Gag order??
 

I've been doing some research into this so called gag order. I went to the NMB website looking at every link. I found nothing about the institution of gag orders. In fact, the NMB cannot get involved or have any say in union communications with the members. CALALPA makes it sound like this gag order was from Puchala herself. Ben Salley, an IAH rep told me the reason he changed the resolution to allow the CAL pilots to see, review, and comment on the TA for 14 days is that he was afraid to p*ss off Puchala. He said she would be needed in the future. The last time I looked, The ALPA triangle did not include the NMB. I have asked my MEC for a copy of this official gag order with the NMB seal on it. So far no response. I guess there is a gag order on the gag order.

During my research, I found the press release from the NMB, complete with the NMB seal and a list of those who were involved with the AIP. The following quote was in the release...

"The agreement is subject to definitive documentation, approvals by the ALPA Master Executive Councils of each subsidiary, and ratification by the company’s pilots. Specific information regarding the contract or its provisions should be obtained directly from the parties."

The gag order was already in place at the time this release came out. Why would the NMB say this if there was a gag order in place? If they had placed a gag order on the union and the company, it would have stated it. I firmly believe the NMB did not place a gag order on anyone. I believe ALPA asked the NMB if a gag order could be put in place. I'm sure Puchala told ALPA to do whatever they wanted and that the NMB would have nothing to do with it.

If this is the case, what is ALPA hiding? Something just doesn't add up here, and I plan on finding out why.

L-UAL MEC Update (Sept 1, 2012)
 

This gag order is not a judicially ordered mandate nor is it punishable in court. It is a request of the NMB who continues to be responsible for our JCBA until it is ratified. We require their assistance to bring this to a Tentative Agreement for our MECs and Pilots to consider. Whether it is to seek a release, force the parties to the table, establish parameters for negotiations, or whatever, not following their requests would have consequences. Remember, the NMB put APA (American Pilots) on ice for years. Violating the gag order may satisfy pilots’ curiosity about what has been agreed to so far, but at great risk to achieving a complete Tentative Agreement. Remember, it is not a deal until it is a deal. A gag order is nothing nefarious – it is about not negotiating in public. We will respect it.

(For the full post from except above, see page 2 from "Stalled AIP" Thread)

I asked Pierce similar questions. He responded with the typical canned answers we have been seeing thus far as well as accusing me of 'having an agenda'. Only thing in my email that I can think prompted that was explaining, hypothetically off course, that a TA with Delta-1 dollar is ridiculous and probably indicates a sales job forthcoming.

One thing you want to make sure you do is ignore the NMB. They have almost no power over anything. Its best to keep them ****ed off and angry. It will really help in the seniority integration because the arbitrator will know your a force to be dealth with. It will get you a much more favorable outcome!

Just so everyone knows that the above post was TIC and meant to be facetious.

Everyone knows that the NMB has the power and ability to release you to a cooling off period which generates that maximum leverage against the recalitrant managment we now face. If ALPA keeps them "****ed off and angry" ALPA never gets released. If the idiot management team keeps them "****ed off and angry" then they are more likely to give the pilots a release to self help.

Additonally, the NMB has nothing to do with SLI and the mediator/arbitrator. They are two wholly seperate issues with nothing having to do with the other except starting the SLI timeline.

I have it on good authority that there is no gag order. That is the reason none of the MEC members have seen one. Even those reps who have asked to see it are being stonewalled. This rat is getting bigger and starting to smell really bad. That's all I'm going to say for I know certain MEC members on the dark side watch this forum.

Interesting, So ALPA is playing their own Membership to keep them on Ice......

You will find the above statement incorrect. The arbitrators used in a SLI will come from the NMB roster. They all in the end work for the NMB and are very aware of what is going on in the industry. If you get a chance take a look at recent USAPA arbitrations and see how well they have done since telling the SLI arbitrator to take a long walk on a short pier.

I would venture to bet that some (if not all) of the arbitrators to be named will come from the following list for any future SLI Arbitration ....Assuming none of these "got dead" in recent months & they're still working in such a capacity.

Richard Bloch
Herbert Fishgold
Richard Kasher
John LaRocco
Carol Wittenberg
Fred Horowitz
Geroge Nicolau
Gil Vernon
Lawrence Holden
Michael Beck
Bonnie Siber Weinstock
Gerald Wallin
Robert Harrris
Stephen Hayford
Marvin Hill

If your house is divided because you represent groups with mutually exclusive and completely opposed goals (majors and regionals), it would be easier than admitting you're on the take and getting paid under the table to do a poor job.