JetBlue
July 13, 2011
Mark Upson
Two reasons why I choose
to support ALPA come
to mind. I believe in our
five core values and
most notably our number
one core value of safety.
Since day one, ALPA has
made safety the very fabric of
the Association. It gives you the tools, readily
available, if you should ever have an accident
or incident. The second reason is retirement. I
have 34 years left here at JetBlue Airways. The
difference between 5 percent 401(k) matching and 5 percent guarantee profit-sharing
contributed once a year, versus a simple B-fund
with 10 percent contributed every pay period,
is more than most would realize. Some might
argue that choosing ALPA is making a choice
against JetBlue. I need JetBlue to be a profitable and strong airline, and I think ALPA can
be an asset to this pilot group and JetBlue if
viewed as a partnership.
Bob Chapman
I want ALPA to represent the
pilots of JetBlue for the
guaranteed protections of
a CBA along with access to
many benefits, such as an
industry-standard pilot retirement that is not available unless
we are covered by a CBA. ALPA Legal and
Aeromedical benefits are priceless!
Dean Rodier
ALPA will give us the
power to protect what
we have and negotiate
what we need.
Volume 1 • Issue 2
Pilot-to-Pilot
www.jetblueoc.org
Cindy Aspden
To ensure the
expertise
of our profession through a collective voice!
To address our concerns for
the highest-quality standards
in the aviation industry. Ensuring the respect we’re due as
highly skilled professionals
in the aviation industry, with
regard to our health care, re-
tirement, work rules, and pay.
And lastly, working together to
make our airline great through
cooperative negotiation and
not via a “direct relationship”
as in the past.
Scott DeYoung
I’m voting YES because it is
my responsibility to provide
for my family to the best of
my ability. JetBlue is a great
place to work, but we need a
CBA in order to legally work
toward our needs. ALPA’s turnkey organization is best suited
to assist our pilots in the new
partnership with JetBlue leadership. The problem was never
the people, it was the process.
Please join
me in welcoming our new
two-way relationship with the
hardworking JetBlue leadership
and our pilot group!
Hector Duque
The first
company I
worked for
had a great
culture—a JetBlue-type culture.
Management was part of this,
and everybody had great confidence in them. In fact, they were
so good that another company
noticed it and offered them
great opportunities. Suddenly,
we had a totally different group
in management, and that inevitably changed everything.
The company ended up merging after just a couple of years,
and because there were no
protections for the pilot group, I
have friends working all over the
world. JetBlue is a great place
to work, and I expect to be here
for a long time, which is why I
always hope for the best for
the company. Where will I be if
it doesn’t do well? I need to be
heard and I need to be protected, for me and for my family.
Jim Bigham
I retired from the USAF and,
quite frankly, probably couldn’t
even spell “union” when I joined
JetBlue. I was happy to be a
pilot in a nonunion environment when I first started here,
but I have seen a lot of areas
where we have been looking
for a “work-around” for quite a
few years. We need the ability
to work together with JetBlue
leadership to forge a successful future in a way that will be
legally binding. We need the
resources that ALPA can provide
for us to get to the next level in
a constructive way. I especially
like the positive way that ALPA’s
president, Lee Moak, wants us
to engage with our leadership
at JetBlue
so that
we can
preserve our unique way of
doing business. I am voting YES
to ALPA, and I look forward to
continuing to work together for
a long, successful, and prosperous future for JetBlue and its
pilots.
Jon Reynolds
I think David Neeleman said it best
years ago: “A
company gets the
union it deserves.”
Whether you agree
with all the reasons
we are here or not,
here we are. I don’t believe that is
a negative thing. I believe that this
election can make a stronger JetBlue,
not a weaker one, as no employee
group has more invested in the success of JetBlue than its pilots! We
must work together, be professional,
and be the leaders, and we must be
unified in our voice for our future!
Randy Myzer
I have served as an
ALPA officer at a
past airline. We
were not able
to fix all of the
problems there,
and I don’t expect
that ALPA will be able
to resolve every single pilot’s
issues here, either. And the folks at
ALPA National won’t pretend that
they can. But with absolute certainty,
the introduction of a CBA and the resources that ALPA brings to this pilot
group can give us a better chance,
and I hope will give both the company and the pilots the tools to bring
this pilot group into a position where
we can both work for a common,
long-term future for JetBlue.
Patrick Phillips
The PVC structure
has failed the
JetBlue pilots.
JBPA paved the
way. It is time for
ALPA.
2
Jack Seeley
It’s clearly
time for
JetBlue pilots
to work together to secure a
CBA with ALPA as our resource
because the process we’re using
now doesn’t work.
As a former US Airways pilot,
I understand our ELT’s concerns
about changing the way we do
business together. However, my
fellow JetBlue pilots are strongly
committed to our Company’s
prosperity and long-term success,
and we’ll take the steps necessary to elect positive leaders who
share our goals. We’ll continue
to enhance JetBlue’s $10 million
of revenue each day through a
pilot-management partnership.
There’s a lot of misinformation being thrown around. For
example, I’ve learned there is a
lot more to the US Airways story
than I realized before. It turns
out that there was advice given
to the US Airways MEC by ALPA
National retirement experts prior
to the pension termination that
warned local representatives
of a looming problem. I’ve also
learned that there were specific
requests and warnings given to
the US Airways merger committee by the neutral arbitrator
regarding their “date-of-hire”
seniority list integration position
with America West that were
repeatedly ignored. In fact, Arbitrator Nicolau told both sides on
three occasions, “If you have a
job, you’re going to keep the job.
If you don’t have a job, you’re
not going to displace someone
who has a job.” But the US Airways MEC continued to insist that
date-of-hire was the only reasonable integration method. So 500
senior US Airways pilots stayed
at the top of the list and the remaining pilots were “ratio-ed”
together to ensure that all active
pilots remained working.
Here at JetBlue we have over
400 former US Airways pilots
most of who were stapled to the
bottom of the list because they
were on furlough, including me. In
retrospect, the US Airways MEC’s
and Merger Committee’s inflexible approach and unwillingness
to negotiate—not anything ALPA
National did—had a great deal
to do with the unfavorable outcome. To make matters worse,
unlike the America West MEC
who posted the arbitration transcript at the end of every day
and communicated honestly with
West pilots, East pilots got very
little information from their pilot
leaders about the ALPA merger
process, what was happening in
the SLI arbitration, or the chance
that, without being flexible, this
could happen to me and my fellow US Airways pilots.
Now that we are all JetBlue
pilots, we must move forward and
put the past behind us. It’s time for
all pilots to join together to take
care of ourselves, our careers, and
our profession. At JetBlue we’re
going to elect our representatives
from the best pilot group in the
country that embrace our Company’s values—especially Integrity
and Caring.
But we need a legal representative to help us secure a JetBlue
pilot-driven contract that includes
the unique benefits our families
require in the retirement, shortand long-term disability, Loss of
License, and medical plan areas.
These benefits have been identified repeatedly as substandard
by multiple JetBlue committees
for over five years. After all
this time, our so-called “direct
relationship process” has failed
our pilots and no resolution is in
sight. We need ALPA resources
to match up with the professional
third-party outside consultants
the Company uses. We have
none of that with our current PVC
structure or process.
Recently, several JetBlue pilots
have expressed concern that
electing ALPA may cause monthly
pay caps to be imposed on JetBlue pilots based on the ALPA
Administrative Manual. It’s true
that pay caps were negotiated
by many pilot groups prior to the
bankruptcy era. But based on industry changes, most major ALPA
contracts no longer contain them.
Being one of many pilots who
credits many hours each month,
I was very concerned about this
issue as well. While ALPA policies
still contain old language that
says pilots, “where feasible,”
should try to negotiate caps,
these policy guidelines have
never required caps, have been
scheduled for revision, and will
be discussed at the fall meeting
of ALPA’s Executive Board. I’ve
talked with ALPA officers and
staff during this campaign and
I’ve been assured that pay caps
are absolutely not required. In
fact, FedEx, Delta, Spirit, and
other carriers all recently negotiated ALPA contracts that do
not have nor do they require any
monthly pay caps at all. Under
ALPA’s Constitution and By-Laws,
each pilot group is responsible
for conducting negotiations—not
ALPA National—which is there to
provide resources.
What I want going forward is
the opportunity to negotiate over
what makes sense for JetBlue
pilots—in the area of pay, benefits, and job security. I for one
don’t think pay caps make sense
based on our desires and the
Company’s business model.
What I don’t want is an internal e-mail or policy from Crew
Services, separate from the FSM
document which has imposed a
55-hour credit cap on our reserve pilots that wish to pick up
extra hours when it hasn’t been
negotiated or approved by JetBlue pilots.
Our pilot group is smart, reasonable, and responsible. We
should have the chance to talk
about what we want, negotiate
with management over those
terms, and ratify any deal collectively by a full vote of JetBlue
pilots. What I don’t want is a
Steering Committee handpicked
by management that makes decisions on our behalf. The JetBlue
pilots will best be served by a
levelheaded, educated group of
leaders that see a new path forward of constructive engagement.
Our pilots are here for the
long haul and want JetBlue to
survive and prosper. Our careers
and our families deserve a viable, effective process. We don’t
have that now.
Bill Eway
Chris Kenney
I was with two previous airlines
that were both union before I
joined JetBlue six years ago,
and I was glad to not be part
of that again. Over the past
several years, along with you
all, I have heard and seen the
process that we have to use
to work with the Company to
change our benefits, work rules,
etc. I feel we have all given the
Company many chances to act
on its word in our shortfalls. I
joined the OC shortly after the
FSM10 was put out. I personally talked to PVC members
about the process. They were
frustrated, as they all worked
hard to get the company all the
input they wanted to validate
our shortfalls, yet the Company
kept putting them off, ignoring
them, giving them
and the pilots
little signs of movement, yet
nothing was changed. We all
have different backgrounds, but
I bet that none of us just walked
up and got this job without paying dues somewhere. This is a
career, not just a job. Let’s treat
it as one.
Jamie Ewart
In the
same way I
made the careful
career decision to join JetBlue,
I also made the decision to
choose professional represen-
tation by the Air Line Pilots
Association. I intend to spend
the rest of my eligible years
flying here at JetBlue, and I
must ensure I have professional
representation that provides an
accountable process to voice
the collective concerns of this
pilot group, in the real transparency that can only come
with true independence.
Rob Wanes
Like many pilots I came to JetBlue
because I was furloughed from
US Airways. There were many
casualties after 9/11 and both
airlines and unions had to give,
including ALPA. While JetBlue
is now spending an awful lot of
time and money basing its antiALPA campaign on past events
and not by offering a single
solution to fix the issues we have
raised during the last five years,
it leads me to believe that those
issues like merger protections,
collective grieving, and a belowaverage retirement plan will not
happen anytime soon. A vote
for ALPA is not a vote against
JetBlue, its
a vote for a
fair and balanced process.
There is plenty of room for us
to negotiate what is fair for our
careers and still allow JetBlue to
flexible and responsive. The only
way is through a CBA! Vote Yes!
John M. Stevens
Aviation
is both
our passion and our
livelihood, and I can think of
no other profession that provides us the opportunities we
have to serve our families, our
fellow pilots, and our custom-
ers. We have all experienced
the highs and the not-so-highs
that come with an industry that
has many external challenges.
While it may seem as if you
have no say in these challenges
we face, ALPA’s resources will
provide us a voice and a seat
at the table to work with our
management using our unique
and industry-leading corporate
culture to provide the best possible solutions to our needs. You
and I are the very foundation
of the Air Line Pilots Association, and I look forward to a
long and prosperous career at
JetBlue Airways.
Guy Nebel
I believe that ALPA has the
resources and experience to
provide our pilots with the
by JetBlue
necessary tools to achieve a
pilots every
fair contract that reflects the
professional contributions made day.
I am pleased to be a part
of a great airline. We
go above and beyond
to help customers and
crew on a daily basis,
and I am proud to work
for such a group. We
are at a turning point in our
careers at JetBlue, and I believe it is vital we
have the ALPA-provided horsepower to protect our futures and enhance our quality of
life. After 11 years, I believe it is time to make
the improvements to our pay, retirement, and
benefits that only a CBA can give us. Finally,
I want a level playing field with a system in
place that has been tested time and again,
and works.
Charlie Andrews
The JetBlue pilot group
has stepped up to the
plate and delivered
consistently throughout the years. JetBlue
management has chosen to ignore, spin, and
delay on pilot protections,
health, retirement, and disability issues.
These shortcomings have been outlined in
two PCRB reports since 2005 and numerous other factual data that your JAOC has
put forth. Since JetBlue management has
chosen not to walk their talk, I need someone looking out for me. This will be a strong
MEC with ALPA’s resources.
John Sabini
This is not about me. It is
about us, our pilot group,
working together with
ALPA, providing support,
caring, and respect for
our profession. Globalization of the industry is inevitable. ALPA has been tapped
by many foreign entities in the airline industry
for its safety, expertise, knowledge, and strong
support for our profession. I am not just looking
for representation. I want ALPA, which will provide the national and global outreach our pilot
group needs to stay competitive in a globalizing labor market.
3
Mike LaForest
JetBlue is my third
“major” airline. I’ve
been at an in-house
carrier, an ALPA carrier, and a nonunion
carrier (JetBlue). My
reasons for wanting true
representation are simple—
I know my industry and my profession,
I’ve weighed the pros and the cons, and
there is no doubt that I must do all I can
to protect myself, my family, and my profession. This is not emotional for me at
all, it’s very simply business. I enjoy flying for a living, but it’s not who I am, it’s
what I do to support myself and those I
love, and I refuse not to protect that with
all the tools I have available. As pilots,
we work every day to make sure nothing is left to chance, but somehow when
it comes to our very own livelihood, we
feel differently. No system is perfect, but
we must take the best approach possible
to protect our livelihood, and for me,
without a doubt, it’s true representation
through ALPA. Remove the emotion, continue to work hard for your company, and
by all means use every possible means
to protect your family. It’s not about this
month’s paycheck, it’s about the rest of
your career!
Doug Stefanko
The average pilot has at
least one major medical
problem during his or
her career, and I believe
it would be wise to have
ALPA help you should that
occur. It is also wise to have a
legal team on your side, one not paid for
by the company, in the event you should
ever need help. I do not think it is smart
to allow management to represent me in
seniority list integration. I would prefer
a JetBlue pilot who I can count on. I do
not believe it is in my family’s best interest to have zero control over any of my
benefits. While ALPA cannot fix all of my
problems, what it can do is give me a
voice.
4
Tye Von Gunten
As a former
corporate pilot
with zero experience with union
endeavors, I had several questions as to why a collective bargaining agent was an essential
component to my career. Due
diligence led me to the importance of scope of operations.
First and foremost, without
proper holding-company scope,
I had doubts as to the longterm viability of my career.
Secondly, ALPA, as our certified
collective bargaining agent,
will require our pilot group to
obtain a legally mandated seat
at the table for all aspects of
employment—from pay and
work-rule negotiations to party
status in any investigation or
safety action. Lastly, I knew that
organization was imperative
to achieve benefits reflecting
our professional status relative
to our peers at other airlines.
As a result of the IRS code, a
certified collective bargaining
agent is mandatory to achieve
a separate retirement plan—
one that is commensurate with
our experience and responsibilities—from those of other
JetBlue Airways work groups. I
believe that ALPA is the collective bargaining agent that will
provide the legal framework
to lead our pilots into the next
phase of our careers.
Kier Hutto
Why ALPA? I feel that the
direct-relationship model is a
failed one. I want a legal and
collective voice within JetBlue
where I can use words like
“negotiations” as opposed to
“conversations” or “discussions.”
I want a binding document
that cannot be unilaterally
changed, and one document in
which I can find all of my work
rules and compensation. This is
my profession, and a positive
working relationship between
JetBlue
Airways and
ALPA is most
definitely possible. It is up to us
to require negotiating a collective bargaining agreement.
Neil Currier
The reason
I want ALPA
as my elected
representative
is so that the JetBlue pilots
have a truly elected voice in
our collective futures. We can
negotiate from a strong common ground and bring the
experience of ALPA with us as
we work toward a future with
working conditions, benefits,
and a retirement that place us
at and above our peers. Our
core JetBlue values will continue, and both the professional
JetBlue pilots as well as our
company will continue to move
together toward the common
goal of a successful, profitable
relationship.
Terry Hannigan
I have been at JetBlue for
11 years and have seen the
direct relationship erode.
Where once we had very
generous pay raises, profit
sharing, and stock options, we
now have none. Combine that
backslide with no retirement
and poor health benefits, and
it’s clear—we as pilots need
to have a say in our futures.
Being on the receiving end
of directive policies
with no input
will only cause our careers to
erode further. A CBA will give
us the ability to have that say.
Rob Kinyoun
The main
reasons that
I support the
union drive are: 1. Merger protection.
2. Retirement.
3. Scope.
I’m not angry, and I like my
job. I would like to keep it, improve my retirement, and main-
tain a relative position should a
merger occur.
Remember—this is just business, maximizing and protecting
your earnings.