Future Union Representation at RJET

[Flying Illini]

I live in Detroit. I've seen what unions up there can do. I'd like to go with the UAW. The RLA would be repealed in a matter of days.

Nothing really to add, this is a great conversation with some good points.

 

[chqflyer]

I hope this doesn't come across as too jaded, the general feeling among the pilot group is that the fricken girl scouts would be more capable representation than anything the damn IBT could ever muster.

 

[Captain Morgan]

Union meetings catered with cookies... hmm.. you might have something there CHQFlyer.

 

[SkywayFO]

It is sad that you guys are not able to see that things have changed around here. If you have not been able to get to a crew meeting a hear directly from our BA Doug Turner. I think if you get a chance this will be an good experience for those IBT detractors. We need to let go of the past issues with the IBT. Trust me they piss me off too. But if are willing to listen and actually take in the information he presents you will not have the "down with IBT" feeling walking out the door.

 

[Flying Illini]

The IBT is finally starting to act like a union should. I know they are changing, you can see it happening. I'm still waiting to make my final determination. We will see how things go with the company over the next year or so. My UAW comment was a joke...mostly.

 

[StaySeated]

I have an honest question regarding the IBT.

Is your Secretary Treasurer a pilot or is he/she IBT Staff?

Is there an annual audit of the budget?

Does your constitution and by-laws require that the membership approve the annual budget?

Here is my current conundrum. Assuming a new bargaining agent is voted in at Republic Holdings, what happens to the dues that all of you have been paying for years?

Does everyone get a distribution or does the IBT get to keep your dues money?

I understand how ALPA would work, and I know what FAPA would do in the same scenario. I am just curious what the internal IBT rules state.

 

[SkywayFO]

I have an honest question regarding the IBT.

Is your Secretary Treasurer a pilot or is he/she IBT Staff?

Is there an annual audit of the budget?

Does your constitution and by-laws require that the membership approve the annual budget?

Here is my current conundrum. Assuming a new bargaining agent is voted in at Republic Holdings, what happens to the dues that all of you have been paying for years?

Does everyone get a distribution or does the IBT get to keep your dues money?

I understand how ALPA would work, and I know what FAPA would do in the same scenario. I am just curious what the internal IBT rules state.

When the issues happened at 747 the Sec/Tres. was a pilot(not a Republic Pilot).I am sure there was some sort of Audit process, board vote too I assume. In the past we as pilots did not approve the budget. I am not sure on the distribution of money if a new union was voted in. Good question though. All that being said. We are in Trusteeship right now. We do not have by-laws at this point. The trustee is to live by the spirit of the old ones. That being said, the 747 is going to merge with 1224(ABX, Atlas/Polar, and some others) in June I think. I'm not sure what they have in place.Then later in late summer to early fall, Republic is going to get its own local. At that time we get to write the by-laws. So we could impliment something like that then. In the past we only say an annual LM-2 report. With all the carriers it is hard to follow all the money. With our own local it will be much easier to watch the flow of cash.

 

[Raoul Duke]

An In-House union is by far the best option. National unions tout thier "resources" but at the end of the day they cannot demonstrate that 100% of your dues are used to support your operation. You never have to worry about that with an In-House union. Do the math, take the number of pilots you have, determine the amount of dues they would generate and see what that would generate. My guess is you could hire the best negotiators and run it efficiently and have a much better product that either ALPA or the IBT. There is a resaon American and Southwest are not part of a national union.

 

[Cardinal]

I was at Great Lakes when we escaped from IBT representation. The only monies we got back were from a "special assessment account" - we had voted in a temporary dues increase to fund this specific, separate account, dedicated warchest. IBT, to their credit, did give it back to the new representation, though we initially thought it would require legal action.

In general a national union will take dues and provide support, there won't be an appreciable building of assets. Then again that shouldn't be the goal of the leadership anyway. All that said I'm quite pleased with FAPA's financial stability, transparency, and stewardship.

 

[StaySeated]

I had the opportunity to read the Spirit TA. One of the many things that jumped out at me was the compensation section.

They have ONE pay rate, for any aircraft with 99-180 seats.

Interesting.

This brings me back to a point that I have repeated over and over ad nauseam.

If the IBT gents are worried about a potential whip saw, then why have they suspended their current section 6 negotiations?

The ALPA Spirit group was able to negotiate a mainline narrow body pay rate that covers everything from a EMB 190, CS300, 318, 319, and 320 (the 321 has a premium rate). This concept is very similar to the FAPA LOA that encompassed the same gauge of aircraft.

FAPA has a pay rate covering the same gauge aircraft, and it is a narrow body pay scale.

ALPA has a TA pay rate covering the same gauge aircraft, and it is a narrow body pay scale.

What is the IBT waiting for? You are currently flying 190's without a pay scale for any seat, and your FO's are flying the 190/175/170's at 145/135 pay.

What is the status of the RAH IBT 190 arbitration? Has the IBT established a pay rate for the 190? If so, how does it compare to the ALPA/Spirit TA or FAPA's CBA?