SkyWest... No union

I'm thinking this is a bad thing.. esp. since I live in the area but.. what is your opinion on the matter chris? (without you getting into trouble)

Matthew
 
Why is it bad since you live in the area? Skywest has been non-union for the last 30 years- has it affected you thus far?

The pro/anti-union is quite the heated debate. Just go to flightinfo.com and do a union search and you'll see there are those on either side that are pretty passionate about their views. Every other post on our company forum page is about the union debate. I followed it for a while, but it just took up too much time- time I could spend with my family, or mowing the lawn, or here, or or or. . .

In my personal dealings with management I feel they really do try to keep their pilots interests in mind. If the union went through, that would instantly put a rift between us and management. Right now I have the liberty to call our VP of Flt Ops directly, in fact I have (he was the Manager on Duty Christmas Eve!) and he gladly helped me with my situation.

Right now at Skywest, I do not feel the need for union representation.
 
well no it hasn't affected me now but..

I have been planning to go there and work once I get my hours and ratings. I was just wondering if it would be a benefit to have a Union. I just hear about how management tries to cut corners. Usually I just hear the ugly stuff from ALPA so it's nice to hear from someone from the inside about how they're being treated.

Matthew
 
Doug, I didn't know that. That shows my ignorance on how unions work. I though your contract dictated a certain hierarchy of who to call with issues. This may be why this union drive did not pass. I had no information sent to me about the union, how it works and what it does.

In my feeble mind, I saw that my pay was going to be garnished (money better sent to my church or retirement account) and someone would be talking to management about our issues and contracts (something we already have in-house).

I know there are many that work at union airlines that don't understand. I accept that and hope they will accept my desire not to be unionized.
 
"I had no information sent to me about the union, how it works and what it does."

Heck...you are a line guy and you say this? No wonder it didn't pass....hehe.

At my company, you can go right to the chief pilot with with an issue if you want. Having the union gives you another place to go and is often times more effective than going to straight to management.

If Skywest treats you well and you are happy...there is no need for a union...more power to you. I assume there is some sort of working agreement between the company and the pilot group that spells out what they can get away with and what they can't. Do they stick to the rules or do they screw you when it's convienent for them?

If one were to vote no for a union, then one really has no right to complain about how the company treats you in the future. Skywest management must be doing some things right for the vote to have been this lopsided.
 
As Chris said, this is a very heated topic. Thats why I leave politics, religion, and most other contraversial things at home now. I used to be a hot heated punk kid in college that was down for the cause. Years and years of arguing with people, nothing being done about it, and fear of repremand has changed me. What did I get out of all that anger? Not a da*mn thing. It was no use. Nowadays, I keep my opinion to myself, bite my tongue as hard as I can and try to put it behind me. As long as I know whats right inside, thats all that counts for me.
 
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. I used to be a hot heated punk kid in college that was down for the cause.

[/ QUOTE ]

You sure that's gone away?
laugh.gif
 
Always be that "punk, heated kid" but consider the audience!

The second you lose that, you're just another human battery in the Matrix my friend.
 
[ QUOTE ]
In my feeble mind, I saw that my pay was going to be garnished (money better sent to my church or retirement account) and someone would be talking to management about our issues and contracts (something we already have in-house).

[/ QUOTE ]

No offense here Chris, but this is one of the weakest arguments against a union I can think of. Think of it as job insurance. If management tries to go after you for something – in terms of taking your job, your livelihood – your union will step in, and unless you've peed on the chief pilot's desk, fight for you and chances are you're going to be covered. $30/wk, $50/wk is it really that much? You'd spend that – anymore – for a family of five, one time, at McDonalds almost!

If nothing else a union is just one more step management has to go through in order to fire you. And, IMHO, any and all buffers between me and the guy that has the power to end my livelihood is a good thing.

Just a perspective from someone who grew-up in an airline-union household.

Just another way to look at that "garnished" wage thing ... that's all.
 
Thanks for the perspective and no offense taken. I do see what you are talking about and it is somewhat of a disadvantage not having someone between managament and my job. I just have to trust that management is doing things in my favor. If I strive to be the best I can at my job here I have confidence that I'm protected. As added insurance I pay the $99/year for the AOPA legal services (for whatever that's worth)- to me it's a lot better than $1100/year.

I flew with a fuloughed United pilot today and I asked him to compare Skywest managent and United management. He said they really had to watch the guys at United. He said Skywest is much better and management seems a lot more honest.

I believe managament has the best interest of the company in mind. Not just their own pockets and not just us employees' pockets. They want to see this company be profitable and if that means I have to make a temporary sacrifice here or there, then I'm all for it.
 
Everyone I work with thought the union would be the end of SkyWest. It was nothing but doom and gloom, the company ishare threads were ridiculous. But after talking to most of them their fears, like most things, spawned from lack of understanding and knowledge.

I heard a lot of what management would do if the union wasn't voted in. It will be interesting to see how much of that happens or if it was all strategic leaking by management.
 
I really can't comment on conditions at a carrier which I know very little about, but take a moment and look at a lot of the rest requirements, duty rigs and other safety-oriented aspects of your agreement.

I can guarantee you that well over 90% of them were hard fought, by unions over decades. Primarily the reason that I suggest that anyone read "Flying the Line" before speaking about the uselessness of organized labor in the airline industry.

This isn't a direct challenge to you, or anyone else, but if you want to see the world of the past, and perhaps the world of the future if the Airline Transport Association is able to forego unions, take a gander at that book.

AOPA legal and ALPA legal are apples and oranges, incomparably different.
 
I know many CEOs view ALPA and other pilot unions as the Axis of Evil, but Doug is right.

Things I KNOW for sure that ALPA is responsible for.

TCAS requirements
GPWS requirements
Duty Time Limits
International Officers

One Big Thing that ALPA secured is the jumpseat. I am not out there on the line anymore but I am curious: Is the open jumpseat coming back? How is the "pilot" program going?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Nowadays, I keep my opinion to myself, bite my tongue as hard as I can and try to put it behind me. As long as I know whats right inside, thats all that counts for me.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like the attributes of a perfect first officer.
 
SkyWest isn't perfect, but.... they have gone to bat many times to protect pilots from the Feds. What I have heard from friends at union carriers, the company protects themselves and leaves the pilot for the union to protect. My experience is SkyWest goes out of its way to be fair and most often more than fair in there disciplinary dealings with employees. Would a union ruin that relationship, don’t know? Neither did most of the pilots therefore didn’t want to gamble. I am no expert, so take this with a grain of salt.
 
I worked for SkyWest for three years and loved the company. Granted I didn't work as a pilot, but in customer service. I went to an employee appreciation party at LAX one summer and the President of the company was serving the food! I don't know how many companies would see that happening. He just smiled as he dished food onto my plate and said "Hi, I'm Jerry!" I was pretty cool to have the tables reversed for a day.
 
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