"I want you to understand something. If this shutdown threat is a bluff, and I'm not saying it is, you need to understand that this bluff may become a reality and a lot sooner than you would like. It's called unintended consequences. If the current pilots think that a shutdown is inevitable they will start leaving in mass. Even more than they are now. The majors haven't even gotten into the full hiring cycle that is just around the corner and some pilots will just leave the industry to feed their families. And who would want to start as a new hire at a company that is shutting down/shrinking? You wanted to hire 600 pilots last year and you were only able to hire approximately 140 total (and some of them quit in training) and that was before the threats you are now making. The new hires would be furlough fodder and they know it.

How about this instead. How about we agree on a contract that would lure pilots from other companies because of our pay and QOL? Let the other main line carriers deal with canceled connecting flights and irate passengers because of staffing. I'm not talking about poaching but if the labor contract were attractive enough we would get many of the pilots that were hired at other regionals within the last couple of years strictly through economics. We need a contract that would take care of our future staffing problems by making sure the pipeline of applicants is full. Did you ever wonder why we are top heavy? There are two reasons. One, there were no career progression opportunities with the majors because they just weren't hiring until recently. The second was since 1996, or there a bouts, AMR dangled the carrot of a flow through to AA in front of the senior pilots. Why would anyone want to leave with a guaranteed job at AA waiting just ahead? In fact in 2010 AMR advertised that everyone hired at Eagle before Oct 1, 2010 would have an AA seniority number. Another issue we need to talk about is trust or lack there of. In this current proposal you put a lot of emphasis on the flow through to AA. Do we think, for one minute, that you will park airplanes in the future to honor a flow through in a new agreement? That would be an unequivocal NO! With so many majors hiring, a flow through agreement has a lot less clout than it used to. Many of us are capable of getting a job on our own. Many of AMR's promises fell flat and just weren't honored. We thought AAG may be different. But we knew right away that we were wrong when you came to the table with your first salvo being "if you don't take this we will Comair you!" To recite song lyrics "Here's the new boss. Same as the old boss."

The days of playing one regional against another is quickly coming to an end. You threaten to take the airplanes to another regional. Just who would that be? You may say there is a lack of qualified pilots out there and seek relief from Congress (good luck on that) but that won't happen. The public will scream if the news gets out that the government is reducing the qualifications of future airline pilots so the companies can pay them less money. The only thing you have going for you is the naïveté of the flying public. The majority of the flying public thinks we all make six figure salaries and work 6 days a month but that myth is quickly coming to an end. Have you seen the myriad of news reports about regional pilots that have come out in the last several weeks? Did you see the GAO report on pilots? The tide is turning and it's turning in our favor. Have you noted the concessionary contracts by several regionals that have been soundly defeated? Only one regional workforce has succumbed to the threats and they are becoming the pariah of the industry. If you think you can award them a new fleet and pilots from other regionals will go running to them, then that is a huge gamble on your part. A few will but not enough to make a difference.

Why must the company getting new airplanes be tied to pilot pay? I don't remember you threatening the gate agents that they'll get new computer terminals but they must help pay for them. Or threatening the rampers that they must take a pay cut to get new power carts or baggage loaders. Why the pilots?

I understand that the job of a corporation is to make money. The corporation also has an obligation to know the market/supply and demand that influences the bottom line. We are pilots. Our job is to move people, our customers, from their departure to their destination safely and on time. We take a lot of pride in that responsibility and we take it seriously. Our members come from many walks of life. We read the newspapers, listen to the news and have the ability to reason. The entire regional pilot group is relatively small and we know that the other companies are having a hard time filling classes with new hires. We were reasonable enough to take concessions to help out during the bankruptcy. Now, we hear in the news that AAG is making record profits and has 10 billion cash on hand and you want us to take more concessions? That's not going to happen. We also know that you want the members to vote so you can get an idea of just how much to sweeten the deal to go over the magic 50% to ratify a contract. Unless you bring us a contract that is a great improvement over what we currently have I will do my best to make sure the MEC vote on a new proposal goes down in committee.

The threat that "we'll give the routes to mainline." Do you expect us to believe that mainline can do it cheaper than the regional? If that were true you would have folded the regional industry long ago. Another thing that hurts the credibility of your threat is that AAG is actively searching aviation colleges for future pilots for Eagle. You are investing a lot of capital in staffing a company that will no longer exist according to you.

It's time the posturing stop. Everyday this drags on just ensures how hard it will be to recover future staffing of a dwindling resource of new pilots. At the same time current pilots will be actively looking to jump off a perceived sinking ship. Like I said at the beginning of my comments-the demise of Eagle may happen much, much quicker and to the detriment of the AAG share holders unless you stop the childish maneuvering. I think Herb Kelleher said it best. He said “If the employees come first, then they’re happy…. A motivated employee treats the customer well. The customer is happy so they keep coming back, which pleases the shareholders. It’s not one of the enduring green mysteries of all time, it is just the way it works.” He also said "A company is stronger if it is bound by love rather than by fear." We don't need love. We'd be happy with respect. The last time I checked Southwest is doing just fine and pays their employees well and the employees seem happy. We know you will say that "it's a different business model" but when it comes to employee relations, it's the same.

It's time for a reset between the Eagle pilots and AAG. One of mutual respect and empathy. Threats are no way to reach a compromise. The fear tactics will not work anymore. Like I said before. The tide has changed. The ball is now in your court. Everyday that an agreement is delayed increases the chances that Eagle will become weaker and weaker and at some point ensure it's demise. That is an outcome neither of us want.