Prepare for the mgmt. maneuvers
 

Although this will seem obvious to some, imho it bears repeating for those who either weren't watching before or haven't been through it before.
Right about now in negotiations, news like this usually seems to miraculously start happening,
possibly in an effort to weaken some pilot's resolve or convince the pilots they need to "save" United Airlines:

- the company starts showing poor financial performance

- the company starts reducing future profit estimates

- the company starts broadcasting difficulties through the media

- the company starts broadcasting how much cheaper the RJ's operate

- the company starts broadcasting how foreign competition reduces our profits

- the company starts to cater to one group's desires over the other to split the unity and voting

- the company uses "avg." pay of pilots at places like Sun Country in their "fair" estimates

- the company publically overestimates the cost of the pilot's offer

- the company publically advertises that the pilots are causing any current problems

- the company claims they need money for new airplanes

- the company claims the pilot's offer could jeopardize or bankrupt the airline

- the company claims the pilot's offer is unfair to other employees

- the company claims the MEC has rejected an excellent offer

- the company claims large percentage increases in costs based on exaggerated future assumptions

- the company will try to create any guilt scenario to sway momentum and voting of the pilot group

And our job is to not take any of the above ideas as our personal responsibilities.
The suspect issues above are for mgmt. to manage. That's their job, not ours.

For example, when UA pilots took their second concessionary pay cut after the bankruptcy, (the bankruptcy rates we make today)
it was predicated on "saving" the airline. Jake Brace, UA CFO later came out and arrogantly stated to the media
"the second round of pilot pay cuts exceeded our expectations"..they were planning on paying us more and we handed it to them out of fear and greed.

We are a cost of doing business, just like fuel, maintenance etc.
Do the fuel companies or Boeing give their products away when management comes up with subjective excuses?
No.
Neither should we. Stand strong for our profession and the contract we'll have to work under for possibly a very long time
and watch for the above maneuvers from management as the negotiations proceed.
History has shown they are consistent and, consistently, some guys buy into them and succumb to mgmt. imposed fear and greed.

This management team is too disorganized for any of that.

All the rats are leaving the ship.

If all of Gordon Bethune's top tier management team had stayed at CAL instead of leaving for DAL I would agree with you. These guys aren't smart enough for that. This is like watching the morning bozo the clown show, except someone on the show appears to be a little bit "tipsey."

God help us!

Otto,
I've agreed with much you've said on this forum in the past few weeks.
That said, the scenario described above will absolutely happen.

UAL management, regardless their shining pedigree (tic), will try to play the pilot groups like a fiddle.

SCR

I agree ual will startbthe real games.
Fupm should be all our responses

I have to agree with SoCentral here, Otto. They most definitely will utilize these tactics! They are disorganized, so you won't see all these tactics used at the same time, but rather as random press releases and scattered quotes and claims from different people at at different times.

+1...

A lot of these tactics are already surfacing. You are correct, these types of statements will probably be repeated weekly for any limp Richard who wants to bite. Airline Mgt 101. Don't fall for it boys and girls.

Equally important, watch out for your fellow pilots on the line.

Good point, the company trying to get sympathetic pilots to "counsel" others that they're telling the truth.

Also, the company trying to gain public and political support through publically pointing out flight ops stats like SL/delays/cancellations etc.

Otto-
You have put out quite a bit of bad gouge on this forum. Some of it is, shall we say "entertaining," but the above comment is naive and dangerous. We will loose this fight if the membership underestimates management, i.e. the enemy. I don't know how long you have been at CAL, but it appears to me that you need to step away from your keyboard and listen to some of the old heads. Learn some history. Do you know who Ferg is? That might help you understand some of JH actions. I'm not trying to attack you, just give you some brotherly advice.

Hey...I've been flying commercially since 22, majors since 28, now 44. This ain't my first rodeo.

I am not attacking you either.

I've been working for crappy management longer than most regional pilots have been alive.

My point is this: Good people attract good people and bad people repel good people.

Currently, Co-worker Jeff is pushing away some good people and they are jumping ship. On the surface some may be disenhartened by it, but I am very happy, for this and only this will bring Star Fleet Commander-Co-worker-Das Komisar Jeffey back to reality in that "he ain't all that."

If we say "The emperor has no clothes." Big deal right. But, if his buddies with keys to the executive washroom proclaim it, and then vote with their feet, I think that helps us. Bafoonery attracts bafoonery, or it repels competency. It's like magnatism...........