And any thing we do outside status quo can hurt the pilot group and give the company time in the press.

When the MEC wants to start picketing I’m good with it.

Until then, know your contract and fly it. Let the MEC do its job. And discuss your issues with your Reps in a private venue.

Keep keyboard bravado off a public, or private forum.

2 cents

Lee

 

As I was careful to say, "when the negotiations become public angst." Our union does it through the regular (and legal) process. We can be well within "status quo" and still have public angst over the process. I think the company is aware of public perceptions well before formal picketing.

 

I hear you Lee but patience is wearing thin. We know why we are at loggerheads and IMHO its time to start voicing our displeasure.

Sad that the new norm is to expect contracts to drift endlessly past amendable dates and never recoup the lost wages and bennies after the fact.

 

Know and fly your contract, insist on it!

Next time you get that ACARS message asking you to waive duty approaching the FAR 117 CCO time, just say no. I'm not really unhappy yet that we are late in the contract, but this is how things are, and fairly normal progression.

Not being happy is different than upset about it. Personally, I'm in the not unhappy category. So, I fly the contract, and don't waive. When I go to the place of being unhappy, it will be time to stop picking up flying, senior manning, and not answer crew desk phone calls. Then picketing, and more Wall Street presence.

My guess is more will happen when we get to the 1 year point. Soon....

 

Contracts are built for the good times and the bad. We all know expansions and contractions occur. We don't do "knee jerk" investing in our 401K's and retirement funds. So, we would expect labor agreements designed, structured, and built for periods of economic boom and downturns.

I am not an economist, but As far as I can look in the history books, the economy goes up and it goes down, and the cycle repeats.

So, I don't think we the pilots should really worry about a downturn. In fact, I think we should plan for it. If a democrat gets elected it will turn sour. They'll kill oil and petroleum products. if a republican is elected it will stiff arm any downturns and/or limit their impact and duration.

It's a great time to negotiate, that's why management doesn't want to negotiate. They'd rather do the Heisman stiff arm and bank on bad times ahead. They'll use that as leverage for NO retro or NO signing bonuses, and MORE RJ's flown on the cheap. That's their strategy right there.

 

I think we need to start with some clever bag tags and some billboards in Chicago around HQ. Gotta start getting it in their face. I think we pay enough dues to get some bag tags and billboards.

 

Agree. Its small but it is a start.

 

I’ve been doing the airline gig for 25 years, never had a contract within a year of the amendable date. That plus our union is trying to negotiate scope from a position where they are saying they won’t bend at all, it’s not rocket science, either our union adapts and modifies scope, or they continue on the path they are on and it takes a while. Chill bro. The fact that this contract has gone almost a year is 1. Status Quo for the industry 2. Because our union and the company are both holding out for something they feel benefits them. It takes time and we are progressing. Take a chill pill

 

I never said nor implied pilots should accept concessions.

The Union’s job is indeed to fight for gains and they should. Just like it’s management’s job to negotiate a better deal for themselves. This is the game as it normally is.

 

Stock buy backs are an investment. It protects, saves, cash.

Paying employees is an expense.