johnso29

I never said ALPA was 'incense & peppermints'. All corporations have insurance for things like this. Not to mention how long this will get tied up in Appeals court. I think I know who has deeper pockets. It will likely settle out of court.

Do you honestly think a judge will award that much money? Ford Motor Company poisoned living grounds of a community resulting in hundreds of deaths, & they settled out of court for a measly $6 million dollars. Most in the community didn't see enough to cover a month of medical bills. It will likely settle out of court for much less then you think.

Cleared4Option

I also don't get to vote... I was hired on the other side of the turning in of the cards.

I do care with a lot of passion - this is going to affect my whole career.

I am very disappointed by the way that the whole election is being held. Every day I am subject to more and more propaganda then even during the height of the Obama-McCain election.

I have worked in graphic design... all of this copy, the emails, the posters... it's all coming from somewhere. And all of that work costs big bucks. A lot of money is being spent to 'protect' me... or at least that's what I am being told. (again, I don't get to vote... so no matter what happens, I can complain either way... a win/win) The part that I don't trust, is where someone tells me, (and spends lots of money one!) things that they are doing things for my interest, telling me they are protecting me out of my own interest. Wait! You are doing all of this for 'little ole' me'.... hmmm.... what's the catch? (I'm still asking myself that)

Here's my other problem: All of this propaganda says that the relationship that we have with the company is going to be thrown away if the union is voted in. It's like throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Does the company management think that I am not going to give my best and my all if a union is voted in? My own personal success in my career is tied to the success of the airline. I voted with my brain and my feet by coming here when I was offered a job... I am happy to be here and plan on spending the rest of my career here. I want to build a strong airline that lasts through my retirement and beyond. (since I would like to travel and bum around with my wife after I retire) I am still going to cross seatbelts, make PA's from the front, help customers, be a leader and the face of the company. I am proud to work here and I believe in the culture of the company... I want to bring humanity to air travel. I remember when there was humanity in air travel... I tried to do my level best when I was at the regionals to make every flight a great one of the passengers. It is wonderful to be at a airline where the culture supports this. I am proud to be in the trenches here.

I have been at both union (ALPA) an non-union carriers. I was treated better at a non-union carrier. At my non-union carrier I was treated like a professional - and when I had a grievance, it was handled professionally by my boss. When I screwed something up, they handled it with care and grace. When I needed time off, I got the time off to take care of my family problems. When I was being accused of untrue things (FA's gossiping to a client, trying to get me kicked out of a aircraft program) - my boss brought me into his office and said: "We can hire a FA out of a lineup at Starbucks, you have spent over ten years of hard work and sacrifice getting into your seat, we have your back." (and they did)

At my two ALPA carriers not so much... if I had a problem, I was told to grieve it. (then the committee sold the grievences for pennies on the dollar back to the company) When I had problems with management, ALPA didn't protect me. And at another carrier, it was my former ALPA rep, turned manager, that gave me a basically quasi-illegal 'warning' letter to sign from the company because the overwork and... what's that french word... Fat-i-gue was causing me to get sick every couple of months. Oh yeah, after ALPA national got all the props for negotiating a 'industry leading' contract for us... and their writeup in their magazine... the MEC started in with the givebacks.

So, am I a fan... not just no, but H-E-Double Hockey Sticks NO.

The problem, now... again... no vote for me, so I don't even get a say in my own future. But, if I did have a vote... the company is pushing me in to the Yes column with all of the propaganda. Because I know, as bad as it was... it was not all of the GLOOM and DOOM I'm being told.

I have to say that the campaign has failed. It took a guy like me and pushed him from the ambiguity column... right into the yes column. If I'm around for a base visit, and not running for a flight home, I will mention it. And tell my boss and my bosses boss... ad infinitum that hopefully they didn't follow bad advice from a bad playbook.

eaglefly

Of course not.........they'd go bankrupt. But it's highly likely to be a staggering fine. Once the the damages phase is done, ALPA must put up that amount BEFORE any appeal, so again to ALPA members (current and stupidly soon to be), I say, "brace, brace, brace".

You think ALPA is going to get out of this without a hefty dues increase or serious assessment to the membership ?

If you think ALPA's going to skate, then the message there is they're free to do it again (although I admit I don't which group of their poor saps would be next to be sold down the river), but I think you're in denial.

johnso29

If the judge convinces them to settle out of court, I think it will be much smaller then you think. Regardless, we all just have to wait and see. If ALPA goes for an assessment or dues increase, it will be the death of them IMO.

eaglefly

You think the plaintiffs will go for that ?

If say, just 2000 of the 2700 TWA pilots take a piddly $10,000 each (a joke), that's $20 million (don't know what the lawyers would get on top of that).

Ten grand a pop for ALPA selling them down the river, hook, line and sinker ain't gonna happen, IMHO. It would be a slap in the face. If a sliding scale of where each pilot was harmed was developed with most being junior and totally hosed, you could easily quadruple that to $100 million.

ALPA got that much insurance ?

Probably bankrupt the insurer. No, I can't see how ALPA's not going to get out of this without their pants pulled down and if their pants are down, they're going to want yours to stay warm.

Face it..........as a DAL pilot, you could be in a MAJOR world of hurt. I'd start saving big-time now, if I were you.

johnso29

ALPA won't get any assessment from me. PERIOD.

And ALPA will worm their way out. Just wait and see.

eaglefly

Well, good luck my friend......I think you're dreaming though.

You know, when you cling to a ship like this, you accept where it sails. Read those court documents again and open your eyes to this ships direction and the disposition of its senior crew. It's not the first time national has sold out a specific pilot group and thus the other groups that inevitably have to foot the bill (or man the oars).

I suppose until your destiny is revealed, keep yours eyes forward, row on command with all your might and pray the land visable in the distance isn't filled with jagged rocks.

BTW, if the senior crew demands more of your share of their plunder, don't make waves or you'll walk the plank and be damned to Davy Jones' locker for eternity.

DaveNelson

So, when is the election and when will we know the results?

Fins Up

The voting window is going on now and closes Aug 16th. We'll find out that day what the result it.

It's sad that despite what's going on with ALPA and TWA, plus the USAIR thing, that many of us here at JetBlue, me included, would feel more secure with a CBA via ALPA (again, the only currently available avenue) than trust what our company tells us about their intentions and our security. That says a lot about our current 'process'.

amcflyboy

There's always one joker!

I would have gone with Neal Anblome