Railway Labor Act petition

[precontact]

For our airline brethren, time to change this antiquated 77-year old law which gives almost all labor negotiating power to management.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/repeal-or-change-railway-labor-act-put-stop-lenghty-negotiations/jMz3ckM7

[JEFF-15]

THIS^

[amcflyboy]

Done

[matmacwc]

Can somebody dumb this down for a non airline but possibly airline dude in the future? (I don't understand the dragging feet during negotiations, it sounds like bad practice).

[SocialD]

Can somebody dumb this down for a non airline but possibly airline dude in the future? (I don't understand the dragging feet during negotiations, it sounds like bad practice).

Company tries to fuck you in the ass. This petition is an attempt to force them to use lube. That's about as caveman as I can make it for a fighter pilot.

The Dragging of the feet is by the company, not the pilots. So you are correect, it's not a good practice for the pilots but a great one for the company.

Edited May 28, 2013 by SocialD

[matmacwc]

Thanks....wait, aren't you a fighter pilot?

[hindsight2020]

Company tries to fuck you in the ass. This petition is an attempt to force them to use lube. That's about as caveman as I can make it for a fighter pilot.

The Dragging of the feet is by the company, not the pilots. So you are correect, it's not a good practice for the pilots but a great one for the company.

Indeed.

--break break ---

matmacwc, to fill in the laborious details to the "drag your feet" angle of that answer provided:

Basically, the RLA is anachronistic in nature in that it prescribes a set of "status quo measures" meant to deflect a strike and instead directing the grievances through a mediation board (NMB) which is supposed to address the concerns of both parties while still allowing the service, in this case, old ass RAIL, then adding old ass AIRLINES, to continue providing the de facto "utility" (like electric power, utility) of mass transit to the American public in an uninterrupted fashion.Uninterrupted, that was the goal of RLA.

The problem arises (surprise fucking surprise -->) when management uses the "interminable" nature of a government appointed mediation process to (surprise fucking surprise #2-->) perennially lock out the labor group from lawfully striking (read 1997 AA Clinton beat down et al), especially when said labor group hasn't had the opportunity to complete an initial labor agreement with management in the first place.

In modern practice, a narrow Congressional interpretation of the RLA's status quo provisions, which stems from management (surprise fucking suprise #3 -->) having the paid ear of the agency who legally validates the mediation vehicle, allows management to utilize said legally mandated mediation process to perma-stall the ability of the labor group to strike lawfully in a timely manner, which is the only leverage a bunch of "i dont want to work for a living, i want to fly and park and go home" carbon-copies-of-each-other proletariat pylets have left in an American labor environment that hasn't benefited from a labor shortage of any substance since the last one died in 19-fuckin-70. Clear as mud?

Im not an airline guy nor a Navy lawyer, but my newborn did leave me sleepless last night. For my part, I agree with the petition. It is beyond retarded that airline guys are not covered by the NLRA and are still excluded from more mainstream labor movement leverage due to a 70 year old anachronistic exclusion being abused by airline management.

Will it pass? Hell Naw!.... Look, the only true leverage in this industry will come the day people quit with their willingness to do that job for free (aka willingness to be a regional FO for 10 years waiting for Baseops Butters to open up the hiring window). The problem is that there's too many disheartened desk jockeys around to ever let the former sentiment die though. Your fellow pilots are your leverage, or more properly, lack thereof. A classic tragedy of the commons. If you want to make money unencumbered by your neighbor's willingness to do something for free, merely because he perceives the activity as fun, you need to either go to dental school or stay at that GS post office job. For me, I'll lick stamps for a livable and comfortable wage (around these parts flying a trainer is viewed akin to licking stamps, it don't bother me...) while I raise my family on it and fly for fun on my own dime, now and in retirement. To each their own. Variety is the spice of life and all that jazz. Hope this helps.

Edited May 28, 2013 by hindsight2020

[SocialD]

Thanks....wait, aren't you a fighter pilot?

Yup...wasn't a dig. Copy shot, poorly worded on the "for a fighter pilot" part. I never learnt to speak good!

[RogAir]

I am by no means an expert in this area, BUT, couldn't this be a case of "Be careful what you wish for"?

The law as it stands allows the President to order striking pilots back to work. If you take away this provision, you take away the ONLY thing stopping the revocation of Cabotage. This would mean that Air Guatemala could fly domestic routes with their $5/hr pilots and drive us all out of business (see US shipping business).

To clarify; business leaders and the government would love to allow Air Chile to set up shop in the US and fly domestic routes cheaply. The only problem is that once the foreign carriers have taken over, and they will, the President can't order a bunch of Columbians back to work if they strike i.e. the entire US air system could be shut down by foreign strikers-- a scenario unstomachable to any President.

[MacGyver]

The only things stopping the cabotage of US Airlines is finding a foreign carrier who pays pilots less than US Carriers, Remove the cabotage laws, and release the foreign carriers from any sort of ATP rules. Not to mention any sort of US safety and security standards.

[RogAir]

I would believe most third world airlines pay their pilots less (China too). No need to change any safety, security or ATP rules, they Already fly into the US (int'l flights), so just need to let them fly Domestic.

[JEFF-15]

Rog, I sincerely hope you never have to work for a regional airline in the US.

[MacGyver]

I have no personal experience, but from reading the airline pilot forums, guys are going to China Airlines flying regional jets for around $128k-$188k per year after taxes, housing paid, etc

[RogAir]

Rog, I sincerely hope you never have to work for a regional airline in the US.

JEFF;

Not sure I understand your comment. I merely pointed out that the petition the OP wants us sign advocates getting rid of the only thing protecting US pilots' jobs. I am NOT advocating the lifting of Cabotage, as this would endanger Cargo, Legacy, and RJ jobs. Be careful what you wish for is all I was saying; if I misunderstand, or am wrong on the situation, someone please clarify....