Union Brass Gets Grilled By Company, Inflaming Tensions Anew

Just as they got themselves a new contract and everything seemed like it would head back to normal, things spiral out of control as the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots says "Managers use intimidation, aggressive interrogation tactics to silence the Union's voice."

Scarcely a few weeks passed since the parties sat down at the bargaining table and inked a 5-year pilot contract, something all expected would put the very acrimonious relationship on the back burner until time for negotiations arose anew. The NJASAP bunch is none too happy with the way the business is running things, citing a "new low when managers singled out an elected NJASAP official for a disciplinary investigation over lawful union picketing in the past, probing into internal union affairs." The Union sees this as retaliation and intimidation, unsurprisingly.

"Even in the best of circumstances, collective bargaining can prove a very fraught moment, but negotiations are now behind us," NJASAP President Captain Pedro Leroux said. With a new contract in his pocket, it seems union pilots figured it was time to see everyone as one of the family, and move on to start directing some of that resentment towards building additional market share as the biggest and best of the market. "It is time to put emotion aside and to pour our focus into capitalizing on the unprecedented demand for our product. Regrettably, management seems more interested in exacting a pound of flesh than accepting the olive branch we have extended on several occasions in recent months."

NJASAP VP Paulette Gilbert was rewarded for her "unblemished" 23 years with the company with a 3-hour "interrogation" by the company, too. The Union is none too pleased that the company felt it appropriate to grill her over "details about various matters, including the Union's lawful and protected activities conducted by the strategy group." Their Executive Board views it as a "direct attack on the Union, its members and elected officials."

Leroux reset the drama-clock, saying the NJASAP "will not allow this effort to bully and to intimidate Union leaders to go unanswered." They'll go to the mat for Gilbert, since she in particular was "essential to our effort to secure a $1.6 billion increase in the value of our contract." 

FMI: www.NJASAP.com