Technically we're already segregated by the fact we have three different MECs with their loyalties split four different ways: each's pilots and a joint deal. Won't be until the SLI is done and we vote in a combined MEC that we'll be one united group.

Really? You're going to go there? Aren't we all supposed to work together? This shouldn't have anything to do with individual pilot groups right now. It should be 100% on one new group. Every ounce of energy spent should be about this joint contract unless we decide to go back to what we were all doing prior to this and work for individual contracts

But get things done for who? Management or the pilots? From my experience, SOME of the ALPA officers have become management's biggest mouthpieces. We say the schedules suck (and they're getting worse) and the answer we get back is "M.H. really is doing the best he can with what he's been given..." ALPA didn't get voted on property with promises of maintaining the status quo. It should come as no surprise to ALPA officers that the pilot groups are getting restless...

There's "supposed to" and then there's "reality." Yes, we should be working together and not just when it's convenient. I'll ask once again: what harm would informational picketing do to the negotiations? I have yet to get a straight answer to that question. I've gotten a lot of the same talking points straight from MEC e-mails, but I haven't gotten an explanation on how the picketing would suddenly make Pinnacle management take something people say the NEED and suddenly say "Nah, forget it."


When this all first started going down, we heard how bad ass XJ's MEC was and how they wouldn't stand for the same crap the 9E MEC did from management. "You're management hasn't dealt with our MEC, yet" is what we heard a lot. First chance they get, they go right along with what the company wants, and I have YET to get a good answer from any of multiple sources on why.

I believe the XJ MEC was looking forward and not in the past, and exercising the art of negotations. We don't have to like them but we do have to negotiate with them.

I don't know about the Colgan reps, but the XJ reps are NOT management mouthpieces.

You are obviously anti-union Axial, and that's ok, but if we get this JCBA and you work under it about a year, you come back and tell me how you feel about the union, ok?

There is not a single management mouthpiece in the CJC MEC either.

That's good to know Cruise.

This whole picketing thing is just a distraction. Is it really that big of a deal who did or didn't go to 12 person 3 hour informational picketing event? Why is such a big deal being made out of this? We are busy infighting asking the wrong questions. We should be asking ourselves why as ALPA members, the largest pilot union in the world, we can't get a contract to match Skywest. Why aren't we getting trip and duty rigs? Why aren't we getting reserve transparency? A real vacation slide with the ability to wipe out whole trips. Instead we are fighting on who didn't show up to a 12 person picketing event? What a waste of energy.

The union's duties go far beyond a contract. In fact, negotiating a contract is an extremely small piece of the responsibilities. A large duty of a Union is to keep management in check. That hasn't been the case at Pinnacle. Management has changed numerous policies whenever they please without so much as a peep from the Union. Sure, I'll high five them when/if we get a contract, but I personally need to see more stones.