Next Up in the RLA Conga Line

Flyinthrew

Well-Known Member
SJI opened the strike authorization ballot today. The company requested NMB Mediation about a week after openers were exchanged in 2019. Negotiating was paused during the height of Covid. 21 of 28 sections have been agreed upon and closed. One section (deadheading, of all sections) has been parked by the mediator. There are lots of rumors surrounding this, but what is known is that the mediator directed and the company produced their opener for Compensation this week. It went so well that the MEC decided to call the strike authorization vote. It is open for 30 days which means that DALPA is raising the strike vote straight into the holiday season.

The rest of the Conga line:

Alaska closed their very strong strike authorization on May 25, and it took about 4 months to get to a TA from there.
United never made it to mediation before they produced their industry bottom TA, and now it's union thunder dome. Nobody wants to end up like this. Historians should dissect it and write a book once it is all over.
FedEx is talking about "expedited mediation" which I have no knowledge of, but sounds like mediation bc the NMB only moves at one speed, and it ain't expeditious.
UPS punted a comprehensive rewrite but are at least getting paid.
American and their management is negotiating in public, and it's a real purse fight.
SWA can line their pilots up for 5 miles with picket signs, which is genuinely really cool, but I don't know if they see a deal in sight.

...And the regionals are hitting home runs.

This is my first contract cycle. Is all this just part of the script, except with bonus pages because of covid?
 
This is my first contract cycle. Is all this just part of the script, except with bonus pages because of covid?
Different management groups than in the last cycle and a odd economic position for the industry makes the process a bit odd.

That said, strike votes are more common than actual strikes. They are a negotiating tool. These days I highly doubt a president would allow a strike of one of the big three.

Supposedly airlines expect to continue increasing their profits. We shall see. The next round of quarterly results and future projections will start coming in a couple weeks or so.
 
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Railroads are much more of a detriment to the economy and general public and they got within 12 hours of a strike. Granted appears Congress didn’t want to touch them because of midterms, which we won’t have the advantage of. But Presidential block will only last so long…

If congress holds the same line they were with railroads then that could be good for unions and more worrisome for management teams. Just my 2c. This is my first go and I could be wrong but I paid a lot of attention to railroad dispute.

As for the economy, they’ve been publicly stating (at least for our company) very bullish outlook with demand, bookings and revenue. And we are talking very recently. Earnings will certainly give a better number on it but I can’t imagine that’s a big factor in the room considering there’s no proof of it and they aren’t trying to hide it. At least not yet, we obviously all know some pain could be on horizon for the economy so I’m not sure yet how that plays at the table.
 
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What’s UAL’s current status as far as a new TA?
I don’t know how many recalls they’re up to but it seems like there’s a full on civil war among the Union from TA1. So, can’t imagine that is helping their timeline lol
 
I don’t know how many recalls they’re up to but it seems like there’s a full on civil war among the Union from TA1. So, can’t imagine that is helping their timeline lol

On 123.45 over the pacific, it got nuts. Someone asked the UA crew about it, another crew started preaching about what they should do, another crew jumped in, I “de selected”.
 
From 30,000ft. looking down, yes, there is a basic script that is followed. And it tracks with the RLA section 6 flowchart. Direct Negotiations -> Mediated Negotiations -> Impasse -> Binding Arbitration (If both parties agree) -> 30 Day Cooling Off Period (Supermediation) -> (Maybe) PEB -> Self Help. Along the way on that road many boxes need to be checked off and the strike authorization vote is one of them. If it were my vote, it would be a yes on the 1st day. I walked the info picket line with your property - IMHO they are making very reasonable asks that represent the massive contribution that the pilots bring to the success and profitability of the carrier and commensurate with the leadership roles that pilots have in the same operation.

Start saving that strike fund. Use it as a emergency fund (or for toys) if there is an agreement reached.
 
On 123.45 over the pacific, it got nuts. Someone asked the UA crew about it, another crew started preaching about what they should do, another crew jumped in, I “de selected”.
The most annoying is nerds talking about 777 engines at 2am on a redeye…
 
I don’t know how many recalls they’re up to but it seems like there’s a full on civil war among the Union from TA1. So, can’t imagine that is helping their timeline lol

On 123.45 over the pacific, it got nuts. Someone asked the UA crew about it, another crew started preaching about what they should do, another crew jumped in, I “de selected”.
@Derg, this is @tcco94. Great guy, we've talked for years and actually met while I was in SLC. You two should be fraaaands!

The most annoying is nerds talking about 777 engines at 2am on a redeye…

Nobody wants to talk about the A330neo engines at 2am. But I digress.

While the GE90X is a derivative of the original GE90. But it is rated at only 110,000 ibf, vs the GE90, which is rated at 115,000 ibf. A loss of 5000 ibf. The GE9X has more cruise thrust with a lower fuel consumption due to the larger more efficient fan than the GE90–series. Hense the lower thrust ratio. The core is also more fuel efficient... but its too early to be having this conversation.
 
a steak dinner says there will be no strike.

The number of agreements that are reached without having to resort to the self help stage far outweighs the number of times that pilots were pushed to self help because of the greed of corporations. That timeline started in our industry 90 years ago in 1932 when pilots struck to resist wage reductions by E.L. Cord and continues through today. So mathematically, it is very likely that they won't reach the self help stage.

The willingness to engage in self help... that's what is being measured here. The unity of a pilot group. Saying with one voice, "You will not devalue my labor and I am willing to take you to the mat to defend my profession and it's value."

The RLA is designed to prevent self-help unless faced with the most dire circumstances. The option needs to exist and even if the tool is not used, it needs to be there in the toolbox.

I wish my brother, sister, and sibling pilots at SJI many steak (or vegan) dinners when they are compensated, as they have rightly earned, for their contribution as leaders to the success of their airline.
 
While the GE90X is a derivative of the original GE90. But it is rated at only 110,000 ibf, vs the GE90, which is rated at 115,000 ibf. A loss of 5000 ibf. The GE9X has more cruise thrust with a lower fuel consumption due to the larger more efficient fan than the GE90–series. Hense the lower thrust ratio. The core is also more fuel efficient... but its too early to be having this conversation.
Sorry, how many GE9X have they produced successfully so far again?
 
On 123.45 over the pacific, it got nuts. Someone asked the UA crew about it, another crew started preaching about what they should do, another crew jumped in, I “de selected”.

you didn’t meow?
 
@Derg, this is @tcco94. Great guy, we've talked for years and actually met while I was in SLC. You two should be fraaaands!



Nobody wants to talk about the A330neo engines at 2am. But I digress.

While the GE90X is a derivative of the original GE90. But it is rated at only 110,000 ibf, vs the GE90, which is rated at 115,000 ibf. A loss of 5000 ibf. The GE9X has more cruise thrust with a lower fuel consumption due to the larger more efficient fan than the GE90–series. Hense the lower thrust ratio. The core is also more fuel efficient... but its too early to be having this conversation.
See, Airbus guys don’t know anything that you said or talk about it cause they aren’t nerds :D
 
But you fly Boeing brown. :D
6825B222-C005-40EE-9E5E-E29E1394E9D1.jpeg
 
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