JetBlue pilots to remain non-union

Interesting turn of events. These pilots may live to regret their decision.

NO Union! Oh my God, who will be there to negotiate their next concessionary contract?! ALPA did great for CO and United,US Air, NWA, Delta etc.

OldCapt wrote:

NO Union! Oh my God, who will be there to negotiate their next concessionary contract?! ALPA did great for CO and United,US Air, NWA, Delta etc.

With no union, these guys/gals are on individual agreements with their company. JetBlue has been known to fire folks for very thin reasons. Best of luck to them.

OldCapt wrote:

NO Union! Oh my God, who will be there to negotiate their next concessionary contract?! ALPA did great for CO and United,US Air, NWA, Delta etc.

There is no negotiaton, just a pure imposition of will by the company. Don't ever be late for a flight, or have a rumor of something bad said against you. There is no due process

And that can never happen with a union! Most of our REALLY good rumors are about our Union leaders! The last two we booted were caught sleeping together. Our Union boss made $750,000 while his co-workers back on the line had their pay cut to $150,000. Union leaders are just as crooked as the big CEO's. They are there to make themselves and the union rich, not you and me.

I'm not saying unions are all bad but 92% of civilian workers in this country (including all corporate pilots) work in a non-union environment. You can't tell me they all have horrible jobs. Intelligent companies know that they have to treat their employees fairly and many have the same rules you would see with a union. Can you tell your boss to go screw himself or sabotage his flight because you are pissed? NO. You just have to grow up or move out.

OldCapt wrote:

And that can never happen with a union! Most of our REALLY good rumors are about our Union leaders! The last two we booted were caught sleeping together. Our Union boss made $750,000 while his co-workers back on the line had their pay cut to $150,000. Union leaders are just as crooked as the big CEO's. They are there to make themselves and the union rich, not you and me.
I'm not saying unions are all bad but 92% of civilian workers in this country (including all corporate pilots) work in a non-union environment. You can't tell me they all have horrible jobs. Intelligent companies know that they have to treat their employees fairly and many have the same rules you would see with a union. Can you tell your boss to go screw himself or sabotage his flight because you are pissed? NO. You just have to grow up or move out.

Given the outrageously horrible behavior of airline managements in the 1930s and 1940s,[pilots'] unions came into existence out of necessity. The unions gained strength in the years during the period of airline regulation. Once the regulated environment ceased, managements (especially Mr. Lorenzo) started their assault in earnest. That, coupled with unions' inability to get around the Railway Labor Act, has largely led to the situation we find ourselves in today.
Both unions and management have had corrupt individuals who enriched themselves to the detriment of their co-workers. This is morally bankrupt behavior and should be, or have been, rooted out of both groups. However, that behavior continues to this day.
Without a national seniority system, pilots cannot just pick up and move from one company to the next and expect to better their circumstances (seat, pay, quality of life). Once you start with company A, you remain with them until you either retire, quit (to possibly try starting over as the most junior pilot at another company) or get fired. Very few (I can think of no other) professions work this way.
The only intelligent airline company I can think of at the present time is unionized Southwest. All others, including the non-union JetBlue, I believe to be less than intelligent.

Old Capt, I agree with what you say. I just wanted to add some amplifying comments to this discussion.

confused one wrote:

<quoted text> morally bankrupt behavi JetBlue, I believe to be less than intelligent.
Old Capt, I agree with what you say. I just wanted to add some amplifying comments to this discussion.

Yes, I have my own copy of "Flying the Line"! Another good read is "Hard Landing". Of course the most important aviation book is "Fate is the Hunter" which has hardly anything to do with business but what the heck!

Being Pro-business is getting harder and harder these days with all of the bad behavior but I was raised by business people! The type who worked hard, were successful and STILL managed to take care of their employees!

While union representation is always better than going without, the Jet Blue pilots made the right decision. ALPA is the last union the Jet Blue pilots want. They are so corrupt. ALPA was looking for another revenue stream...that's all. Jet Blue management would have crawled in bed with ALPA. Congrats JB pilots. You made the right decision. If you want a union...go independent.

I disagree with Skyking, ALPA is not the worst pilots union. He seems to have forgotten about American Airline's pilot union, the APA ! That is the worst pilot union by far.

No jumpseat for non-union pilots.

You chose to go non-union, Jetblue pilot's don't expect jumpseat privileges from United Pilots. YOU UNION SCABS!

Angry White United Pilot wrote:

No jumpseat for non-union pilots.
You chose to go non-union, Jetblue pilot's don't expect jumpseat privileges from United Pilots. YOU UNION SCABS!

Calm down now...

DUMB! When AA merges with you, you will be stapled to the bottom! LOL!

confused one wrote:

Interesting turn of events. These pilots may live to regret their decision.

Yeah, they did not want men who make 500 thousand a year from the alpa telling them to stand in the cold picket lines come contract time, and then telling them that they had to let 200 of the union members go for the good of the union. oh yea, these guys are going get paid, instead of paying.