Air Canada Wins CUPE Grievance re B2 Passes For Pilots

[Sinister]

When I first started reading the book, “In Search of Excellence” I had to put it down after getting into it, around Chapter 3 or so, because I was a young sprog looking at the great opportunities that the airline could realize by following the book’s suggestions of capitalizing on the enthusiasm and talent of all the cogs in the big wheel, getting them to work together to increase the common good, and having everyone benefit with the employer’s improved resulting success.

That was some time ago, but I had to stop reading the book because it became evident to me, watching closely how our management then operated, that most of those ideals, strategies and methodologies were quite foreign to the managers that I worked for, including the airline's senior managers.

I have a little more air under my wings now, as that was some time ago, but I still keep those ideals in my spirit. Principles, such as emphasizing our similarities rather than our differences. Working together with disparate groups and treating our multifarious groups with mutual respect, despite the differences in our professional qualifications, and indeed, in the apparent value that we each contribute to the whole.

Nevertheless, the airline is still an organism. It works, but it works only because all of the organs function together, synergistically. Saying that one organ is worth more than another, diminishing the value of some in favour of others, still doesn’t make much sense to me.

Much better to find unanimity and work together to better our efforts by focusing our collective efforts against our employer’s competitors, rather than against our fellow contributors to our own success.

That is why I find some policies, such as this controversial pass policy, dysfunctional. Policies that tend to divide us, rather than to unite us, in our collective efforts to prosper, diminish our collective strength, to our collective detriment.

For what its worth.

[Stu Pidasso]

Fun discussion, pretty much sums up the philosophy WestJet used on start up. Pilots wore a casual Uniform, so they would not feel they were "better" than anyone else. It was felt by the Execs that the traditional Uniform, Hat and Tunic, would go to the Pilots head. The Pilots were also required to get on their hands and knees and pick up gum wrappers on station stops. Again part of the "we're all equal" philosophy.

Now 20 some years later, they are Unionized and taking a Strike Vote.

Tough concept to obtain in our culture. Look at CUPE being delusional enough to file a Human Rights Complaint that being a F/A is work of equal value to a Pilot. Or our troubles on the Ramp, even though a large number of them are extremely (arguably over) well paid. They own and run the IAM with outrageous work rules, much to loss of the Skilled AME's.

It's a game of every dog for themselves, which is the mantra of CEO's world wide with their insane pay packets.

Cheers

[confusedalot]

Not too sure about why some may think wearing a rather average cut uniform resembling those of bus drivers way back when would go to anyone's head. Wore a uniform on and off, can surely tell you I would be happier without one. You know, nice business suit would be fine by me.

Ramp personnel; how telling it is to see that many think that starting at close to minimum wage, and having modest pay increases according to contract, and that over many years, would not even get you into the median canadian wage, is somehow a cushy gig. Never been a ramp guy, but I know a few. The perception is inaccurate to say the least. They make nowhere near what you think they make. Suspect that working in cold weather, rain, noise, and so on, may take it's toll over time.

So if I read this thread correctly, if you have a superior job in the food chain, you deserve to have privilege. The british class system appears to be on an upswing.

[altiplano]

AC ramp do alright... they know how to maximize the benefits also - and they do it on the backs of the AMEs.

[skytrucker]