UAL Council 57 (LAX) Update
 

Vice Chairman’s Update




Members of Council 57:


By now you’ve seen the recent update from Master Chairman Morse which spread a bit more light on the delay in our negotiations for a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA). While her update does not detail every he-said/she-said moment over the last few months, I think that it distilled down to a nutshell for you that the only problem we’ve encountered in the process thus far is the pollution of the JCBA process by Seniority List Integration (SLI) concerns.


I’d like you to keep several things in mind over the coming weeks as your aggravation level rises (hey, mine is so I suspect yours is too):
1. This was bound to happen. How could it not? As one Continental MEC member told me, “Contracts come and go but seniority lasts forever. I won’t compromise one bit on anything that might affect my members seniority numbers.” Well gee, with an attitude like that the process was certain to sail smoothly no? And bear in mind that I have no intention of selling your seniority concerns short either (not that I would have been so undiplomatic as to beat my chest in mixed company…) so again – it’s my opinion that this was going to happen in any case.


2. Despite this stumbling block the Joint Negotiating Committee has remained fully engaged and very busy because there are many sections of the contract. Work towards getting you a new JCBA has never ceased. Please repeat that as many times as it takes to lower your blood pressure. I kid you not here folks and any insinuation otherwise, by anyone in any corner, is pure foolishness or worse.

3. When an issue arises that the two MECs cannot agree upon then there needs to be a process and a body to bring the issue to with the intention that eventually someone needs to play King Solomon and hand down a wise judgment or compromise. There is. ALPA International will get an opportunity here to prove to you that taking almost 2% of your pay every month and doling back a small percentage of that for your MEC to run your affairs sometimes actually makes sense. (I will say the same thing later in this missive…) If ALPA International proves that they are useless then I suggest you remember that fact as we move forward.


4. Regarding communications you may have seen from various CAL councils that are making the email rounds, I have three words for you: Jerry - Springer - Show. Tune it out folks, just change the channel.


5. Regarding communications from the CAL Master Chairman that you may have forwarded to you via email, I suggest that you bear in mind that this is a guy who has made it clear he has zero problem with airing his MEC’s dirty laundry in public and who also has zero problem with negotiating in the press. Given your MEC’s experience with the man over the last few months I don’t think he is capable of using the bathroom without considering what possible seniority list integration implications might arise. On this polling day of our collective discontent I’ll remind us all of the old saw about how to tell when a politician is lying? His lips are moving. Well I would not be so callous as to call Jay Pierce a politician but Iwill say that more than once while reading one of his missives I’ve guffawed out loud. Maybe that’s what he was going for? I dunno.


6. Everyone on your MEC is determined not to allow the JCBA process to bog down due to any fault on our part. The UAL MEC Negotiating Committee has continued to work well with the Joint Negotiating Committee, and your entire MEC structure has been and will continue to work productively with the company as long as the company is willing to work productively with us. At this juncture please re-read item #2. Thank you.


7. Dealing with the CAL MEC and ALPA National is your MEC’s job and for the most part you need not worry about that. Honestly that’s the truth. We are up to the job, there is a great deal of experience at our table, we know what needs to be done and although it’s tedious and complicated we are walking purposefully through the process. The Master Chairman will keep you updated and I’ve never seen her tell you something regarding this merger that is baloney. From time to time the MEC has instructed her to put something out because we found ourselves getting a lot of feedback indicating discomfort from the membership about an item or issue but that’s fine, it’s part of the process of your MEC working with the Master Chairman. If needed, Bill, John and I will augment and as you know by now we have fully functional BS meters. We pledge to you that we will NOT keep you in the dark regarding anything that honestly matters (dirty laundry should not rise to the occasion) and our phones lines are alwaysopen so please call if you need to.

8. I would not be so bold as to tell you to disregard anything you hear from anyone else, but for the most part PLEASE treat anything that gets your dander up as rumor, unhelpful rhetoric or possibly even disinformation until you get a chance to contact one of us. Telephone is best and, as I tell anyone who emails me, if you want the unvarnished truth call me – I’ll give it to you with both barrels. After seeing countless examples of off the cuff emails winding up in court, displayed as if Moses himself had brought them down the hill, I simply will not put much beyond the most basic of info into emails. I’ll give it to you straight if you take the time to call me or shoot me an email asking me to contact you but that’s the way it needs to be.

9. The most common question that I receive these days is, “When?” The reply that I have been giving is that it is possible that we can have something by the end of the year but it will take the company simply saying “yes” to our requests because they are reasonable. If the company balks without any hope of repair on our reasonable scope demands (reasonable because we are simply trying to stop the continued outsourcing of our jobs – and after all what more basic function can a union serve) or on any other section that we are unable to collectively move forward on, then obviously we wont have a contract and we’ll have to prepare to walk through the process that the federal government demands.

An item that I alluded to earlier is the FAA Flight Time/Duty Time NPRM that closes for comment on Nov. 15th. Your union just a few hours ago sent you ALPA’s commentary regarding our collective positions on the bits of NPRM. I can tell you that the rule is vast, hugely complicated, and I was an Army enlisted man so if you were hoping for a detailed SSC briefing from me at this juncture you will now be disappointed.


However, with many concerns in mind and the hairs standing up on the back of my neck I approached ALPA International’s flight time/duty time guru at the BOD meeting last month and bent his ear for a good bit. I let him know in very certain terms that ALPA had better get this right and he assured me with a dazzling blizzard of facts and statistics that they are all over it. Well hallelujah. I’m glad that my hard earned dues (of which they dole a small fraction back to us…remember I warned you I would re-hash) may actually come to good use in this case because I gotta tell you, the career laying in shambles at my feet hasn’t been giving me a warm fuzzy about my “union” for going on a decade now. I suggest very strongly that we hold ALPA to their promise to get it right this time, and when this rule comes to pass in a year or more if it’s a disaster respond appropriately.


The flip side of that is that if the FAA’s final new rules wind up being a significant improvement in base line safety that honestly makes life more bearable and arguably more safe for pilots at some of the carriers in our industry (at UAL our contract is largely unaffected by FAA rule changes because it’s much tighter already) then we need to tip our hat to the people at ALPA who have worked very hard on this. In other words I’m not crying foul already, I’m crying “Hold them accountable!” That’s all.

And lastly a very unpleasant topic: the doggone full body scanner debacle. Ladies and gentlemen, we are working this as strongly as possible. Your Flight Ops Management is working it. ALPA Intl. is working it. At some point buffoonery will have to yield the day to common sense but it’s going to be difficult for us in the meantime and we can’t stress enough that we absolutely do not want anyone out there falling on their sword at the security check point – please allow us to work the problem! Do not put your career in jeopardy.

While your union and company representatives continue to work the problem, until we achieve some sort of sensible solution, each of us is going to have to make the difficult decision of whether to submit to this needless dose of radiation (it is reportedly less than you receive from flying a transcon) or submit to an offensively aggressive body search. What you do NOT have to submit to is unprofessional or inappropriate behavior by a TSA screener. That includes looks, remarks, commentary, and of course physical assault. If you believe that a TSA screener has acted inappropriately you MUST remain calm and professional. Bear in mind that the TSA is possibly just as fed up as we are and you may have run into someone who is looking to provoke a confrontation. Call for a TSA supervisor to discuss your concerns, call for local law enforcement if you feel it is warranted, and immediately contact the FODM and your local officers regarding the incident. You will need to file a Security Report on Skynet, and lastly you will need to evaluate your state of mind in order to make a decision regarding the safety of the flight - exactly as you are charged to do every day that you exercise your Airline Transport Pilot Certificate. If necessary, file an FSAP regarding your decision. I do not mention that last part lightly and I ask that we all remain absolutely professional and in such a situation conduct ourselves according to the ALPA Code of Conduct with 100% integrity. I do not suggest that any of us need to or should ever put up with anything unwarranted at any checkpoint, only that we will all be held accountable for our actions as that is only right and
just.

Well that’s enough for today. I’m going to go tune in and see what the election has ushered in across our land and perhaps say a prayer for America. If you’re so inclined perhaps you’ll to do the same.

Please read what your union sends you, stay engaged, stay away from foolish chatter, and do not for one second hesitate to call your local officers if you feel you need to know something.

Yours in solidarity,

M.T. “Oly” Olson
Vice Chairman/First Officer Representative
Los Angeles Council 57






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I wonder if Jayson Baron is aware that his "Clone" resides within the LAX/LEC??

Why? He didn't talk about shiny new planes.....

This BS he said/ she said on both sides is sickening to me. Put out the facts, (I'm a CAL guy and I've said my part on our side) and quit with the infighting. The fight is with MGT. You effing figure out how to work threw this without throwing stones.

I expect a knock down blow out throughout this process. I also expect to stand shoulder to shoulder with the new UA.

Leadership on both sides STOP! DO YOUR ELECTED JOB. GIVE US FACTS! I know JP is a snake. You are stooping down to your own Springer level.
Get us a contract and do it NOW!

I've heard through the grapevine that ole "Oly" may get in a bit of hot water for this.

I would think that common sense would tell you that you don't use ALPA communications to threaten ALPA if they "don't do whats right".

Redeye,

I do not think posting this here is helping anything. :(

Please consider deleting it.

Thanks,

SP

I appreciate him echoing that ALPA National really needs to get the NPRM right for pilots (as well as clarification of the new improved merger policy, but that's another thread) or it will probably mean the end of ALPA.

No kidding. When people write things such as

reading one of his missives I’ve guffawed out loud

I thought, who writes or talks like that? It really makes one sound a bit out of touch (I could have said aloof) with one's job. Me thinks if there weren't people more interested in using that book that converts one word to a bigger sounding word, you guys just might get along and have a jcba. Trust me, management is way smarter than the average big-missived pilot. Y'all beating each other up over who has the best missive in the land ain't getting the job done and in fact is helping to put more gifts under the mgmt xmas tree. ;)

Boy, this guy picked a bad day to stop sniffing glue....