Wow, show us on this doll where the bad pilot touched you. Why are you so resentful of the pilots union? Aren't they the success story that you have wet dreams about?
Ah, you have never jumpseated, been a ramp agent, or dealt with our pilots, have you? Well, I have...extensively. First, I admire their tactics and their success. We should be smart enough to do the same. However, the pilots are a small group, who meet every night at one of only several hubs, and have a skill set that isn't easily replaced. The captain also always has the power to cancel a flight, even if a light in the crapper doesn't work (seen it happen). All he/she has to do is say "safety concern", and the aircraft is grounded. This gives them enormous leverage, as evident during recent bad behavior during negotiations.
We hourlies subsidize their excellent salaries and benefits, just as we do the execs. By short-changing us, they can afford to treat themselves very well. Just as we subsidized the expansion of Ground and Fred's purchase of new companies.
Besides being a shillette, you're clueless about both the RLA and FedEx culture. Being openly pro-union will get you on the hit list, even though that's illegal, and the RLA makes it nearly impossible to organize in RTW states. We also don't have a national support network like the Teamsters to help conduct a drive. The IBT knows that the RLA Kryptonite will prevent success.
Our pilots could care less about us. They arrive by limo or Town Car, and have little to no interaction with hourlies, the ants that load their planes and deliver the packages that make the whole system go. Most are elite snobs. After the plane takes off, out come the Robb Report, Penthouse, and whatever else they want to read. They monitor ATC and the radios and check headings etc. Not much to do, but talk about who they are banging and what kind of new Mercedes they're going to buy. Sometimes you get a friendly crew, which is great. Of course, since 9-11, personal jumpseat is gone, so this is academic. The bottom line is that they think little of us and have zero interest in assisting a union effort.
As someone else said, they have theirs, and that's all they really care about. So STFU about things you know
nothing about.
