Originally Posted by
freezingflyboy
What are you hearing all these greedy XJT guys want? I'm an XJT guy and I told you a few posts back what would make me happy. Give me back the concessions I gave up 3 years ago, a set annual cost of living/inflation adjustment, minor changes to the reserve rules and no PBS. Hardly sounds like asking for the moon to me. But then again I haven't been brainwashed by ASA/Skywest management yet.
That's Captain FreezingflyBOY to you, SIR! If you're going to misrepresent me, at least get my damn name right! And for the record, I haven't been an "almost 3 year FO" in over 4 years, but good try
Seriously though, read and comprehend much? Where did you get the idea I'm in the "concede to succeed" camp? My position throughout this discussion is that our JCBA can and SHOULD be better. Now this Red97Vette character...read on.
Well if you were familiar with the facts, you would realize just how ludicrous that statement is. Continental lost their shirt bringing CHQ on and quickly realized what a good thing they had with XJT. If we were so outrageously expensive, why were those aircraft (minus the charter fleet) back flying for Continental within 2 years while CHQ's COEX fleet went from 30 airplanes to 8? But why let a thing like facts cloud your argument.
We are not in bankruptcy, L-ASA or L-XJT! We (L-XJT) haven't been headed for it since the dark days of 2009. But you're right, we sit around in our posh crewrooms in Houston, Chicago, Cleveland and Newark counting our fat stacks of cash and sipping Pellegrino, plotting how we can take ASA down. Face it, we have you surrounded.
Another idiotic statement. The last thing any of us wants is a bankruptcy. If you're gonna gut my contract, I at least want a say in it, not some bankruptcy court. But evidently we don't even need a judge for that, they have some of you CRJ guys so convinced that the sky is falling that you seem intent to gut it for us!
I don't know where this idea that the ERJ side is are more expensive because of our pilot pay came from. I can only assume it's more company kool-aid and brainwashing by your MEC. If the ERJ side is so expensive, why is that where all the growth and hiring is going? Why not add more CRJs to the UAX operation and park ERJs? Everything I've ever heard is that the CRJ side is more expensive. From what I have witnessed firsthand, it's not because of our paychecks, it's because the rest of the operation is so inefficient over there. Scheduling: Could not be less efficient. Maintenance: Spare parts? Who needs 'em! We'll just take a delay or cancel! SkedPlus and Rainmaker: garbage. It's not an automated system if everything has to go through a human scheduler or pay analyst to be done right!
If all you care about is growth, go fly your beloved 700/900s for free then YOU can laugh in the face of all those GoJet goons when you tout your phenomenal GROWTH. Cause who needs money when you got GROWTH. You know that's a deal mainline just couldn't pass up! You act like you are the only airline that's ever had flying shifted around on you. We've been there too bubba, ala Continental's foray into slumming with CHQ and Colgan. Our contract is STILL head and shoulders better than both of them yet Colgan will cease to be in about 6 months (respect) and CHQ is fighting to get their contract out of the toilet while they continue to lose flying. Hmmmm... Again, those pesky facts...
Listen, here is the bottom line: Even if the CRJ guys JUST took our contract with no modifications, it would be an improvement in YOUR pay and QOL. Most guys here are fine with our current contract (with the usual minor gripes here and there of course, we're all pilots, right?). But NO ONE I know on the ERJ side is willing to accept LESS than what we have RIGHT NOW. Period. Myself included. I don't think that's asking too much to keep what we have, do you? Of course you always aim high in these situations and we all have our wishlist of improvements we'd like to see but at a minimum, keep management out of my pockets. That's all I'm asking.
Wow.
first, you want to keep up with cost of inflation? So thats about a 5% pay raise every year. Have fun with that, I would love to have a pay raise like every year but that is in no way sustainable. You apparently showed up to the party 10 years late with no clue what is going on. This is a gripe everyone in the whole US economy has had to deal with for a while now and no one likes it.
second, didnt Continental pull a lot of flying for you guys? oh and your failed solution to create your own airline to recover the losses...that went well, didnt it? Then continental came and "begged" to have you come back, ...but at significantly lower rates, ones that you were loosing money on the whole time? Thats an AWESOME deal man. no way you guys could have been headed for BK with a contract that was signed at a loss. oh and that whole 100% 50 seat airline concept...thats got a future in it that cant fail either.
ASA/Skywest isnt brainwashing any of us. If you have a brain you can realize the state of the industry and what is needed to succeed. You can think we are conceding all you want and hide behind your screen names and bash us.. but you are the ones that were in a bad spot, great contract or not, you got bought. No one at ASA was expecting us to buy you (100% total shock) and frankly, most of us all ****ed off that we bought a dying airline and are praying we dont go down with the rest of you guys.
Third, incase you havent noticed we have one of the better contracts in the industry as well. If you can have that and growth, it makes for a better QOL. Upgrades, more lines, etc. You seem so dead set of not taking anything less that what you had, yet your so blind that your willing to go and sink yourself in the long run for a great short term contract.
Fourth, Skedplus and rainmaker are crap? ***? Have you even looked at this system or are you just listening to the usual winers at xjt that always ***** and moan? When we have humans always issuing pay and schedule changes it was a mess, errors left and right. Rainmaker lets you in real time see how your pay is effected and always lets you query them if you see an error. This has happened once to me the whole time we have had it. Before, queries were flying left and right and it would take a month to fix it because human man power was limited. Our PBS system is great, way better than line bidding, and is one of the best PBS systems in the country! But thats not as good as your tripple dipping schemes and amazing system you guys have. I have 24 days off in may with a 3 day and a 4 days trip and only used one week vacation. Not bad and im pleased with it. You should maybe TALK to actual ASA pilots before badmouthing the one thing we fought for so hard in our last contract.
Get your facts right, Colgan didnt cesase operations only because of their contract, you might want to look at that a bit closer. But you have your almost 4 years seniority, work at the best "just bought" airline with the best contract, you must know everything.
Us ASA guys, we like to bend over and take it by management, donate our checks to the company, not have families or kids to support, dont care about our lives and in general dont care about anything. Yep you NAILED IT! Have fun being a lifer as an FO at the best and highest paid regional.
This is be my last post in this thread with comments such as yours. What has needed to be said has been said. Argue all you like. I just hope you dont sink a good operation and realize just how lucky you guys actually were.