On the surface, it appears that JetBlue pilots are angry that a potential partnership between United Airlines and JetBlue could end up costing pilot jobs. But that’s not the root of the problem, nor is it simply posturing for a new contract. The root of the problem is trust.

JetBlue Pilots Express Anger At Management: The United Partnership Is The Symptom, Not The Cause

Aviation insider JonNYC shared a fiery memo from the union representing JetBlue pilots to its pilots. You can read the full memo below, but I’ll highlight key portions below.

The note begins by noting 1.) deteriorating morale at JetBlue and 2.) blaming management for it:

Our environment is becoming more uncertain by the day. Morale is deteriorating across the operation, and confidence in our future at JetBlue is being steadily undermined. Not by chance — but by choice. And that choice is being made by JetBlue management.

It should be noted that JetBlue and its pilots have been negotiating for a contract and the two sides appear far apart. JetBlue pilots understandably want a wage hike commensurate with their peers at other carriers while JetBlue management has used JetBlue’s lack of profitability and overall poor financial performance over the last few years to push back.

The union asserts that entering into a commercial agreement with United might violate their own collective bargaining agreement, which is meant to protect pilots jobs at JetBlue:

JetBlue is pursuing a so-called “domestic partnership” — another endeavor that could fundamentally reshape this airline and impact our futures. Instead of transparency, however, we have secrecy. Instead of consultation, exclusion.

We all know — as does management — that job security protections, including the current prohibition on entering into a commercial agreement, exist in CBA Section 1 to protect our careers. Yet management has not come to the union. They have not addressed our concerns. They choose to not even acknowledge their workforce…

We are not part of their plan.

The letter concludes, “This is not a company operating with the best interests of its pilots in mind — at all. However they choose to spin this, this is a company planning a future without its pilots.”

What Pilots Are Really Angry About: Trust

Live And Let’s Fly spoke to a JetBlue pilot, who told me:

The issue is that most codeshare type agreements would violate our contract given the fact the airline isn’t growing. Given that you would think management would have been talking to at least the top union leadership under an NDA about what they are proposing and how both sides can work together to make it happen.

But they haven’t. Union leadership knows as much about this whole thing as I do. And this is sadly part of a pattern with our management. When the contract gets in the way of what they want to do they just ignore it and press forward anyway. (That they can do this is a great example of why the Railway Labor Act is problematic, but I digress…)

That lack of respect for us and unwillingness to treat us as partners in the success of JetBlue is why the union and pilots are unhappy. It’s not about United. That might well turn out to be a good thing for us. And if so I’m sure pilots and the union would be willing to engage in amendments to our contract to bring that about. But for those amendments to happen they have to talk to us and include us in the process.

I appreciated the candor and that does seem to get to the heart of this: pilots are not even part of the conversation. It represents a missed opporintity ot build bridges and solidify trust, even if JetBlue thinks that isn’t necessary because the company is losing money and the pilots won’t jump due to the seniority system.

CONCLUSION

Other reporting on this issue has focused on JetBlue pilots being unhappy with the possible United Airlines deal. But that’s not it at all. The real issue is the perceived lack of respect shown by management at JetBlue towards its pilots.

JetBlue pilots are angry and while the carrier may think it has the upper hand due to market conditions, if pilot union leaders have not even been consulted on discussions with United, that seems like a poor stewardship of leadership.

image: JetBlue