I have also heard the theory that AA pilots have a lot to do on taxi. Some of the ex-TWA people I know said procedures at AA were MUCH different (and they felt not as good. The TWA guys were kind of snobby about their training and safety record).
Anyway, can anyone elaborate on this. I always assumed they were taxing so slow as a labor/management dispute, but now am thinking their procedures just invite slow taxi.
American pilots do have a ton to do on taxi. Their checklists are the longest I've ever seen. Absolutely ridiculous. Plus the Captain basically has to do everything himself. FOs aren't allowed to engage the engine starter, so the Captain has to do it. If you've ever been up front on a DC-9 or MD-80 series airplane, then you know what this means on those types: holding the damned starter switch for the entire start cycle. It's not a nice push-button like on a CRJ. You actually have to keep your finger on the switch the entire time. This means he's steering the tiller with one hand and holding the start switch with the other. Not exactly conducive for fast taxiing.
If you actually make a case for yourself the public will be on your side
Maurus, I've been doing this "union thing" for a long time. Committee member, committee chairman, elected rep, ALPA National volunteer, etc... Judging by your profile, you're pretty new to this whole industry. Take some friendly advice: listen to the guys who have been there and done that and try to learn something. Do you really think you're going to school a union rep on how unions work? Come on now.
As for the flying public, we have done focus groups and polling on this. No matter how much information you give the public, they still won't side with us. The data is clear: they just want their cheap tickets and their flight to run on time. Our problems aren't important to them, especially if it means they have to pay $2 more for a ticket to see Mickey Mouse.
Also you know trying to screw over management all the time will only result in them screwing you back. It doesn't just work one way.
We aren't the ones doing the screwing, Maurus. We just want to bargain in good faith, and they refuse. When that happens, we retaliate. We never pick a fight, we just finish it.
Why do you think running the airline into the ground will help you? You know the owners of the airlines are already rich, they could just leave like they have done in the past and still be rich, instead you would put yourself on the street along with thousands of others than have no relation to management just because it is the only way to get back at management which probably wouldn't lose any sleep over the fact their failing airline took a dump.
You need to do some research. Specifically, you should look into what settled some very recent contract disputes. Let's start with UAL contract 2000. UAL management refused to negotiate in good faith with ALPA. ALPA played nice for quite a while, but the pilots eventually had enough. This culminated in what we called the "Summer of Love" in 2000. The pilots slowed down, sick calls shot up, airplanes got written up left and right, etc... The contract was settled in no time. Flash forward to 2007. The NWA pilots were operating under a horribly concessionary contract after bankruptcy. Their work rules were decimated. Schedules were unbearable. The pilots asked management repeatedly to come back to the table to negotiate some improvements to make their lives at least somewhat livable. As usual, management said NO. They refused to even sit down and talk about it. The pilots had enough. They started a "what about BOB (block or better)" campaign. Virtually every single flight in the system overblocked for a few months. Suddenly, management had a change of heart. Amazing how that works. Management rushed back to the table and quickly agreed to a slew of work rule improvements. Another case: ASA. The ASA pilots spent over 5 years in negotiations. Management continually played games and refused to bargain in good faith. After the NMB parked them for the umpteenth time, the pilots had enough. They started taking the same actions that the UAL pilots had taken seven years prior. The result? Management suddenly decided that they were ready to make a deal. Know how long it took them to have a change of heart after the slow-down started? Three weeks! That's all it took.
Why did I just give you a history lesson? Because you need to learn what works and what doesn't. The actions I just discussed have been proven to work time and time again. The things you are advocating have never worked in this industry. From the time of C.L. Cord to Lorenzo to Steenland, they're all the same. They will never treat us with respect until we force their hand. Welcome to the real world.
If it doesn't help the cause, then you can strike.
I suggest you study the Railway Labor Act so you can understand how the process works. Simply put, we can't just strike whenever we feel it's appropriate. The government has to approve our strikes, and they rarely do. I would also recommend that you read "Flying the Line, Volumes I and II." They will give you a complete history of airline labor relations from the beginning up to the '90s.
