What we lose, we never get back ......
1. what is lost takes a market shift in your favour to get back.
2. how do you explain that to FR crews on Brookfield contracts ?
FR crews on Brookfield contracts are going to be left out in the cold on BALPA negotiations. To some degree there may be a little that can be done for them, but not a lot. They are in effect self employed so have little ability to be represented as employees.
They are the most precarious of FR flight crews, as it is they that will bear the brunt of any retaliatory action from FR management.
While the point made previously is that the younger pilots don't seem to have the balls on this issue, many younger pilots are subject to the Brookfield contracts so have no benefit to BALPA representation only the additional subscription fees.
It is easy to ask pilots to pull together to unionise FR for better terms and conditions, however, in doing that you are asking for the least secured to put themselves up as the cannon fodder.
This practice of full time contracted pilots on 5 year "dedicated" contracts to a single party skirts around the legal issues of "what is employment" and "what is contract".
That is the single biggest threat to T&C's across the industry. Do you think that FR will be the first and last to take on crews in a manner that affords them nothing ?
Think again.
Again we revolve around the same point. This is not the time to be fighting for better T&C's, this is the time to be fighting to prevent an airline going non-linear.
When the situation has stabilized, then the progress for T&C improvement can be started.
Right now, what does anyone have to bargain with ?
Zip, Zero, Zilch, Nada.
Brookfield pilots can be dumped out without so much as "don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out" and FR contracted pilots can be replaced by more Brookfield crews.
There are a lot out there, with line experience, time on type, and those keen to get into a right seat position as we all know. The threads on pprune are filled with people that would gladly fly a kite if they could log the time and keep current, maybe even draw a paycheck, till the market improves.
Flight crews are continually reminded of "the chain of events" that leads to smoking hole in the ground and it is identifying these events and breaking that chain.
There have been several small events that have occurred that lead to the problems we face, some have been put forward already. Those events in T&C's need to be identified and the chain broken, or rather should have been.
They have not, they were not, even when the market was in favour of flight crews (as much as it can be).
As much as it is easy to dismiss "old timers" (No offense to those with decades experience in the industry; it is an effective analogy) with "times have changed" quotes, it is worthwhile listening to them and prior experiences so that false expectations are not entered into or mistakes of the past repeated.
BALPA is not a magic bullet.
As a union, it may help, it may exacerbate the situation.
As flight crews, we need to think through processes and alternatives to arrive at the destination planned. it is the same in negotiations, there needs to be a realistic appreciation of worst case scenarios, alternatives and the processes involved and the current situation as a whole, not just with a blinkered or idealistic view.
If you are that cheesed off with the T&C's in FR, why don't you resign over it and seek an alternative position with another carrier ? Maybe even nominate flyingstig to take over your position?
Why? Because they are not recruiting right now. In fact the opposite.
So, what do you have to bargain with ? Don't bargain with the Brookfield crews.. Bargain with your own position if you believe that much in your cause.