Originally Posted by
4runner
Hey Guys/Girls. As an aviator and someone with global flying and work experience, perhaps I can make a presumptuous suggestion or propose an idea. Why doesn’t a US pilot union get involved in European labor issues? I’ve worked overseas without a union, in the US without a union and in the US with ALPA and Teamsters. I can say, with very few exceptions and through experience that having a union to back you up and represent our interests is many legs up on being caught “high and dry”. Has anyone proposed even speaking to a pilots union that could Represent European pilots as a WHOLE, instead of being divided, conquered and screwed by management? As long as no one from Thpain is involved...
There's a regular sharing of knowledge across the Atlantic (and across the rest of the globe) regarding industrial issues and industrial action via IFALPA, where ALPA Intl. and the European Pilot Associations - joined themselves within ECA meet regularly. The current developments at Ryanair
AFAIK are based on a multinational multi-union working group where pilot unions of countries with Ryanair bases join forces and act in a synchronized way. (Which replaced previous attempts to form a single association within Ryanair.)
As noted above it is indeed interesting that MOL rejected a single negotiating committee and now has to deal with 10 variations of something he doesn't seem to understand. Good luck and stamina to all pilots involved (and to cabin crews as well!). We should all petition our pilot reps to put enough resources in this fight (even if the share of Ryanair pilot members is still small) as a change in work practices at Ryanair will undoubtedly benefit all European pilots.