IrishSheepdog
Sitting in the median
In the past few weeks I've seen there is quite a bit of discussions that are occurring in regards to the union drives at both SkyWest Airlines and Colgan Air. In fact, some of my good friends are involved in these union drives; however, my friendships with them have nothing to do with why I wanted to write this post. I wanted to write because I feel it sometimes helps to have an outside perspective. I hopefully can offer some viewpoints from both sides of the coin, since I currently work for an ALPA carrier and am formerly from a non-union airline. I will say though that the majority of this post will be in support of my union.
Growing up, both of my parents were union members, but it was never something that was really discussed in our house. Even today, in their retirement, they offer the same opinion about unions: They are good and bad in many ways. They were definitely not chest-beating union members, and I can say the same for myself. I am proud to be an ALPA member, but I am definitely not a chest-beating unionist by any means. Most of the time, I hate the politics that surrounds union and management relations.
In my past, working for a non-union carrier, I would tell you that I didn't really see a need for ALPA to be on property. We didn't get paid very much, but we had good work rules, and most of us trusted our senior management. We knew if we did our jobs and were honest, we likely wouldn't get fired. With 17 airplanes and about 200 pilots, it seemed foolish to join a massive pilots union that always seemed to put the opinions of mainline above the lowly regional pilots. I'd say there was strong evidence that most of our pilots felt this way, since some in our group had attempted to bring ALPA on property but failed. Personally, I think a lot of the reason the union drive failed was what we were seeing happen to those regionals who were part of ALPA, deadlocked in contract negotiations. None of us wanted to see that happen at our company.
After leaving that great company, due to the signs that their demise was imminent, I moved on to another airline that was unionized under ALPA. I joined the ranks of this company during the trail end of two years worth of contract negotiations, and it was a very different atmosphere than what I had been used to. In fact, it left a bad taste in my mouth for a while, because like I said earlier, I hate the politics of unions. Contract negotiations and the like are just not my cup of tea. I could not fathom working without a contract now, but at the time I had a different opinion. Those pilots at airlines like Pinnacle and ASA can attest to the fact that contract negotiations really suck the life out of a pilot group, and morale drops while management and the pilots do battle at the table. Luckily I have never had to experience it, but I'm sure a concessionary contract vote is an even larger morale killer.
After getting comfortable at this company, I began to look at ways I could get involved. I hadn't looked much at ALPA, because I didn't really know what they had to offer. Not being a politician, I didn't want to get involved in contract negotiations or be a LEC rep. I had discussed with our MEC Chairman on the phone the possibility for running for FO Rep in my base, but after much thought, I decided against it. I wanted to get involved, but not like that. There are others who are much better suited for that type of work, and luckily those pilots are now in office. So really, was there other opportunities for union volunteerism other than stuff that dealt with enforcement of our contract?
Absolutely.
I took a good look at the Human Performance Group (HuPer), and found a good fit in the Critical Incident Response Program. We are trained to help our pilots in times of difficulty, such as an emergency in the aircraft or personal emergencies at home. Situations where CIRP volunteers would step in are: Emergencies declared, aircraft accidents, aircraft incidents, medical emergencies, family illnesses, etc. We call the crews to ensure that they are OK. In fact, in our CIRP at XJT, we have a spouse volunteer that will call the wives or husbands of pilots involved in major emergencies to help cope with the associated stresses. We'll even talk with pilots who were not involved in the actual event, who may be experiencing some stressful affects from seeing their coworked involved in a major accident (such as Comair in LEX).
Other groups within HuPer are Aeromedical, Pilot Assistance, Peer Pilot (HIMS), and Professional Standards. All these groups are involved in helping fellow pilots through difficult times at work or outside work. I think it is great to know we have volunteers that will work with pilots to help them get their medicals back, overcome alcoholism, or deal with stressful events at home so they can get healthy and back into the cockpit. This right here is the utmost in brotherhood, which is the one thing that I feel is missing most in modern airline aviation. It seems like it is every man for himself sometimes. Seeing these groups in action, the opposite is true. We still look out for each other.
Besides HuPer, ALPA has other departments that assist pilots in many ways. We have a Hotel Committee that ensures we have quality lodging for all the time we spend on layovers away from our families. We have Safety, who utilizes FOQA and ASAP to improve the way we fly, and protect pilots who might experience unintentional operational deviations on the line. We have committees that involve Training, Security, Contract Enforcement, and much more. All these volunteers are not working to see that we get more money, or more days off. They are looking out for their fellow pilots to ensure we are safe, well trained, treated fairly, and compensated for our efforts.
I should also point out that ALPA is involved in many, many ways on Capitol Hill. I actively contribute to the ALPA PAC, or Political Action Committee, so that we as professional airline pilots have a voice in Washington, DC. I like to know there are volunteers and staff that represent us and our interests when Congress is debating changes that will negatively affect our lives. The biggest one now is security changes and the Transportation Security Administration. ALPA is continuously lobbying for changes to security rules that will make our jobs safer, but also our daily lives easier. That is why I give part of my paycheck every month to ALPA, above the 1.95% I already provide.
It is a pain to see nearly two percent of my pay disappear every paycheck to the union, and it is often difficult to work under a collective bargaining agreement. Life is far from perfect when operating under a union, but do not think that signing a union on board suddenly destroys any relationship that the pilots have with management. I will say that right now, at XJT, I am very proud to work for such a great management team that works well with a great unionized pilot group. We really have it made. It was definitely not always this way... just ask anyone who was around in 2002 or 2003 during contract negotiations.
For the pilots of SkyWest and Colgan: This is a very difficult decision, because signing on with ALPA will change your lives in many ways. There will be some negative affects that come with unionization, but I honestly believe that tapping into the resources that ALPA provides will offer major benefits that far outweigh the negatives. I will be proud to be your ALPA union brother. If you should chose otherwise, I am still proud to be your brother in aviation. We are pilots, and we need to look out for one another. If there is a group like ALPA that allows us to work together under one roof, with resources that might otherwise not be available to us, then all the better. Just do not think that ALPA will come in and save the day. A union is only as good at its membership, because the membership IS the union. Any individual can volunteer, but the collective group is what determines if a union will make life better.
Good luck in your decisions!
Matt Szluka
Captain, ExpressJet Airlines
ALPA Member since 2004
Growing up, both of my parents were union members, but it was never something that was really discussed in our house. Even today, in their retirement, they offer the same opinion about unions: They are good and bad in many ways. They were definitely not chest-beating union members, and I can say the same for myself. I am proud to be an ALPA member, but I am definitely not a chest-beating unionist by any means. Most of the time, I hate the politics that surrounds union and management relations.
In my past, working for a non-union carrier, I would tell you that I didn't really see a need for ALPA to be on property. We didn't get paid very much, but we had good work rules, and most of us trusted our senior management. We knew if we did our jobs and were honest, we likely wouldn't get fired. With 17 airplanes and about 200 pilots, it seemed foolish to join a massive pilots union that always seemed to put the opinions of mainline above the lowly regional pilots. I'd say there was strong evidence that most of our pilots felt this way, since some in our group had attempted to bring ALPA on property but failed. Personally, I think a lot of the reason the union drive failed was what we were seeing happen to those regionals who were part of ALPA, deadlocked in contract negotiations. None of us wanted to see that happen at our company.
After leaving that great company, due to the signs that their demise was imminent, I moved on to another airline that was unionized under ALPA. I joined the ranks of this company during the trail end of two years worth of contract negotiations, and it was a very different atmosphere than what I had been used to. In fact, it left a bad taste in my mouth for a while, because like I said earlier, I hate the politics of unions. Contract negotiations and the like are just not my cup of tea. I could not fathom working without a contract now, but at the time I had a different opinion. Those pilots at airlines like Pinnacle and ASA can attest to the fact that contract negotiations really suck the life out of a pilot group, and morale drops while management and the pilots do battle at the table. Luckily I have never had to experience it, but I'm sure a concessionary contract vote is an even larger morale killer.
After getting comfortable at this company, I began to look at ways I could get involved. I hadn't looked much at ALPA, because I didn't really know what they had to offer. Not being a politician, I didn't want to get involved in contract negotiations or be a LEC rep. I had discussed with our MEC Chairman on the phone the possibility for running for FO Rep in my base, but after much thought, I decided against it. I wanted to get involved, but not like that. There are others who are much better suited for that type of work, and luckily those pilots are now in office. So really, was there other opportunities for union volunteerism other than stuff that dealt with enforcement of our contract?
Absolutely.
I took a good look at the Human Performance Group (HuPer), and found a good fit in the Critical Incident Response Program. We are trained to help our pilots in times of difficulty, such as an emergency in the aircraft or personal emergencies at home. Situations where CIRP volunteers would step in are: Emergencies declared, aircraft accidents, aircraft incidents, medical emergencies, family illnesses, etc. We call the crews to ensure that they are OK. In fact, in our CIRP at XJT, we have a spouse volunteer that will call the wives or husbands of pilots involved in major emergencies to help cope with the associated stresses. We'll even talk with pilots who were not involved in the actual event, who may be experiencing some stressful affects from seeing their coworked involved in a major accident (such as Comair in LEX).
Other groups within HuPer are Aeromedical, Pilot Assistance, Peer Pilot (HIMS), and Professional Standards. All these groups are involved in helping fellow pilots through difficult times at work or outside work. I think it is great to know we have volunteers that will work with pilots to help them get their medicals back, overcome alcoholism, or deal with stressful events at home so they can get healthy and back into the cockpit. This right here is the utmost in brotherhood, which is the one thing that I feel is missing most in modern airline aviation. It seems like it is every man for himself sometimes. Seeing these groups in action, the opposite is true. We still look out for each other.
Besides HuPer, ALPA has other departments that assist pilots in many ways. We have a Hotel Committee that ensures we have quality lodging for all the time we spend on layovers away from our families. We have Safety, who utilizes FOQA and ASAP to improve the way we fly, and protect pilots who might experience unintentional operational deviations on the line. We have committees that involve Training, Security, Contract Enforcement, and much more. All these volunteers are not working to see that we get more money, or more days off. They are looking out for their fellow pilots to ensure we are safe, well trained, treated fairly, and compensated for our efforts.
I should also point out that ALPA is involved in many, many ways on Capitol Hill. I actively contribute to the ALPA PAC, or Political Action Committee, so that we as professional airline pilots have a voice in Washington, DC. I like to know there are volunteers and staff that represent us and our interests when Congress is debating changes that will negatively affect our lives. The biggest one now is security changes and the Transportation Security Administration. ALPA is continuously lobbying for changes to security rules that will make our jobs safer, but also our daily lives easier. That is why I give part of my paycheck every month to ALPA, above the 1.95% I already provide.
It is a pain to see nearly two percent of my pay disappear every paycheck to the union, and it is often difficult to work under a collective bargaining agreement. Life is far from perfect when operating under a union, but do not think that signing a union on board suddenly destroys any relationship that the pilots have with management. I will say that right now, at XJT, I am very proud to work for such a great management team that works well with a great unionized pilot group. We really have it made. It was definitely not always this way... just ask anyone who was around in 2002 or 2003 during contract negotiations.
For the pilots of SkyWest and Colgan: This is a very difficult decision, because signing on with ALPA will change your lives in many ways. There will be some negative affects that come with unionization, but I honestly believe that tapping into the resources that ALPA provides will offer major benefits that far outweigh the negatives. I will be proud to be your ALPA union brother. If you should chose otherwise, I am still proud to be your brother in aviation. We are pilots, and we need to look out for one another. If there is a group like ALPA that allows us to work together under one roof, with resources that might otherwise not be available to us, then all the better. Just do not think that ALPA will come in and save the day. A union is only as good at its membership, because the membership IS the union. Any individual can volunteer, but the collective group is what determines if a union will make life better.
Good luck in your decisions!
Matt Szluka
Captain, ExpressJet Airlines
ALPA Member since 2004
They did kindly chip in to provide a lower cost health insurance plan for some of the time, but that amount only equalled about 30 minutes of their overtime pay each month.
