Flying Suspended At Vance

[jollygreen07]

You and all the other haters need to chill the fuck out. You don't know the whole story from either management or the workers. It's up to them to sort it out and if The Air Force thinks it is out of hand, then they can exercise their options (like giving a different company the contract).

We are on orders to "chill the fuck out" we aren't even allowed to talk about the strike off base.

I'm all for these guys getting fair pay and benefits. That should be the right of any American working man/woman. The problem that all of us have, especially the guys in T-1's, is that this strike not only totally fucks our timeline for graduation, but also the fact that when it's over, some folks (five in my class for example) are going to be going straight to checkrides after sitting for however long. Yeah, they might get a warmup ride, but anyone who's done any flying and flown a checkride knows that it's a baaad idea to go into one cold like that.

Yes, tiny considerations in the grand scheme, HAL, but in our fishbowl it's a big f-ing deal. These guys should get a better shake, but this (as stated before) exposes a huuuge problem with the system overall. Kind scary really. The studs don't care how it's fixed, we just want to fly.

 

[nursesoon]

I'm surprised to hear of a big strike in this economy. The unions/workers around here are giving up and giving up on threat of otherwise layoffs and shop closing up. I suppose this case is a niche job that has to be done and little threat of losing though.

 

[torpedo0126]

This was covered at that commanders call a few weeks back.

yea, i guess there was a lot of stuff we missed...we didn't get notified of it until 15 minutes before it started.

 

[scoolbubba]

My buddies and I had a bet going to see how long it would take for the brass hats to have studs doing manual labor. It took one day. We were pulling weeds in front of the squadron yesterday... It's cool. I needed the sun...

You could always go on strike, see how that works out.

 

[pourts]

We are on orders to "chill the fuck out" we aren't even allowed to talk about the strike off base.

I don't know what you meant with that statement, but thats not a lawful order.

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

First, the striking workers did not sign a contract with the government - their company did. It is the company that needs to meet the contract and one of the ways to do this is to make the workers happy. Obviously the workers are not happy. And if the workers are willing to lose income and risk their jobs by striking, they must be really unhappy. Do you want unhappy workers doing the maintenance on your aircraft?

Second, I doubt if this strike is going to put a serious bite on the war effort. The federal budget and lack of money are going to hurt it more. Heck, there is a CVN that has been sitting at Pearl Harbor for the last week because there is no money for them to go to sea. That's a whole air wing of trained aviators grounded and not participating in the war.

You haven't worked in the civilian sector for a while. It's all about money & profit. Companies walk all over their workers and will cut their pay in a heartbeat to give shareholders a couple more cents on their stock value. Sometimes the workers have just got to say "enough".
You think they should do it for free or shit wages/conditions? They are civilians, not service members. I actually feel better about the work provided by people that demand to be paid a reasonable salary and expect decent working conditions.

And no, I don't like all unions. I absolutely dispise the Culunary Workers Union in Las Vegas for instance. They forced themselves on the workers at one Vegas strip casino that ended up resulting in pay cuts and benefit cuts because the union contract was worst than what the workers were getting. They also stick their noses in local politics and try to dictate to other unions. They represent all that is bad in labor unions.

You and all the other haters need to chill the fuck out. You don't know the whole story from either management or the workers. It's up to them to sort it out and if The Air Force thinks it is out of hand, then they can exercise their options (like giving a different company the contract).

Good answer Hal Pilot!

I'm not necessarily for the Union and strike, but I've seen a lot of good come from a vote to get a union in at one site that I worked at years ago. It was voted down by less than 10 vote difference and that put a scare into the company which caused huge changes for the better.

One of the company’s practices was to lay people off that were close to retirement and close to their anniversary date which is when vacation pay was paid out. They made practice of laying people off that were within a month of anniversary and they would collect the vacation pay from Uncle Sam all year and just keep it for the company. Just the close vote made them look at the practices and changes were made for the better.

I don't agree with all Unions and strikes, but sometimes they are needed to keep upper management in check.

 

[A4sForever]

....I don't agree with all Unions and strikes, but sometimes they are needed to keep upper management in check.

UNTIL the day arrives that some of you boys who continually pontificate and verbally defecate (?) re: labor/management issues ... you know; all the stuff you know jack-shit about .... ACTUALLY GET HIRED BY AN AIRLINE .... and 'get a clue' about predatory management 'teams' ....

.... the above quote by Alpha (ALPA?? ) is all you really need to know right now ....

+1 and a couple more ...

 

[mmx1]

I don't know what you meant with that statement, but thats not a lawful order.

How is that not lawful?

 

[jollygreen07]

You could always go on strike, see how that works out.

Nah, I don't think they'd like us very much after that. We'd probably have to go back on formal release! Oh wait.. we already are.

Besides, I wasn't bitching. I said I needed the sun!

Geeze... one group strikes and that's all some folk can think about!

 

[jollygreen07]

I don't know what you meant with that statement, but thats not a lawful order.

Yes, please share. Why isn't that a lawful order?

The students were told to remain neutral. That means we don't go to Scooters and blab about "what a pain in the ass this union is" or whatnot.

Sounds like a perfectly leagal order to me.

Maybe "chill the fuck out" wasn't PC enough? Is swearing illegal?

 

[A4sForever]

....Maybe "chill the fuck out" wasn't PC enough? Is swearing illegal?

Not that I'm fucking aware of .... please let me know if it fucking changes.

 

[Catmando]

In addition to my twenty some years of active and reserve naval service, brief airline management experience, participation in an airline strike for two years on the side of labor, and more than a year's experience of collective bargaining as one of four principals successfully negotiating a several hundred million dollar labor contract, and testifying in several serious labor arbitrations on behalf of fellow pilots .... And although I have strong opinions on both sides of the issue without knowing many of the facts.... I thus know better than to make any comment within this fur-ball with mostly amateurs.

Sorry if that's condescending. Just suck it up.

But the stagnation of military pilot training for me is indeed troubling.

 

[torpedo0126]

In addition to my twenty some years of active and reserve naval service, brief airline management experience, participation in an airline strike for two years on the side of labor, and more than a year's experience of collective bargaining as one of four principals successfully negotiating a several hundred million dollar labor contract, and testifying in several serious labor arbitrations on behalf of fellow pilots .... And although I have strong opinions on both sides of the issue without knowing many of the facts.... I thus know better than to make any comment within this fur-ball with mostly amateurs.

Sorry if that's condescending. Just suck it up.

But the stagnation of military pilot training for me is indeed troubling.

With your experience, to speed up the resolution process, would it be inappropriate if I gave the Pinkertons a call?

 

[Catmando]

With your experience, to speed up the resolution process, would it be inappropriate if I gave the Pinkertons a call?

Not funny...

 

[pourts]

Yes, please share. Why isn't that a lawful order?

The students were told to remain neutral. That means we don't go to Scooters and blab about "what a pain in the ass this union is" or whatnot.

Sounds like a perfectly leagal order to me.

Maybe "chill the fuck out" wasn't PC enough? Is swearing illegal?

They can't tell you what to think, i.e. "remaining neutral." They can't tell you that you aren't allowed to talk about it, at home, with friends, on the phone with your parents. What are they going to do next, tell you you can't talk about politics either? This isn't top secret stuff here. They can give guidance on how to behave, like not making a big stink at a bar where a bunch of the union guys hang out, but an order "not to talk about it" at all is not OK.

I am just going off what you wrote in your post. Now, if they told you not to go on the local TV station in uniform and make an official comment, that's well within their rights.