ASA Furlough Assistance passes

gtpilot

gtpilot

Well-Known Member
For those who helped lay the ground work for this, thank you!

While I consider this a small victory, it seems a bit pitiful how it worked out:

Of the 1,578 eligible voters, 354 cast a ballot. That equates to a 22.4 percent voter turnout. Those voting IN FAVOR of the assessment numbered 198. OPPOSING votes were tallied at 160. Among the 354 votes cast, the measure passed by a 54.80 percent to 45.20 percent margin.
 
gtpilot said:
For those who helped lay the ground work for this, thank you!

While I consider this a small victory, it seems a bit pitiful how it worked out:

Of the 1,578 eligible voters, 354 cast a ballot. That equates to a 22.4 percent voter turnout. Those voting IN FAVOR of the assessment numbered 198. OPPOSING votes were tallied at 160. Among the 354 votes cast, the measure passed by a 54.80 percent to 45.20 percent margin.
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For those not in the know, what are these "assistance passes" you speak of?
 
stuckingfk said:
For those not in the know, what are these "assistance passes" you speak of?
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We forged a resolution to provide assistance to our furloughed pilots in the form of COBRA reimbursements. It included a small assessment and a six month max duration before reconsideration.

Yeah, 22% shows why regional management consistently walks all over regional pilots - as a group we're too apathetic and very easily divided.
 
gtpilot said:
We forged a resolution to provide assistance to our furloughed pilots in the form of COBRA reimbursements. It included a small assessment and a six month max duration before reconsideration.

Yeah, 22% shows why regional management consistently walks all over regional pilots - as a group we're too apathetic and very easily divided.
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Jeez, that's incredible! I had no idea that you guys would do this sort of thing.

I gotta say... I'm impressed.
 
I'm glad to hear that this has been passed and the pilots are getting some sort of assistance in this situation. The best thing would be to have everyone back at work but at least something has been set in motion. :rawk:Are there any other airlines taking a proactive role in assisting their furloughed pilots? If there aren't, hopefully they'll also be able to do this for their colleagues.
 
Good work GT. They really didn't give a whole lot of information as to when and where to vote. I'm glad it passed though. Hopefully it ease the blow to ASA furloughees and maybe even get more pilots wanting them back. (so they don't have to pay for too long). But what a great pilot group and place to work.
 
ross9238 said:
Are there any other airlines taking a proactive role in assisting their furloughed pilots? If there aren't, hopefully they'll also be able to do this for their colleagues.
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Our resolution was modeled after a Continental resolution that passed. Unfortunately, I've head from others: PSA voted on something similar that failed, Comair and Express Jet didn't get anything past their respective MECs. I hate that the decision was so close here, but glad something got passed.
 
gtpilot said:
Our resolution was modeled after a Continental resolution that passed. Unfortunately, I've head from others: PSA voted on something similar that failed, Comair and Express Jet didn't get anything past their respective MECs. I hate that the decision was so close here, but glad something got passed.
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It probably doesn't help that the union never published the resolution that we were voting on. They mentioned it and gave some details but never put anything in our mailboxes, and there were no links to it or attachments in the email/mailing they sent out. I'm sure there was someplace it was posted on some obscure ALPA board but for all intents and purposes....we were asked to vote on it blind.
 
I recieved a letter at my residence. Is your address updated? Voting was pretty simple, went to ballot point, three clicks later I was done. I too was disapointed with the turnout. What was the deal with so many no votes? Seemed like a no brainer to me.
 
Even though I won't be using any of these benefits, thank you to those who at least took the damn time to vote.

The passiveness within our company is amazingly sad, yet at the same time somewhat hilarious.

I have a feeling that the passive behavoir will ultimately cost more job losses (be it flowback from Delta or PBS implementation. . .or heavenforbid, a combination of both).
 
ifrcfi said:
I recieved a letter at my residence. Is your address updated? Voting was pretty simple, went to ballot point, three clicks later I was done. I too was disapointed with the turnout. What was the deal with so many no votes? Seemed like a no brainer to me.
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ALPA only sends me junk mail. I have no idea why. The latest was a "bill" for $225.42. The letter says it will be past due on 3/5/09. It seems to be for some kind of insurance I don't want nor asked for. It's like "welcome to ALPA, now open your wallet."
 
I was thinking more along the lines with our local ALPA for keeping your address current. I also get tons of junk mail via ALPA wich is annoying. The insurance deal had to be canx. or declined, I think through a telephone call or returned letter that may have been in your junk mail. I remember thinking it was kind of funny that they did an automatic enrollment.
 
They send you a letter almost to the day of your one year anniversary. You have to decline it then or they charge you...
 
Disappointingly enough, I may have jumped the gun on this passing - there are currently a number of us who are dues paying members, but who are still on probation with the company and therefore still apprentice members of ALPA and not eligible to vote. (Those of us in this category had no clue this was the case.)

Couple that with at least one furloughed pilot who voted and now the whole ballot is being reviewed and the recount may fail the measure.

Will update as we know more.
 
gtpilot said:
Disappointingly enough, I may have jumped the gun on this passing - there are currently a number of us who are dues paying members, but who are still on probation with the company and therefore still apprentice members of ALPA and not eligible to vote. (Those of us in this category had no clue this was the case.)

Couple that with at least one furloughed pilot who voted and now the whole ballot is being reviewed and the recount may fail the measure.

Will update as we know more.
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There were very few people that knew about the intial vote. ALPA was very quiet about this from the beginning. I can't say I'm surprised about all this...but I did talk with a captian, who was sick of our ALPA leaders and the way they have handled this measure. He was discussing with other pilots the possibility of canning ALPA and organizing an in house union. Don't know how serious they are but at least it might be keep them in check.
 
Hmm, lemme guess. . .DO? or WF?

Our union is only as strong as our local leadership. No sense throwing the baby out with the bath water. ALPA is fine, besides the potential conflict of interests issues. It's our local leadership that needs to be recalled. Unfortunately with status rep elections coming up soon, a recall initiative will not have much steam.

recent edit: Just saw from another source that supposedly the company is pretty under staffed right now, so much so that line pilots are not being pulled off the line to do little GO projects anymore (oh the shame!). Lots of red arrows (although I have a feeling those will disappear in a few short days) and an overall sense of "wtf is going on with staffing." Wish I could help out, but it's quite obvious that the decision to return to work is not under my control. Perhaps my prognosis of junior manning and extending might become true.
 
surreal1221 said:
Hmm, lemme guess. . .DO? or WF?

Our union is only as strong as our local leadership. No sense throwing the baby out with the bath water. ALPA is fine, besides the potential conflict of interests issues. It's our local leadership that needs to be recalled. Unfortunately with status rep elections coming up soon, a recall initiative will not have much steam.

recent edit: Just saw from another source that supposedly the company is pretty under staffed right now, so much so that line pilots are not being pulled off the line to do little GO projects anymore (oh the shame!). Lots of red arrows (although I have a feeling those will disappear in a few short days) and an overall sense of "wtf is going on with staffing." Wish I could help out, but it's quite obvious that the decision to return to work is not under my control. Perhaps my prognosis of junior manning and extending might become true.
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They're adopting the Pinnacle staffing model. Say you're overstaffed, then JM and extend to get flights covered.

And you're dead on about the local leadership being the issue. It's not the union, it's the guys in charge at ASA it sounds like. Change starts with the representative elections, though. Those that want change at ASA need to get involved in the voting process. It's hideous how low the turn out is for those elections at EVERY airline.
 
Amazingly hilarious as well though (about the turnout) which is why we end up with people the pilot group doesn't know, or doesn't care to know.

Which then is why they manage to hold their positions for too long.

And you're right, it is the Pinnacle staffing model. Mentioned that on another forum just seconds ago.
 
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