WILL A UNION SERVE OUR BEST INTERESTS?

From a fellow pilot:

The information I'm getting about the helicopter pilot local unions indicates that the pilots are very much "hands on" managers of their union activities. If those "hands on" managers act for the best interests of the entire group, as a whole, their union can't help but be a beneficial entity for its membership.

To suggest otherwise is to suggest that somehow their union, which exists solely to protect its members, is not going to do a better job of that, than the corporation, which exists solely to make money. An organization, which is in existence to be my advocate, is going to be a better advocate for me than an organization, which is in business to turn a profit.

Expecting a major corporation to actively advocate for the benefit of its employees in today's business world makes about as much sense as hiring a carpenter to do your taxes. That may have been the ethic among some businesses years ago. It may even still apply in some Mom and Pop operations today, but it isn't even a factor for consideration in the management of a major corporation in any business today.

It's pretty easy for, say George Belsey, to blow off the concerns and complaints of three or four pilots, or even all of the pilots at one base. But he simply can’t ignore the concerns and complaints of 500 pilots, when all of them are speaking with one collective voice.

I don't mean to single out Mr. Belsey. I doubt that he's the "worst offender". However, if you believe you need protection, make no mistake about it, in the United States of America those protections exist and they are available. And they are guaranteed to us under the law, if we unionize. However, we have to actively seek out those protections. If enough of us want them, then the OPEIU will be more than ready to be our advocate.

Remember, our company is a business, just like the union is a business. The business of the company is to provide a service to its customers. The business of the OPEIU is to provide a service to its members. To suggest that if one business is successful, the other won't be, is like suggesting that if General Foods is successful, then General Motors won't be.