Originally Posted by
F9 A319
I can't believe you used the word "antics" instead of "shenanigans", I thought "shenanigans" was the only IBT approved word to describe such events.
The IBT made their bed and the line pilots, many of which are good guys, have been forced to live with the relationship that the IBT destroyed with Management. It's too bad and prior to the whole merger fiasco, every RAH pilot I knew hated the IBT, now you've been forced, by pride, to defend that which you once despised.
If the IBT hadn't alienated RAH Management years ago, you might have a 100 seat 190. If the IBT hadn't alienated FAPA yaers ago, we all MIGHT be working together.
RAH Management and Frontier's interests ARE aligned. We both want a successful company and we're willing to help Management achieve their goal as we wish to be successful as well.
It wasn't that our representation was so skilled at negotiations (although they were - and are) it's the fact that we were willing to discuss and negotiate with Management in a realistic manner. FAPA couldn't have achieved what they did by themselves, we did it by establishing a line of communication, LISTENING and finding a mutually agreeable solution. Because we listened and didn't beat a fake drum or threaten Management, Management also listened to us.
Your (the IBT) model of interacting with Management is outdated, not suited for this profession (why does the IBT not represent a single Major passenger carrier) and yet you cling to it because it's all you know and the IBT has brow beaten you into believing their way is the only way (think Stockholm syndrome.)
I'm betting my career that you're wrong about Bryan. Again, our relationship with him and his group is completely different than the low brow, organized mob mentality that the IBT has established.
I believe the Frontier employee group is infinitely more qualified to assess and comment on the F9 management team in place prior to the transaction than any of the RAH pilots or the IBT "leadership." We had a couple of decent Managers, we had a lot of deadwood that needed to go years ago.
I can't believe you'll say, "Remember WE bought YOU out of BK" but don't recognize that our leadership placed us in a position that Chapter 11 was our only choice.
Our new Director of HR is somewhere between 10 and 50 times more qualified and intelligent than our old VP of HR. Sean did what he could with the mess he'd been handed but promoted an idiot to CFO and hangs his hat on him today. Sean DID fire Greg Aretakis, which was the right thing to do, but he made several errors along the way as well.
Who would you say was the most "talented and honest" member of Frontier's Management that left once Frontier was acquired?
Kum Ba Yah, brother.
F9, I'm far from having a pony in this race. That being said, your arrogance in telling the native RAH pilots that the behavior of their negotiators has soured the relationship with BB and Satan (WH) smacks of extremely poor SA.
I'm extremely thankful to have escaped the RAH debacle in mid 2007; were I still there I'd be a fairly senior 170/190 Captain. I SAW how a CBA that was written in good faith, with loopholes and an intentional short duration, deteriorated into "if we can screw the pilots, we will". You never worked under RAH crew scheduling, CPs, or any of the crap we saw as the company that was once a sleepy, pleasant to work for, mid-sized 145 operator turned into grow-at-all-cost(on your employees' backs when necessary).
I've made posts here chastising native RAH pilots for the "we bought you" syndrome, and I understand the frustration you may have with the SLI. It blows my mind that you fail to see the industry ramifications of a company purposefully playing shell games with a CBA's payscale (the 100-seat nonsense) and you celebrating it because they're merely RJ drivers. To acknowledge that reality and then actually believe that Bedford's interests are aligned with yours is mind-boggling.