PHI Union Vote
Sandy55961
at PHI. Did somebody die? Did the pilots at PHI think that it wouldn't pass?
Are they
happy or sad now that they have a union? I guess time will tell......
Butch Grafton
"Sandy55961" <sandy...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20000312172111...@ng-ck1.aol.com...
PHI has now followed in the footsteps of Air Log and The Professional
Helicopter Pilots Association with their vote to join the OPEIU. This
undoubtedly will send shock waves throughout the industry over the coming
weeks. Right now people on both sides are just trying to get a handle on
what all of this means. Basically we now have somewhere in the neighborhood
of a thousand helicopter pilots who have joined forces to help gain us the
respect the fixed wing guys have enjoyed for many years. I look now for
growing numbers of helicopter pilots across the nation to join the movement
to make things better for us all.
Butch Grafton
JStricker
Not so much that they voted to go union, but that they feel that they are so
unappreciated by management/ownership that this is what they had to do to be
properly compensated. Generally, unions make things more adversarial, but
that's NOT just the fault of the workers in the union. It takes two to
tango, so to speak.
As a rule, I'm pretty anti-union, but I'm not so pig-headed that I don't
realize that there are cases where it is a necessary last resort. In THIS
particular case, I don't have enough facts to be able to judge, but based on
the (admittedly by the posters here) one sided information I've read here,
it certainly appears to be the case.
It's a sad day that it had to come to this, and I truly doubt that the
majority of pilots are elated at having to go this route. Rather they felt
it was what they had to do. Now lets just hope that something good for all
parties can come out of it.
--
John Stricker
"I didn't spend all these years getting to the top of the food chain just to
be a vegetarian"
Butch Grafton
"JStricker" <jstrick...@russellks.net> wrote in message
news:CCA4B5ECE2971FD4.819B0415...@lp.airnews.net...
> Actually, they should be sad.
>
> Not so much that they voted to go union, but that they feel that they are
so
> unappreciated by management/ownership that this is what they had to do to
be
> properly compensated. Generally, unions make things more adversarial, but
> that's NOT just the fault of the workers in the union. It takes two to
> tango, so to speak.
John, we have had a Helicopter Pilots Union here at Ft. Rucker since the
early 1970's. It was just a local union formed by the pilots here and had
no affiliation with any other union anywhere. We almost always have had a
very good working relationship with the different companies who have won the
contract here. There were a couple of really bad Companies in the 80's but
they did not last. If it were not for our Union we would have been royally
screwed by these people. For all of the 90's we have worked for a pretty
good outfit. Negotiations have always been very amiable process with our
guys siting down with their local management folks and working things out to
everyone's satisfaction. The contracts have always been accepted by the
members with little or no argument, everyone was happy.
Last year we got broadsided. At negotiation time the company informed the
local management to "Stay out of it" and they sent in a hot shot labor
lawyer they had hired from outside the company and put him up against our
five line pilots who we had chosen to do our negotiating for us, as we
always had done. Well needless to say our guys were outgunned big time.
We actually lost ground we had gained in the past years. Here is just an
example....Three years ago we negotiated for disability insurance. We
agreed to forego a raise in return for the insurance. Every one was happy.
This time they took away the disability insurance and we did not get the
raise or anything else in return. So, in essence we will be paying for
disability insurance we do not have from here on out.
Needless to say John we took it in the shorts. However, we did not take it
lying down. Immediately after the negotiations were over we, as a union,
contacted OPEIU and asked them to come give the membership a presentation.
They did and we voted by a 94% margin to affiliate with them. We HAD to do
this John because the company made it clear they were going to do everything
in their power to prevent us from gaining a thing in negotiations, they even
refused to negotiate the things that would not have cost them a nickel. So
you are right in one respect John, it is a shame the employees are put in
this position but at least when they are they have a viable
option....Affiliation with OPEIU.
Butch Grafton
JStricker
I understand what you're saying completely. And I'm NOT hammering on those
that voted for the union. Obviously a majority felt it was needed and from
an outsider's perspective of what I've read here, warranted.
My only comment is that it's too bad. It's too bad that it REQUIRES a union
for there to be just monetary compensation.
It's too bad that it REQUIRES a union to get just benefits.
And it's too bad that it REQUIRES a union to force management to show
respect for the pilots.
I've been involved in this kind of thing before, and I've always seen to it
that my workers didn't WANT a union. IOW, they were treated fairly and
respected. But I also know that in many cases they aren't treated fairly
and, individually, have the choice of take it or hit the road.
My real beef isn't with the pilots and union. Rather it's with management
that forced them into having to form and join one for their own protection.
Very short-sighted on management's part, IMHO.
Wouldn't you and your fellow pilots prefer to be treated equitably, without
that need for a union, than to have to MAKE management understand your
ideas? I know I would.
My biggest criticism of unions is that they tend to protect even the poorest
of workers while not rewarding excellence. I don't see that being much of a
problem in a union composed of helicopter pilots, as the poorest are
eventually weeded out by natural selection. Unlike, for instance, assembly
line workers.
To be a professional rotary wing pilot, you need a great deal of dedication
and training, and the vast majority of the wannabe's never make it there
anyway, IME. I'm just surprised that PHI (and others) don't recognize the
value of that "commodity".
Had it been me in management, when this was first started (union
organization) I'd have sat down with a cross section of the pilots and said
"What do you folks need? Apparently, you feel under appreciated as a group
and that's not so, so let's talk about it and get it fixed.". From what I
read on the group over the last couple of years, if this happened at PHI, it
never happened in good faith and that is blatant stupidity on the part of
management IMHO.
Maybe PHI doesn't have the profit structure to do this (although I doubt
that, from what I've picked up from other sources). But they should have
taken the early warning signs more seriously and dealt with them. Not by
breaking or interfering with the formation of the union, but by damn quick
making it unnecessary. Now they have to deal with their short-sightedness,
and I bet it will cost them (meaning PHI) more in the long run.
Best Regards,
--
John Stricker
"I didn't spend all these years getting to the top of the food chain just to
be a vegetarian"
"Butch Grafton" <but...@snowhill.com> wrote in message
Butch Grafton
New York, NY
CONTACT: The Kamber Group
(212) 983-6100
Nicole Korkolis, ext. 232
Sauda Johnson, ext. 238
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OPEIU wins representation at Petroleum Helicopters, Inc.
54 percent vote for union, ending three-year organizing drive
Metairie, LA (March 13, 2000) - The Office and Professional Employees
International Union (OPEIU) has won representation of the 600 pilots
employed by Petroleum Helicopters, Inc. (PHI), the nation's largest
helicopter company. Of the eligible 540 pilots, OPEIU received 292 votes,
the Airline Pilots Association received one vote, and 2 ballots were voided.
The PHI pilots will be chartered as an independent OPEIU local union.
"This is a tremendous victory, and one that has been a long time coming for
the pilots at PHI," said OPEIU International Business Representative Paul
Bohelski. "Despite the efforts of PHI management, the pilots recognized the
benefits of OPEIU membership, and now we're going to work to bring fair pay,
improved health insurance, retirement security and other rights to these new
members."
Today's election was the third conducted at PHI since September 1997. The
National Mediation Board (NMB) set the first election aside because it found
that the employer interfered with the election process. The NMB ordered a
rerun election in February 1999; during the election campaign, PHI
implemented a new pay system that richly enhanced the salaries of the less
senior pilots who comprised 50 percent of the workforce, while moderately
improving the pay for the senior pilots. The result was a management
victory by a margin of four votes. Despite charges filed by the OPEIU, the
NMB found that these increases were necessary in order for the company to
attract new pilots and remain competitive with other helicopter companies.
As a result, the pilots and the OPEIU were banned for a year to file again
for representation.
The ban ended in October 1999, and the OPEIU once again began a rerun
election campaign. The NMB mailed ballots out to all eligible pilots on
February 4, 2000, and the vote count was conducted at the NMB offices on
March 10, 2000.
Established in 1945, the OPEIU represents more than 130,000 white collar
professionals, including health care workers, doctors, engineers, computer
programmers, secretaries, librarians, accountants, clerks, teachers,
helicopter pilots, models, clinical social workers and others.
Interview opportunities are available with OPEIU International President
Michael Goodwin and International Business Representative Paul Bohelski.