Flexjet & Unions
Posted by Outside_Ad_4789@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 17 comments
Curious if any flexjet pilots could share any insider information about flexjets union decertification several years ago and also has there been any attempts to revive a union and what has that been met with by management? I think that would make for some interesting reading!
*I am not looking to fly at flexjet. Purley curious about aviation labor relations!
ginge111@reddit
Nice try NJ management, you can’t get rid of your union that easy.
not-a-troller@reddit
Flightsafety also needs a union
MehCFI@reddit
Flexjet ain’t going to unionize anytime soon. You are more likely to see NetJets union bust successfully than you are to see flex unionized.
I’d love to be proven wrong though
21MPH21@reddit
Why?
cwebster2@reddit
Likely has something to do with decertifying the union they used to have.
21MPH21@reddit
Don't know why or the story. Didn't even know they I use to have union till this thread.
Are they all former SKW pilots? Did they have a bad union? Why did they decertify?
x4457@reddit
Most 135 pilots are really dumb when it comes to looking out for themselves, and even more so when it comes to seeing the big picture. It would be so effective to unionize the whole segment of the industry to the betterment of everyone, but that’s not going to happen because the average non-airline pilot doesn’t look past “but they take 1% of my paycheck.”
Signed,
Dumb corporate pilot who isn’t dumb in that department but makes up for it with increased dumbness elsewhere
BELFORD16@reddit
I know a guy who use to be anti union. Thought they were important 100 years ago but a waste of money today. Then he worked for a 135 and 91 operation and wished he had a union rep to help him go to bat over 12 hours being a “day off” and skirting min rest rules with technicalities and other schedule abuse BS.
just-hangin-around1@reddit
I was also a said 135/91 guy who wished that company had a union. They needed one for the sole protection of the pilots and pax. *Comes off a 135 trip gets 7 hours rest and thrown onto a 91 trip* "Well this leg is 91 so the rest doesn't count." I'm a 121 driver at a major now ... Still don't love the union set up but happy to pay my dues and get the protections out of it. And I totally understand we would be fully taken advantage of without it. I just think theres a time where unions can be unrealistic but nothing is perfect. Again happy to be protected at the end of the day.
21MPH21@reddit
Damn that's sad.
I loved it
Easy-Trouble7885@reddit
As a NJ guy looking at this comment 👀 lmao
MehCFI@reddit
I hope I’m wrong too, I was at NJ. I feel for y’all
Outside_Ad_4789@reddit (OP)
I'm currently at NJ. I know management would love that but I highly doubt it's possible they get what they want. I'm curious how flexjet was able to make that happen.
Punkrawk78@reddit
It wasn’t a “decertification” per se; Flex was never unionized but after the purchase by DAC and subsequent “merger” with Flight Options that management swore wasn’t going to happen it triggered a vote to either have the Teamsters represent the combined pilot groups or stay independent. The problem from the union side was twofold: one: Flex had always treated the pilots just good enough to stave off a union vote, they knew to stay close to Netjets pay and benefits which kept them above the other fractionals. And two: a lot of Flex pilots had a bad impression of the Teamsters in general and didn’t want anything to do with them, and they voted accordingly even though having them over nothing was probably the better option.
I doubt there has been any revival attempts. Most everyone who was in favor is now gone to the airlines, which are light years ahead in all aspects of QOL/compensation thanks to their unions. Kenn Ricci will never allow a union on property, his whole philosophy is playing favorites and not having the constraints of a contract so he can make changes at will and promise things he has no intention of following through with.
0621Hertz@reddit
I think FlexJet got away for with no union for now because it is a privately owned and operated company.
Less bean counters upstairs that are trying to maximize profit and squeeze pilot labor laws because of pressure from shareholders.
But from a pilots perspective it’s not fun working for a company you can easily be fired from if you make a mistake, but I guess that all comes down to company culture there.
norcal64d@reddit
Flex spends part of a day during Indoc talking about how bad their union was and how they are so happy not to have one.
I’d be shocked if they ever re-unionized.
If I remember right Flex never had a union and Flight Options did. When they merged and couldn’t negotiate a contract with the guy with the fancy shoes (who if stories are true was ignoring Ohio court rulings that came from union litigation) and the pilots eventually got fed up enough to decertify the union on the second vote.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Curious if any flexjet pilots could share any insider information about flexjets union decertification several years ago and also has there been any attempts to revive a union and what has that been met with by management? I think that would make for some interesting reading!
*I am not looking to fly at flexjet. Purley curious about aviation labor relations!
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