ALPA may have more resources at the national level, but that doesn't mean that they would negotiate a better contract than IBT. A negotiating committee only has the tools that the membership gives it. I frequently hear "What is the Union going to do" about xyz. Remember, you are the Union! A strong, united group represented by IBT will always get a better contract than a weak, divided group represented by ALPA. True unity is the key - not the name of the collective bargaining unit - and it cannot just be a slogan.

An in-house union/association, at this stage of the game, will have better weight than signing up with ALPA or IBT. Better control of costs, and direct negoation with management.

The former FR management team that are now at SB are not amateurs when it comes union issues… before union is formed.

Thats assuming the company is still in biz long enough to get a contract

Aw man, that is so undude like! JP

why do we (pilots) always fail to see the whole picture. More money, more money, that's all that comes out of our mouth.

Its too early to organize, you're not giving the company a chance to make a buck, you don't even know if the company will be around by March 2009.

Yeah, time for Skybus pilots to start making more than RJ pilots. Seriously.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live...9.html?sid=101

The starting salary for a Skybus captain is $65,000, while a less-senior first officer makes $30,000 to start. Pilots say those amounts are as much as 50 percent below industry standards, and Skybus pilots say the airline is not offering second-year pay increases.

Extreme penny-pinching also has gotten on the pilots' nerves. In the pilots' lounge, "They took away the bottled water recently because they said it cost too much," the pilot said.
"They got us these cheap plastic containers to fill up and take on the plane, but they leaked. They admitted they made a mistake and gave us bottled water again. But to save the delivery cost, they have pilots on their off-hours go to Costco and pick up cases of water and deliver them to the airport."

Wow, sending airline pilots on shopping trips to Costco. Sounds like a first class place to work.

Time for a union.

If I'm mistaken someone please correct me, but Skybus pilots were told when they were interviewed that there would be no pay raises for the duration of their individual three year contracts.

Which begs a question, even if they do "get a union" on the property, what about those three year contracts they signed? Do they suddenly become null and void?

Any lawyers out there?

Figures for fourth quarter 2007 are not expected to be released until May, BTW.

WOW 3rd year ca making a whole $65,000 per year. Or with some figures a whole $75,000 per year. Then you have to go shopping for your company at Costco on your off time. Classless act going on their. I hope you organize soon for your own sake. Whats next a pamphlet on how to properly dumpster dive for the good stuff? Flee market selling 101? Maybe you can wear those uniforms to Costco and give a tour for $5 per head.

We at JB are faced with the same "problem". Our labor law firm ( thank you again APA for "asking" them to handle JBPA pro-bono) is ready to file suit if the company opposes "status quo" as they believe the individual contracts must be converted immediately to a cba under the RLA with the added sections needed for it be collective .

BUT....there are no precedents, HOWEVER, sections 7-8-9 of the NRLA states that it is illegal for the company to take anything away if workers unionize.

so, while there are no precedents and nothing can be taken way, the issue is whether IBT or JBPA will have to negotiate form scratch, or if their individual contracts become 1 cba and they can use that as a short term bridge contract to negotiate a long lasting more profitable cba in the near future.

depending on what attitude the company(s) take, we might be seeing some very interesting court action soon enough.

Thank you for an informative reply.

How long has this been going on?