View the October 25, 2007 letter from the ASA MEC to all SkyWest Pilots

[Nevets]

Dear fellow SkyWest, Inc. pilot:

As you’ve no doubt heard by now, the atmosphere here at Atlantic Southeast Airlines has taken on quite a charge
over the past couple of weeks! Late in the evening of September 28, our Contract Negotiating Committee (CNC)
and representative members of our Master Executive Council (MEC) finished three days of intense negotiations
with ASA management and SkyWest CEO Jerry Atkin to reach a Tentative Agreement (TA) on a new contract that
has been five years in the making. During this final three-day session, our negotiators and local union leaders
were joined by ALPA specialists and attorneys and Association President Captain John Prater. The process was
overseen by National Mediation Board (NMB) member Elizabeth Dougherty.

For the pilots at your sister carrier ASA, September 28 represents the culmination of five years worth of
negotiating the terms of a new contract with a reluctant management. All the while, we worked under terms of our
third collective bargaining agreement, this one signed in 1998. Our pilots will decide—sometime around the end
of November—whether or not to accept the terms of this TA. Until then, we continue to work under the
provisions and protections of our current contract. Having witnessed this drawn-out process and the strain it
places on our pilots, we’re not surprised when some of you ask, “Why should I vote to bring a pilot union on my
property? What has ALPA done for the pilots of ASA?”

While it’s true that we probably came close to “breaking the record” for the length of time taken to negotiate a
pilot contract under terms of the Railway Labor Act (RLA), it’s important to remember that we were not without a
contract during that time. Our current contract became effective in September 1998. Though some of its terms and
conditions are somewhat dated in a 2007 world, it is still a legally binding contract, complete with specific rules
and protections afforded under federal law.

As ridiculous as it may seem to think that we were without an amended contract for this long, we still successfully
fended off management’s demands for concessions, contract extensions, and other regressive provisions while our
pilots continued to enjoy the protections afforded by our existing agreement. If a pilot at ASA is called in to see a
supervisor—a chief pilot—because he is suspected or has been accused of some wrongdoing, he doesn’t go alone.
Our pilots are assured of legal representation to help uphold their legal and contractual rights through every step
of a disciplinary or enforcement process. Our pilots are protected by an enforceable contract; they are not “atwill”
employees. Therefore, a pilot’s employment cannot be terminated without just cause or at the whim of
someone in management who wishes to see him or her fired.

And speaking of the legal process, here’s a point to ponder: When considering the relationship between your pilot
group and the attorneys who are assigned to represent you, ask yourself, “Who does this attorney work for?” In
order for the client/attorney relationship to succeed, the attorney must work for you, not for the company. Anyone
working for or paid by the company to represent you is bound by their responsibilities to their employer, who in
this instance is not you.

Additionally, thanks to our contractual agreement, our pilots can employ a genuine grievance mechanism through
which to seek redress for any management-generated foul-ups. Like any legal proceeding, grievances sometimes
take a while to settle, but if a pilot’s contractual rights have been usurped, the grievance process ensures that
justice will be served.

Your pilot group has enjoyed many years of growth and prosperity at the hands of an owner and management who
understand the realities of how to run a successful business. In the end, though, without the protections and
oversight afforded by an enforceable contract, backed by an international pilot association, SkyWest management
is free to impose changes to work rules, pay, and quality-of-life items at any time for any reason.

And when you think of contracts, think of this: Managements and their executives establish contracts for
employment. Service providers and vendors of goods won’t conduct business without contractual protections. In
fact, nearly any business relationship you might think of is held together in one form or another by mutually
agreed-upon contract terms. Contracts provide a way for each side to protect its own interests, and they create
clear conditions of fulfillment to which both parties can adhere. In other words, contracts are just good business.

What else comes with ALPA membership?

As an ALPA member, you not only enjoy contractual protections we’ve discussed here, you are afforded access to
a large and intricate network of pilots from every spectrum of the industry and professional staff who specialize in
everything from answering Aeromedical questions to helping resolve problems with securing a jumpseat.
Members from each pilot group comprise these committees on a local level. Pilot representatives also make up the
Association’s national variant of these committees, where they oversee the workings of those areas as they pertain
to all ALPA pilots.

We’ve included a roster of our Master Executive Council (MEC) and the folks who head our various committees.
Take a glance through the roster and you’ll quickly see that the men and women who make up these committees
are line and reserve pilots who have volunteered their time and talents to serve the pilots of ASA. The next time
your travels take you through Atlanta, we invite you to stop by our MEC offices at 3420 Norman Berry Drive,
Suite 300, in Hapeville, near the airport. We’ll give you the grand tour and introduce you to the men and women
who represent our Association at its most tangible level—right out here on the flight line.

The ASA pilots look forward to being the first to welcome you as the newest members of the Air Line Pilots
Association, International! Blue skies and good flying!

Fraternally,

Captain David Nieuwenhuis Captain Tom Zerbarini Captain Scott Johnson
Chairman, ASA MEC Vice Chairman, ASA MEC Secretary-Treasurer, ASA MEC
Executive Vice President, B2
Captain Nick Tomlin Captain Danny Utley
MEC Captain Representative MEC Captain Representative
Chairman, ASA Council 112 Vice Chairman, ASA Council 112
Chairman, MEC SPC Executive Administrator, ASA MEC
First Officer Seth Heckard Captain Michael Schnorr
MEC First Officer Representative MEC First Officer Representative
Secretary-Treasurer, ASA Council 112 ASA Council 112

http://www.skywestalpa.org/documents/ASALetterToSkyWestPilots102607.pdf

 

[BIGGOAT]

Very well said!


Goat

 

[Jmoney]

Hope.

I hope that enough of these guys realize how important ALPA would be to everyone involved with Skywest. Once you cut through all the rhetoric and fussing around here, the truth is that life is simply better at union carriers. Any airline that has a union simply has better job protection and overall a better environment than any non-union carrier-especially long-term. Don't squander you chance to protect the future.

 

[Speedtape]

Cumbaya!

 

[Weasil]

Well said. Hope this gets some circulation.

 

[Nevets]

AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION, INTERNATIONAL
100TH REGULAR EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
October 23-24, 2007

SUBJECT
Expression of Support for the SkyWest Organizing Effort

SOURCE
President John Prater

FINAL RESOLUTION

WHEREAS the Mission Statement of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l., calls on
ALPA “to represent, in both specific and general respects, the collective interests of
all pilots in commercial aviation,” and

WHEREAS the interests of the members of ALPA, as well as all airline pilots, will
be materially advanced by the Association achieving its long-standing goal of truly
becoming the unified pilot representative for the profession in the United States
and Canada, and

WHEREAS the interests of the members of ALPA, as well as all airline pilots, will
be materially advanced by enhancing contract standards in all sectors of the airline
industry, and

WHEREAS SkyWest Airlines is the largest regional carrier in the world, as
measured by overall passenger capacity, and

WHEREAS the pilots of SkyWest Airlines have been unrepresented and without the
basic protections of a contract for over 35 years, and

WHEREAS there can be little hope for stability and career security in the regional
sector with the largest carrier operating without the benefit of real union
representation and an enforceable contract, and

WHEREAS ALPA’s pursuit of “Taking it Back” and the rebuilding and
enhancement of professional careers of U.S. airline pilots will be greatly enhanced
by the addition and participation of the over 2,700 SkyWest pilots in the
Association’s work, and

WHEREAS every commercial pilot should be afforded the benefit of union
representation, and an enforceable contract, and

WHEREAS, this historic organizing effort and election period will conclude in just
over two weeks, at 2:00 PM EDT on November 6, 2007,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Executive Board of the Air Line Pilots
Association, Int’l., pledges their support to the SkyWest Airlines pilot group and
urges them to vote for ALPA as their collective bargaining representative, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ALPA calls upon all active members to show
their support for the organizing effort by wearing ALPA insignia while at work
during the next two weeks, and to engage with SkyWest Airlines pilots at every
opportunity to express their support for the drive and encourage SkyWest Airlines
pilots to join the other 60,000 members of ALPA in a unified effort to improve the
careers of all professional airline pilots.

 

[SkyNation]

Once you cut through all the rhetoric and fussing around here, the truth is that life is simply better at union carriers. Any airline that has a union simply has better job protection and overall a better environment than any non-union carrier-especially long-term.

really? tell that to these guys. Sounds like their QOL and work environment isn't so great. Also sounds like having ALPA around doesn't prevent these things from happening.

'We, the pilots of Air Wisconsin, are deeply concerned about the direction of our company. While we were once the premier regional airline to fly for, that is no longer the case. The ALPA MEC has initiated a strategic campaign known as “Do I Have a Future Here” to put a spot light on our concerns. Recent developments, such as the rigid enforcement of an Attendance Policy that disciplines pilots who call in sick when they are actually sick, unilateral policy changes that have cost our pilots substantial amounts of pay, an exceedingly high grievance case load, and repeatedly denied requests for scheduling accommodations that would greatly enhance our quality of life have provided the impetus for this strategic campaign.
We want what every professional pilot deserves: a good place to work. In recent years Air Wisconsin has gone from arguably the best regional airline to work for, to one of the worst.'



http://www.doihaveafuturehere.org/

 

[Nevets]

really? tell that to these guys. Sounds like their QOL and work environment isn't so great. Also sounds like having ALPA around doesn't prevent these things from happening.

'We, the pilots of Air Wisconsin, are deeply concerned about the direction of our company. While we were once the premier regional airline to fly for, that is no longer the case. The ALPA MEC has initiated a strategic campaign known as “Do I Have a Future Here” to put a spot light on our concerns. Recent developments, such as the rigid enforcement of an Attendance Policy that disciplines pilots who call in sick when they are actually sick, unilateral policy changes that have cost our pilots substantial amounts of pay, an exceedingly high grievance case load, and repeatedly denied requests for scheduling accommodations that would greatly enhance our quality of life have provided the impetus for this strategic campaign.
We want what every professional pilot deserves: a good place to work. In recent years Air Wisconsin has gone from arguably the best regional airline to work for, to one of the worst.'



http://www.doihaveafuturehere.org/

You do not understand what they are saying. The Air Wisconsin pilots are complaining that the MANAGEMENT is making unilateral policy changes. That MANAGEMENT'S disregard for the contract is causing an exceedingly high grievance case load (obviously since the pilots wouldn't file them otherwise). That MANAGEMENT repeatedly deny requests for scheduling accommodations that would greatly enhance the quality of life (obviously since pilots are concerned with their QOL).

Do you not understand that this is the pilots saying that MANAGEMENT has made Air Wisconsin one the best places to work to one of the worst?

Are you purposely trying to decieve are do you not understand the WHOLE letter and who wrote it and who its complaining about and who its audience is?

Please tell me you just didn't know that because otherwise its a really sleazy thing you are doing.

Here is the whole letter for everyone to put it into context. Keep in mind this was written by AWAC pilots to show everyone how AWAC MANAGEMENT is treating its pilots.

Do I have a future here?


That is what many of the professional pilots of Air Wisconsin are wondering.​

We, the pilots of Air Wisconsin, are deeply concerned about the direction of our company. While we were once the premier regional airline to fly for, that is no longer the case. The ALPA MEC has initiated a strategic campaign known as “Do I Have a Future Here” to put a spot light on our concerns.
Recent developments, such as the rigid enforcement of an Attendance Policy that disciplines pilots who call in sick when they are actually sick, unilateral policy changes that have cost our pilots substantial amounts of pay, an exceedingly high grievance case load, and repeatedly denied requests for scheduling accomodations that would greatly enhance our quality of life have provided the impetus for this strategic campaign.
We want what every professional pilot deserves: a good place to work. In recent years Air Wisconsin has gone from arguably the best regional airline to work for, to one of the worst. This is due to management decisions that embody a philosophy that does not us as pilots or as employees.
“Do I Have a Future Here” is a question that many Air Wisconsin pilots are asking. It is a question that management is forcing us to ask. A pilot is prohibited by the Federal Aviation Regulations from flying when sick. If an Air Wisconsin pilot has the misfortune to be sick more than a certain number of times in a year, the pilot will lose his job. For that pilot, there is no future here. A pilot who lives in Denver must now commute to the east coast to start his flying assignments. ALPA has repeatedly asked for scheduling accommodations to enable all of our pilots to have more time at home. No meaningful changes have occurred, and as a result, the pilot’s family life is strained. He simply doesn’t have enough time at home. For that pilot, there is no future here. Many of our pilots, especially our First Officers, struggle to make ends meet. Without any advance notice earlier this year, Air Wisconsin unilaterally changed its interpretation of our commuter policy. Many pilots lost several days of pay, and in some cases, an entire week of pay. For these pilots, there is no future here. When we went to arbitration over Air Wisconsin’s decision to retain the savings from the concessions we granted that were to be passed onto United Airlines to retain the United code sharing agreement, management’s response was that they did not believe that our pilots were due a single penny. Instead, the owners of Air Wisconsin are systematically draining the corporation of its cash, leaving little buffer for stormy times. The potential consequences are clear: for all of our pilots, there may be no future here.
Despite record gains for the owners of Air Wisconsin (at least 300 million in the last few years) nearly every request of ours is met with the same response: if it costs money, we won’t do it.
Neither the MEC nor this pilot group is willing to sit on the sidelines any longer. Regardless of management’s attitude toward our pilots, regardless of the arbitration decision, we will take greater control of our working lives.
This website is designed to inform anyone who is interested about the challenges we face, and how we are facing them. It is also designed to aid in communication within the Air Wisconsin pilot group. Please browse this website and check back frequently as items are added and news is updated.

 

[Nevets]

oops double post

 

[BIGGOAT]

Skynation,

What if Skywest mgt has a change in sentiment or someday a new mgt team comes in altogether. There is NOTHING you or SAPA can do when your work "rules" are arbitrarily changed. An ALPA carrier, however, has a legal process by which to challenge and stop those changes.
I am saying this as one who believes that capitalism is the best way to prosperity and the best medium for various markets/industries to operate. Ergo, I do not favor unions. Yet they are a reality of our beloved profession and a necessity.

Regards,
Goat