I seen this today. It proves Union pay raises make other non-union companys pay better. So much for them that say otherwise.
Letter from management
Author: ERA Date: 9/25/2006 6:26:36 PM
Very interesting letter from Mr. Osborne. Please pay extra attention to the parts I underlined. Keep the faith PHI pilots. You will prevail!
TO: All Era Helicopters Employees
FROM: Neill Osborne
SUBJECT: Comments about the Work Action at Phi
DATE: September 23, 2006
It is with some reluctance that I offer a few words about a competitor’s labor issues. I’m hesitant to discuss the current traumatic situation at Phi only because like most of you, I have many friends within that company that are either not working today or feeling the emotional pain of working while their long term associates are on strike. This is a dilemma that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
Let me say once again that Era will continue to do all within its power to remain a union free employer. To me this means offering compensation at the top of our segment of the industry so as to consistently remain competitive with the other major operators. We believe we are doing this and as stated in my last update, we are analyzing the most recent changes to our competitors’ pay levels and will soon announce results of these reviews. Remaining union free also means trying very hard to be totally fair with all that work with us at Era. We want to provide the safest work environment we possibly can as this should be understood to be the highest form of appreciation for our co-workers. New aircraft with the latest safety features and maintenance facilities with the latest in support equipment are two of our major goals, and we are making good progress with both.
Aside from the obvious struggle to ascertain the terms of employment between the pilots and the company, another of the potential results of the labor dispute at Phi will likely be a re-evaluation by some of their customers about contracting for service from a union provider. Era has a number of customers that use our services as well as Phi’s. We are likely to provide services, on a very limited basis, for some of these customers. We all know that we are highly committed already, so we certainly will not have many aircraft to offer but if current customers want to expand their contract with us we are obliged to attempt to comply. Most of us that have worked in the Gulf of Mexico area for some time understand the distinct difference in the service we can provide today as opposed to more stable times a few years ago. Most of our customers know that because of the increase in activity caused by last year’s hurricanes and the increased oil prices, we simply have very few spare aircraft. This situation will likely continue for some time so we must do all we can to maximize availability by having the parts we need when we need them. This is being worked on diligently by supply and maintenance management.
Thanks to each of you for making Era a successful company and thanks for making our company a great place to work.