JetBlue ALPA organizing letter

Fins Up

Well-Known Member
From some of our guys:

October 8, 2010

Dear Fellow Pilots:

We are taking this opportunity to formally introduce ourselves to you. We are Captains and First Officers, past
members and volunteers of ALPA and other labor organizations, veterans and reservists, and pilots who have never
been union members. We are JetBlue pilots who believe in our company and are fully committed to its success. We
are the JetBlue ALPA Organizing Committee (JAOC)—more than 245 JetBlue pilots with diverse backgrounds and
experience but committed to one goal: the long-term success of JetBlue Airways and its pilot group through ALPA
representation.

We started as a small group of JetBlue pilots wanting to improve our careers while building on the strengths of
JetBlue. Spring-boarding off a lot of hard work by committed colleagues whose prior efforts fell short of their goal,
we were determined to find a way to have more meaningful input into our future. We decided to reach out to ALPA
to better understand the pros and cons of representation. Now, after meeting with ALPA’s leaders, pilots, and staff
for more than a year and growing the JAOC to the largest organizing committee in ALPA history, we believe ALPA
representation is not only the best choice but the only choice for JetBlue pilots and our families.

Over the past month, the JAOC has interacted with nearly all JetBlue pilots. To those of you who have shown your
enthusiastic support thus far, we thank you. To those of you who have shared your concerns, we thank you as well. As we
move forward, the JAOC continues to be interested in all JetBlue pilots’ concerns, thoughts, opinions, and ideas about
current and future representation. Please continue to let us know how you feel.

During our conversations with you over the past month, we have heard you loud and clear. JetBlue pilots
overwhelmingly believe we need a stronger voice, greater resources, and a legally binding contract in order to
protect and enhance our professional future and our families’ long-term security and interests. The majority of
JetBlue pilots also understand the value of ALPA representation while balancing the needs of JetBlue to ensure the
long-term success and viability of our company.

We have progressed to the point where it’s time to begin to provide you with information you will need to make
an informed decision. Over the coming weeks, we want to talk to you about what we have learned and why we are
taking this step. We have also invited ALPA pilot leaders, volunteers, and professional staff to answer the questions
you have about ALPA’s work today and in the past and, most importantly, where it sees the Association, profession,
and industry going forward.

We hope you’ll participate no matter what your views are about representation, because this is a decision about our
future. A schedule of meeting dates and locations is set out below:

BOS October 18 6pm – 9pm Hampton Inn – Logan Airport
JFK October 20 6pm – 9pm Doubletree JFK
JFK October 21 7pm – 10pm Austin’s Steak House
FLL October 25 6pm – 9pm Marriott Courtyard
MCO October 26 6pm – 9pm Holiday Inn MCO
LGB October 28 6pm – 9pm Marriott LGB
(individual city visits to come next)

We thank each of you for your continued interest and support of this effort. A lot of work is ahead of us, and we hope
that you will play a part in shaping the future of the JetBlue pilot group. If you are interested in becoming a member
of the JAOC or would like to volunteer to support our efforts, please contact any one of us on the JAOC.
Ultimately the choice of representation will be up to all of us. Until that time comes, here is the JAOC commitment:
Your JetBlue ALPA Organizing Committee will continue to support our company as much as we support JetBlue
pilots working together with a strong, unified voice to better influence and control our future. It’s time to contribute
to the future of our profession. It’s time to make JetBlue stronger—which means it’s time for ALPA.

In Unity,

The JetBlue ALPA Organizing Committee


The JBPA effort last year was voted down 2-1. It sounds like this thing is getting legs.
 
Hope things don't get cut throat over there and things remain civil. I'm pushing like mad right now to get an interview there, and I hope things stay as normal as possible. Reading some stuff on those other forums.....well, there's a lot of internet tough guys out there...
 
Exciting times...

If JB votes in ALPA- then...THEN it would become a career destination.

Good luck to the JAOC.
 
Exciting times...

If JB votes in ALPA- then...THEN it would become a career destination.

Good luck to the JAOC.

Why isn't it a career destination now? The pilots I've seen working there currently seem happy.
 
Why isn't it a career destination now? The pilots I've seen working there currently seem happy.

Happiness has NOTHING to do with whether a place is a career destination. Your argument is a ruse, and off base.

Get your SA up to speed Hackster McImahack!

:)
 
Happiness has NOTHING to do with whether a place is a career destination. Your argument is a ruse, and off base.

Get your SA up to speed Hackster McImahack!

:)

Ok then. I know some guys working there that appear to see it as a career destination too. It's not a ruse, it's a legit question.
 
Hope things don't get cut throat over there and things remain civil. I'm pushing like mad right now to get an interview there, and I hope things stay as normal as possible. Reading some stuff on those other forums.....well, there's a lot of internet tough guys out there...

Two of my former classmates who were pinnacle captains were hired by jetblue recently!
 
Ok then. I know some guys working there that appear to see it as a career destination too. It's not a ruse, it's a legit question.

Whatever kid, you'd better get yourself squared away before Vegas, or ima have my wife show you what for!
 
Why isn't it a career destination now? The pilots I've seen working there currently seem happy.

5 year contracts don't a career destination make.

With that said, I know they have been almost 100% renewing everybody's contract as they have come up and I know that with mergers, buyouts and liquidations, a seniority list with Union job protections doesn't mean as much as it used to, but I'll take my chances with the latter over the former.
 
The 5 year contract was changed to an "auto renewing" contract last year or so. Personally, I consider it a career destination now. 2nd year FO pay on the 190 gets me back to where I am now, MCO based after a few years with training there as well is pretty much a wet dream to me at this point. Really, the only thing I could ask for they don't have right now is scope protection from a merger or acquisition. IMO, a company doesn't NEED a union in order to be a career destination.

KLB, we had 4 guys from MEM alone start down there last week. I know there were guys from other bases in the Sept class and probably the Oct class as well. Word I'm hearing is 250 guys hired next year. Here's hoping.
 
The 5 year contract was changed to an "auto renewing" contract last year or so. Personally, I consider it a career destination now. 2nd year FO pay on the 190 gets me back to where I am now, MCO based after a few years with training there as well is pretty much a wet dream to me at this point. Really, the only thing I could ask for they don't have right now is scope protection from a merger or acquisition. IMO, a company doesn't NEED a union in order to be a career destination.

KLB, we had 4 guys from MEM alone start down there last week. I know there were guys from other bases in the Sept class and probably the Oct class as well. Word I'm hearing is 250 guys hired next year. Here's hoping.

The two I know are JH and SA. Good luck man. They won't touch me because I don't have any FMS time. They made FMS time a requirement. My ability to fly circles around you cats doesn't mean a thing.:D:sarcasm:
 
The two I know are JH and SA. Good luck man. They won't touch me because I don't have any FMS time. They made FMS time a requirement. My ability to fly circles around you cats doesn't mean a thing.:D:sarcasm:

We know the same people. Never flew with JH, but I've flown with SA a few times, and he did a couple of my sims in upgrade. Now that he's not getting weekends off anymore, maybe we can finally take his glider up with me in it. :)
 
We know the same people. Never flew with JH, but I've flown with SA a few times, and he did a couple of my sims in upgrade. Now that he's not getting weekends off anymore, maybe we can finally take his glider up with me in it. :)

Yep thats the same SA. I was in Alpha Eta Rho with both of them. I know them pretty well. Both are really cool guys.
 
I know of an SA that did a couple of my sims. MEM CA, gots a family member in corp. Used to be pretty vocal on the airlink board. Is this the SA you are talking about? If so, great for him. He's a great guy!
 
I have been here for 4.5 years. I am quite happy here. I hope this is my first and last airline (military prior). The five year contract thing doesn't bother me. Since it is auto-renewing and you can only not be renewed "for cause", I am not concerned. I am concerned that some of the promises made last year during/after the JBPA drive are rapidly slipping through the cracks. In fact the company has flat out told our committees "we are not going to address that in 2011" (or beforehand, of course) on some issues.

Anyway, we'll see how things go. I'm sure the interest cards will be going out soon.
 
I know of an SA that did a couple of my sims. MEM CA, gots a family member in corp. Used to be pretty vocal on the airlink board. Is this the SA you are talking about? If so, great for him. He's a great guy!

That's the guy. He kinda bailed on the company boards, and for good reason. I'll fill ya in next time I see you.
 
Not to tip the hand but there are some folks over there now that were VERY much ALPA guys and fell on swords for the cause. I wish them luck and I'd venture to say they have the support of 53,000 to secure a future for the jetblue pilots. Leave politics out of it and look at the force of an entire group as a wall to get things done.
 
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