Originally Posted by alpa.org
A Show of Force at SkyWest, Inc.
Pilots from ASA, other groups, joined by Capt. Woerth in demonstration
October 13, 2006 -- More than 100 pilots, arranged in two marching orbits, demonstrated outside of SkyWest, Inc.'s headquarters in St. George, Utah, today. ALPA's president, Capt. Duane Woerth, along with pilots from 11 other pilot groups, were on hand to support their ASA comrades. Atlantic Southeast is a wholly owned subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc.
Skywest, Inc purchased ASA last year from Delta for less money than the value of the company's assets. In other words they got it for a steal while Delta was in bankruptcy. Skywest's own website touts the benefits of being "union free"
Originally Posted by skywest
Our Union Free Statement SkyWest Airlines has been union-free for over 30 years. It is our desire to remain so. Today, SkyWest is standing amidst the ruins of a once proud industry. Our success is our people. We have accepted the responsibility of open and honest communication. We have maintained an open-door policy that enables any employee access to anyone in management, from your supervisor to our CEO. We want you to be informed. And as SkyWest continues to grow, the continued empowerment of employees through education is what will not only preserve, but improve Our Culture.
We feel strongly that the long-term interests of all SkyWest employees can be best served by maintaining our current environment of open and honest communication without adding an unnecessary layer of outside third party bureaucracy. We should not compromise the environment we have worked so hard to create. The existence of a third party will undoubtedly change the relationship that we currently have of dealing directly with one another.
And while union organizers may want you to believe they have your best interest at heart, the truth is that unions are businesses that generate money by signing up new members and collecting dues. They do not provide wages, benefits, buildings and equipment, or any other asset necessary to keep our company in business. A union can only provide its members with what a company is willing to give. The truth is that a union only has two things it can guarantee its members: its right to strike and make its members pay dues and assessments.
History has taught us that powerful unions, particularly in our industry, do not hesitate to place their companies in financial peril -- ultimately costing thousands of hardworking men and women their jobs. Understand, this is not "just a pilot" issue. Union activity affects every single employee.
Our dedication to fairness in all that we do, coupled with an uncompromising commitment to quality, truly sets SkyWest apart as an airline and an employer. We believe in treating each employee with respect. We have continued to update our policies and procedures to ensure that you will be treated fairly and consistently. By working together, we have created an environment of competitive wages, good working conditions, and opportunity for both personal and professional growth. Together we have built SkyWest; and together we can continue to build a better SkyWest for our fellow employees and ourselves.
I can only wonder if they knew what they were getting into when they purchased an entire company with a labor group that has been negotiating a new contract for 4 years now. (3 at time of purchase).
To make things better ALPA ballots were mailed out recently to the non-union pilots of Skywest Airlines - the other company owned by Skywest, Inc. The last ALPA drive at Skywest was in 1999 and it failed by 6 votes - although 20 votes were received the day after the ballot closed! In other words there were a majority of pilots wanting to unionize. It is going to be an interesting future for Skywest - if the pilots of skywest airlines join ALPA they will then have gone from being union free to having two unionized work groups in the space of 1 year. I wonder if the flight attendants/mechanics will follow suit?