Originally Posted by
mohaupt
Blackhawk,
Don't mean to hi-jack the thread but I would love to hear suggestions on places to live. I am in the new hire class starting on the 4th.
All I can add is that when I talked to Dan Robertson he said that one of the main issues they are working on right now is first year FO pay. The union wants closer to 25, wouldn't that be nice. Obviously this would be one of the highest in the industry so i am guessing thats why management wont budge on it.
The bright side is that everyone is very positive about it and thats what I think will make it a great place to work for.
~Mike
Mike,
you just learned a valueable lesson about airline management. they tell you what you want to hear and lie through their teeth. I assure you that first year pay is not a priority. We made it a priority back in 98 and got pay up to 19 an hour. That was big back then, and not that popular by some of the senior guys. I don't see them doing it again. Plus, the quality (or I should say the experience level) of new F.O.s can hardly demand a larger salary. I'm a 10 year guy and believe me, senior line captains are tired of 200 to 500 hour new guys, and are not going to fight for more pay for them.
The priorities are:
1.Scope- protection from losing more aircraft to skywest
2.Pay- obvious, we want more cash and cost of living raise (the company offered 1% and no cost of living)
3. Back pay. The company offered 2 million spread out over the pilot group, but that only comes out to a small number divided over the pilot group
4. duty rigs, they are close but the company wants it only for scheduled stuff not jr. manning
5. retirement. the company moved a little on this like 6 months ago, but only for the senior guys
No where, not once have I heard someone saying "we've got to take care of the new hires" We are just not getting experience pilots for that to be a priority.
Personally I would love to see them pay new hires 25 maybe even 30 an hour. But firm min time of 1500 total and 500 multi, preferably with some 135 or 121 experience, but at a minimum, CFI or worked flying checks or something. The 200 hour crowd is not working. Training is a mess, extra sims, people being sent back to the line because they can't do a visual approach in a jet, etc. But I guess that's all that's out there, so I sure don't have the answer.
Again, lesson learned. Airline management are almost never honest, and as far as ASA being a great place to work. I have never seen it as bad as it is right now. Moral was higher in 98 when we were just weeks from a strike. Our current management is the worst we have ever had. They screwed up the Continental flying, the Northwest deal, the Frontier 70 seat contract, and failed to secure extra Delta flying, all flying they were "sure they had" , they had to fire hundreds of people from the ramp and gate for their failure to lead. There is a reason we are losing 40 pilots a month. There is a reason why 1, 2, and 3 (sometimes 5) year F.O.s are quitting and going to Skywest, Chitaqua, etc.
Don't pick ASA or some of the other crap airlines just because they will hire you with low time. You never know how long you will be at the airline (do you think I thought I'd still be here when I hired on in 97?)
Go with a quality company. you will be glad you did.
Stick