JetBlue Pilots Association

FlyChicaga said:
You guys are a real piece of work. You speak of unity and brotherhood, but then screw and piss off your fellow pilots. You may think you follow the Air Line Pilots Code of Ethics, but you actions regarding jumpseating privledges are completely unethical. It's amazing to me how you feel you are advancing the cause of unity among our ranks, but then act as you do. If our profession is going down the toilet, it is because of the infighting between pilot groups of various carriers and union (or non-union) affilliations. Management is taking advantage of this, "me, me, ME!" attitude and using it to hurt us.

You claim to be up on union politics and issues, but you obviously clearly have ignored guidance from ALPA national about NOT using the jumpseat as a political tool. It should only be expected from those who pick and choose what FOM guidance to follow, which in itself is a slippery slope considering probationary status.

If this is the manner in which you hope to mentor and encourage those of us new to the profession, it is certainly not the best option. All it does is encourage disunity and infighting among PROFESSIONALS.

This is all coming from someone who is a proud member of the Air Line Pilots Association, is a committee volunteer, and has been asked numerous times by MEC officials (including the former MEC chairman) to run for an LEC position. I am proud of my union, but I will not blatantly screw over my fellow pilots because of their choice of employer. I WILL, however, make my opinions known to those who have chosen to blatantly screw over their fellow pilots, such as GoJets pilots, Freedom "A-listers," and known scabs. I am man enough to express that opinion face-to-face, while maintaining my professional integrity as an airline pilot.
Click to expand...


I'm not getting in the middle of this nor am I taking sides. I'm definitely on the Pro ALPA/Pro ANY Union fence.

I just wanted to say that FlyChicaga has the best post here. Too bad others on here can't argue the same. Myself included. :D
 
Just saying never say never.
I find it counterproductive to deny jumpseats to non-union carriers such as jetBlue. Suppose you deny the jumpseat of someone on the OC of that carrier. Productive? Or how about someone on the fence? Would that make them want to join fraternally with a group of thugs saying who gets to go home and see their family and who doesn't.
It's your jumpseat and obviously you are going to do what you want. But it's blantantly obvious that ALPA does not support your jumpseat policies and if you think they won't do something about it if it jepardizes their membership numbers you are kidding yourself.
 
You're wasting your time arguing with Velo. Do you think he would ever admit he was wrong, or that opposing points of view might show a better way, or another interpretation is just as, if not more, accurate as his? I'm guessing no, no, and no. If he wants to use his jumpseat politically, so be it. As long as the rest of us are more sensible about it, his one little ol' jumpseat doesn't mean much. Seems like that's all he's got to hang on to these days.

Besides he's got five trillion hours and been on four hundred committees. The only person who deserves to have a conversation with him is himself.

He's burned this bridge. Union or no union, I wouldn't ask for his jumpseat if it was the last ride to my mother's funeral.
 
mikecweb said:
Suppose you deny the jumpseat of someone on the OC of that carrier. Productive? Or how about someone on the fence?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't deny those people. The only pilots I would deny would be the anti-union pilots. The guy that's "on the fence" should ride up front and have a conversation about the importance of unions. The guy on the OC would be welcomed with open arms. But if someone is already decided that they despise union and will vote NO, then they don't get a ride.

But, I would always defend the right of a Captain to deny anyone he chooses. The jumpseat is the Captain's, and if he wants to deny every single pilot that requests it, that's his business.
 
Remember, at some carriers, the captain doesn't exercise that amount of authority over the jumpseat.
 
I think UPS, but I'm not sure.

This is somewhat lightly related to the topic, but I do know of a situation where there was a denied jumpseat and the captain had to perform a little "carpet dance".

No worries, this story doesn't involve me, but I heard about it from someone "in the know".

There was a pilot looking to jumpseat to DFW back in the late 1990's out of AUS. The captain, looked out of the window, said, "I don't want no (racial slur) on my jumpseat" to the FO, and instructed the gate agent to deny the jumpseater a ride because the jumpseat was on MEL.

Low and behold, the agent denied the jumpseat rider, the FO apparently knew the guy and long story short, got some time off.

At most airlines, it's the captain's authority, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the authority is absolute, no questions asked, "the inspector had a little facial stubble and the O2 mask wouldn't have properly sealed during a pressurization abnormal" type authority.
 
I suspect the "carpet dance" had more to do with the racial slur than the denial. And, rightly so. That racist B.S. has no place in society, much less on a flight deck.

When I was an F/O, one of only two Captains on my no-fly list was an idiot who every time he spoke something racist, sexist, misogynistic or just plain offensive came out of his mouth.

One trip with him was enough.
 
Velocipede said:
I suspect the "carpet dance" had more to do with the racial slur than the denial. And, rightly so. That racist B.S. has no place in society, much less on a flight deck.

When I was an F/O, one of only two Captains on my no-fly list was an idiot who every time he spoke something racist, sexist, misogynistic or just plain offensive came out of his mouth.

One trip with him was enough.
Click to expand...
Had to look that one up.
Damn you Riddle edumacation. Damn you.
 
Doug Taylor said:
Remember, at some carriers, the captain doesn't exercise that amount of authority over the jumpseat.
Click to expand...

Correct. At UPS, the IPA always seems to be in some fight with management over the jumpseat. However, that's an issue of internal jumpseating of their own pilots. If memory serves, the big issue was a matter of comfort for the deadheading pilots that were required to ride in the 757 cockpit jumpseats. Some UPS Captains were denying jumpseats to these pilots to make a point to the company that better accommodations needed to be made for these deadheading company pilots. Don would probably know more about it. It hasn't been an issue at any ALPA carrier that I'm aware of.

As for the "carpet dance," I'm sure that Velo is right about the racial slur. I doubt that the issue the CP called him in to discuss was the denied jumpseat. The racist BS was probably the hot topic for that meeting.
 
"Don would probably know more about it."

Don would, and your memory has failed you, based on the above. I have a plane to catch, and my laptop battery has about had it. So, we'll chat a little later on....buh bye.....
 
Semantics and the arguement over who owns the jumpseat aside, let's look at this whole thing realistically. Does anyone REALLY think that denying a JS to someone at Skybus/Virgin America/jetBlue is gonna make them say "Shucks. I've seen the error of my ways, and I should join a union carrier." No. They're gonna say "Those MFers wouldn't give me a ride." Then they'll tell their JS committe (if they have one). If they don't have a committee, it'll spread like wildfire on a union message board or through word of mouth. Next thing you know, Alaska, AirTran, and whoever else has been nixing the JSs from said airline are gonna find their guys stranded.....and they might not even know WHY they were denied. All b/c someone decided to police the JS themselves. At the end of the day, does the pay rate at Virgin America, jetBlue or any other non-union carrier go up? No. All it does is generate animosity towards fellow pilots. That's why I think denying the JS for not being a pilot of a union carrier is a petty and counter-productive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top