? The most effective change happens from within.

IrishTiger

Don't preach to me about that. I've done a lot more work than most pilots. Should have included that in my previous post.

See my reply below.

I was an ALPA volunteer. After I realized how inefficient the MEC is, how unorganized they are, how unprepared they are, and how little they care I decided to stop wasting my time for a cause that wasn't going to get anywhere. I've done a lot of work for the pilots of MAG. The MEC has ruined the relationship with the pilots, and before they drive themselves off a cliff, I quit because I will have no part in that. There are many things that I was shocked about once I learned what went on behind the scenes. It's really just a whole bunch of smoke and mirrors. I will have no part in that. I actually tried to help. Most of them are in it for themselves, and when I say them, I mean the MEC. Our volunteers that actually DO the work are good people and the majority of them do it for the right reasons and work hard at what they do.

And I'm not furloughed.... yet. I'm sure it will happen next year sometime, hopefully.

winglet

MAG Pilots,

Please call or e-mail your ALPA MAG Representatives and insist on a Letter of Agreement including either pilot staffing level language and/or PBS protection language.

Let the MEC also know that we insist that they "cease and desist" the insulting PBS "unstacking" excuse letters and begin to represent the needs of the MAG pilots or we will begin the process to remove the current PBS "optimization software" and replace the current MEC and Negotiating Committee.

winglet

Ratherbeoffwork

So, maybe Mesa pilots should have read the new TA before they voted yes.

That's what I get from this pdf file. You just outline how you're contract is crappy compared to others. JUST VOTED IN!!!!!!!!!! Good job guys. I can assure you that RAH's contract will be light years better than this.

IrishTiger

Oh thank you.

minimwage4

Wow 11 days off! PBS and block or better!!!!! Thanks JO, imagine that, get paid for what you actually fly wow. I'm going to apply to Mesa when they hire again. I love the min monthly guarantee charts, it says industry leading at 75.8 hour. Almost all of the others are 75 LOLOLOL! Does your MEC really think your pilots are that stupid? Apparently.

ATCsaidDoWhat

As long as you pay the contract maintenance fee, you won't have any problems with other carriers. As far as reps turning off phones and not returning calls; that's flat unacceptable. It's a 24/7 365 job...and they knew it going in. If they don't want to do the job, then they should step down. Or be recalled.

TheDashRocks

Irish Tiger said; "I was an ALPA volunteer. After I realized how inefficient the MEC is, how unorganized they are, how unprepared they are, and how little they care I decided to stop wasting my time for a cause that wasn't going to get anywhere."

So, you were the lone genius that knew how to fix everything and they just would not listen? Maybe you just do not work and play well with others. Maybe, like many pilots, you wish your union could instantly fix the problems we face. Are you one of those dips that constantly votes for right-wingers and then moans because your union can't get anywhere?

I was also an ALPA volunteer. All that I encountered was a group of professionals freely giving of their time and labor in efforts to improve conditions for all of us.

The Dash Whisperer

IrishTiger

No I wasn't the lone genius. I didn't try to fix any problems. I did what the MEC told me to do, and I went above and beyond what was ever expected of me. For a year I watched pilots email and call with their problems and opinions. I saw all of the responses, and heard about a lot of the phone responses. I wasn't pleased with how they were communicating with the pilots, and they weren't listening. They continued to make excuses after excuses for the company, and saying that they were filing grievances, etc. The problem, is that grievances wouldn't have had to be filed had the MEC put the proper language in the TA to begin with.

That's all minor though. What I'm not happy about is the fact that the MEC isn't willing to put forth the effort to actually fix the problems correctly. It seems they only want to put a band-aid on it, and then wait for the problem to magically fix itself.

Now granted, I put a lot of the blame on the pilots as well. Our people have historically been quiet and apathetic. Our union knows this, and should be planning on this.

Fact of the matter is. This TA we got was garbage. You can defend it all you want, but at the end of the day we are still on the bottom of the regionals, and I don't see many improvements. The pilots spoke when they voted. I've never seen a vote so close. The MEC needs to be working diligently to PROVE to the 400 that voted no, that they were wrong. All they are doing now is confirming our choice was correct.

This just all scratches the surface. I can't go into much detail, because I'm still under a confidentiality agreement. What I can say, is that what goes on behind the scenes is not what most would expect or want. I was very disappointed, and when they weren't willing to do anything different I decided to part ways with them. Insanity is doing something the same over and over again expecting different results.

Please note again that I am referring to the MEC not the actual Union. I mentioned it once before that the committees do a lot of good work, and have good people volunteering. They are the folks that get the changes made at Mesa. I'm very thankful of the work they do for us, and it's a thankless job as I found out.