Chc Global Helicopter Pilots Unionize

[Outwest]

stigma that follows them simply for being an ex union member.

 

I don't doubt that is true.

But lets look at why that is. The prospective employer has no intention of treating you well. If he paid fairly with decent conditions, he would have nothing to fear. Take companies like Alpine, why do you suppose they don't have a union or a high attrition rate. Well treated, fairly paid, content employees. In my experience, no matter what industry it is, unions have no hope of gaining a foothold if the employees are satisfied with their current situation.

 

The whole labour/management situation is like a pendulum. Back when there were 10 year old kids working in coal mines the pedulum was pretty much hard a starboard. The stories of Auto workers making $70/hr is the other extreme. There needs to be a happy medium were employees can earn a fair living with decent conditions and treatment and employers can still turn a reasonable profit.

 

 

The only place that I have ever seen a person not get ahead with hard work and drive was in a union situation.

 

Sorry, don't agree there. I have seen waaayyy too many instances in this business of "F@@k up, move up" The kooks, bums and freaks end up with the plum jobs because they are expert A@@ kissers, nothing to do with hard work and drive.

 

Regardless, lets see in a years time where we all are in this.........

[M1/2Wife]

I suppose it is human nature that people like to form themselves into groups-for self-protection, for interests, for whatever, it seems to be a natural way of life.

 

Unions may be great for protecting the rights of employees, only if that Union is not closed minded, one sided and ran by militant shop stewards and union officials that are unwilling to negotiate with their apparently equally accused militant employers.

 

At the slightest hint of paranoia the wagons are drawn into a circle and the strikes begin.

 

My introduction to unions goes like this - (and I’ve cut a long story way short,) when I was growing up in Sunny SE Queensland Aus, our Power Distribution Authority, then SEQEB, bought electricity from the Qld Electricity Commission and sold it to us consumers. SEQEB employees were unionized under the Electrical Trade Union.

 

We experienced strike after strike blackout after blackout for a long time, until the big finale when ETU members went out resulting in almost two weeks of no or little electricity. The State declared an emergency which resulted in the workers being ordered back by the government or be dismissed.

The scabs that went back were victims of the most disgusting acts of thuggery by the hold outs. They were spat on, their lives and families threatened, their property vandalized, the list goes on and on. Those were the scabs that needed to pay the mortgage feed and cloth the children and would not be dictated to by minorities in their union. While us consumers were subjected to rations of electricity to keep not only their households running but businesses opened and people employed. It was a debacle that resulted in sweeping, history making changes to legislations and acts regarding Unions, employers and employees back in the 80’s. Its net result in the Industrial Arena was that employees were now free of intimidation from an aggressive minority, free of the excesses of union power---free of the abuse of union militancy.

 

Being a teenager during this and seeing my anti-union father who ran a highly successful business that was not only our sole family income, but also the sole income of a lot of his employees go to great lengths to keep his business running during these times, this left a rather large imprint in my views on unions. His employees were always taken care of, listened to, acknowledged and respected. They were thankful he bought the expensive generator to keep the business going and them employed and paid and thankful also that they were treated the way they were and in return were hard working honest employees. It seems, to me, that if all employers were similar the need for unions would fall by the wayside, of course in reality this is not the case. You can’t keep all the people happy all the time.

 

This dispute – in its entirety - may be viewed as an extreme example but it was enough back then and still to form my opinion on the subject of unions.

 

If your still awake – my current union encounter. My sister is a government union employee whose Union recently fought till the bitter end for a minority of employees wanting pay increases, employment guarantee, etc etc etc. In the end the union settled for not much more than what the employees had in the first place, go figure. Two weeks later the letters were sent out by the Government notifying that layoffs will commence. My sister was amongst the majority that are, in this market just thankful for a job and the more than decent pay-packet that came with it, obviously not enough for some, she is now faced with the possibility of losing her job.

 

I know nothing about the working conditions that have resulted in this union being formed and acknowledged but I wish the CHC union members all the very best in their quest.

 

My 2c worth and now bracing for impact.

 

[alphadog]

Right on the money,Outwest!Cuold not have said it better.As for difficulty on organising such a thing...Mind as well use secrecy and conspirative methods till enough membership is aquired to break the news.I know,this sounds weird in 2009 when the right for free association as provided in the Charter of Rights shoul not be infringed and intimidation shold punishable by the courts.Global has 300 pilots..we could have 1000 or so of pilots and engineers across the country working @ 100+1 companies.Sure would not be easy but I do not think it will be more expensive than what the folks from Global pay.And Plumber,that was not a "Stigma" it was a part of you past that was not by any means criminal or woth your shame.Hope you stood your ground.

[Guest plumber]

Right on the money,Outwest!Cuold not have said it better.As for difficulty on organising such a thing...Mind as well use secrecy and conspirative methods till enough membership is aquired to break the news.I know,this sounds weird in 2009 when the right for free association as provided in the Charter of Rights shoul not be infringed and intimidation shold punishable by the courts.Global has 300 pilots..we could have 1000 or so of pilots and engineers across the country working @ 100+1 companies.Sure would not be easy but I do not think it will be more expensive than what the folks from Global pay.And Plumber,that was not a "Stigma" it was a part of you past that was not by any means criminal or woth your shame.Hope you stood your ground.

 

Being a dumb Irishman I always stand my ground just found myself standing ground against the same people who I was paying too protect my interests and rarely had a problem with the employer. Maybe this industry is different its packed full of backstabbing self intrest sort of people not unlike the local 480, Postal union, and 170 pipefitters.

 

Just saying it looks good on paper.

 

Good luck to you. From my union experience(s) if your not collecting a paycheque from the union itself be looking over your back. (its where the saying getting from both ends comes from,I think)

 

 

[GoldMember]

Here we go again. If the CHC Global pilots want a union, good for them. I cannot attest to the working conditions there as I have never worked for CHC but I do have several friends that do and they have never said anything close to the crap filled, metaphor-rich statements that happyfeet posted.

 

In my limited 20 years in aviation as a fixed-wing and helicopter pilot I've figured out that in most cases people that complained bitterly about the company they worked for, or the industry in general, would have been unhappy anywhere.

 

I get tired of hearing the same old boo-hoo I've been mistreated by the evil demons who control the helicopter business. If you don't like it, get out. No-one mislead me and tricked me into joining the aviation industry. I do it because I like it.

 

End rant. Fire away all ye mistreated and downtrodden helicopter bretheren.

[Hello-bird]

M1/2Wife: I enjoyed reading your experiences of unions, and could relate to your family values in your Father owning a small business. Thanks for your time in posting that.

 

Plumber: Dumb Irishmen aren't so bad.

 

GM: This: "I've been mistreated by the evil demons who control the helicopter business. If you don't like it, get out. No-one mislead me and tricked me into joining the aviation industry. I do it because I like it." I'd like to highlight, underline, and enhance in bold type face, then post, repost and repost again...

[alphadog]

Here we go again. If the CHC Global pilots want a union, good for them. I cannot attest to the working conditions there as I have never worked for CHC but I do have several friends that do and they have never said anything close to the crap filled, metaphor-rich statements that happyfeet posted.

 

In my limited 20 years in aviation as a fixed-wing and helicopter pilot I've figured out that in most cases people that complained bitterly about the company they worked for, or the industry in general, would have been unhappy anywhere.

 

I get tired of hearing the same old boo-hoo I've been mistreated by the evil demons who control the helicopter business. If you don't like it, get out. No-one mislead me and tricked me into joining the aviation industry. I do it because I like it.

 

End rant. Fire away all ye mistreated and downtrodden helicopter bretheren.

We al do it because we like it ,Gold Member.No one mislead me or tricked me into joining this industry neither.You tend to generalise a bit to much and it seems to me that you are more bitter than most of this other posters..And angry.Is it because you think that nobody should have it better than you had it?Or maybe you are or intend to be part of management team somewhere and this will impede your ability to be a grump just because you feel so and because those around should fear your moodiness?Hello Girl, with all the respect for you as a person and for your artistic abilities,I think you should not express to much of an opinion mainly because you are not part of the industry and so you should avoid quick judgements based on no experience of yourself.This a very unique industry and generalising and assimilating it with other fields of activity would bring false conclusions. No offence,and no preaching intended for both of you.

[Guest plumber]

If there were a pot stirring union HF would be the President

 

I also think hello bird has a right to express her experiences its all relative.

 

This industry is a different one but I'd hate to have to go back working for a living.

[happyfeet]

If there were a pot stirring union HF would be the President

 

I also think hello bird has a right to express her experiences its all relative.

 

This industry is a different one but I'd hate to have to go back working for a living.

 

 

I thank you for the compliment Plumber!

 

On the bright side of things,i would like to announce that to lift me out of my unhappy complaining state, and to prove a point that the industry is full of good hearted well intentioned middle managers ,Goldmember has offered me a full time job.

 

My whole vision and attitude on the whole Industry has just miraculously changed and i am now happy! That was easy Gold Member!! You know just like that big staples "that was easy" button.

 

It easy to be happy when you have a steady income and there is little stress.

 

THEN I woke up, the door slammed, and i caught a glimps Goldmember disappearing around the corner never to be seen or heard from again.

 

It was a nice dream! Now back to reality!!!

 

Good for CHC! :up:

[alphadog]

If there were a pot stirring union HF would be the President

 

I also think hello bird has a right to express her experiences its all relative.

 

This industry is a different one but I'd hate to have to go back working for a living.

Sure she has the right,I am just asking her to not express pertinent opinions in a matter that does not concern her personally in any way,shape or form.My ex was an actress and I did not dare to make artistic judgements or sugest the way her and those like her should carry themselves or make sugestions about how they should conduct their affairs.Just a sugesion.Back to the given subject...If was not for the unions in general there would be no minimum wage limit in this country or anywhere else.Right now I know people that work for about 7$ an hour(if you divide the hours worked to theyr salary)I firmly believe that if there was no such legal limit,many employers(not only from this industry) would pay less than that.Corporations are in bussines to make money and will use all means to achieve that.No one blaims that.We just got to be able to counter injust actions when and if they occur.