Originally Posted by
airscout
Personally I'll never commute (fly to work) for any job again (unless it's positive space), which is the reason I'd consider AWAC under that right conditions. I can drive to MKE. When Frontier Express was there I drove back and forth to MKE. At that time I had a line with 12 days off every month. Not great by any means, but doable until they closed MKE down and RAH got rid of Frontier. I actually don't mind getting done late because afternoon traffic on that 894 construction (still going on after all these years) sucks! Not a big fan of early shows though. Anyway, for me it's not so much the time reporting and finishing as how hard I'll be used and abused. For example, I was a DEC at G7. When the company followed the rules of LCR it wasn't so bad. Every other stretch of LCR days I wouldn't be used and sat at home (12 hour call out). But when the company started dumping open time into LCR lines the month prior (by contract it was supposed to sit in open time pot until 24 hours prior) then every single reserve day you were be used with no respite. To make matters worse reserve captains started to constantly be assigned right seat flying in LCR stretches the month prior. This is just one example at one of the airlines I worked at. If the contract or the union is weak then you are constantly getting abused, especially when short staffed. Being a bottom feeding captain while more senior FOs upgrade and keep bumping you down makes the abuse last longer and be more chronic. This is what I worry about. RESERVE RULES. SCHEDULING. DAYS OFF. JUNIOR MANNING. Stuff like that. Sounds in general that AWAC isn't very good about stuff like that and noone has heard of any improvements on the way, so ja, I will look elsewhere because I don't think being able to drive to work is going to make up for these other deficiencies.
Alright, you seem to have run into a bitter responder that no longer works at ZW. There are several of them out here. I'll try to be a little more helpful. The previous responses are correct in that there is not a current contract agreement and that it probably won't go anywhere substantial before 2019. If you are looking for the PERFECT contract that offers the best reserve rules, most days off, never Junior manned, and top hourly .... good luck. There is no talk of mediation at the moment (but possibly in the future) and definitely no strike. Both sides are trying to figure out how to proceed at the moment.
The company was willing to put annual bonuses into a contract, but only small percentage raises as a hedge against an economic downturn. The senior guys don't like the recruiting bonuses because they were never offered them when they were hired, so no contract bonuses for new pilots outside of the company's new hire incentives which are nothing to sneeze at anyway.
As of yesterday, all new hires have been assigned to CAE to fill a brand new base there. Many veterans have also been displaced with as much as 15 years. That, as you can imagine, has created a whole new level of hate and discontent. I heard from 1 CA that this was his 11th displacement in 11 years. MKE and CAE are now the Junior bases, so if you want MKE out of training chances are still fairly good. There is no long call reserve being used in the current contract.
I drive a little over an hour to MKE. I just finished 2 1/2 months on reserve and am a line holder this month. I flew almost everyday of my reserve period. They typically called me between 6-7p the night before and told me when to report. The 4:45a show is a little rough ... Because everyone was complaining about constant Junior manning, the company slowed down to catch a breath the last 45 days or so. The FO's quit being junior manned and even sat at home on reserve days. They are still short of Captains at the moment and they are still being Junior manned regularly. Indications are that flying will pick up again once the new CAE base is in operation. More Junior mans ahead for everyone ....
As far as bonus moneys, you are correct that they offer the extra 8k for CL-65 type. You get the first 5k basically on your first check. The 26k & 8k don't get paid until after successful completion of training or IOE. (After taxes, the 26k was only 16k and I dialed up my exemptions all the way.) Now for the fine print ... Taking the bonuses locks you into a 24 month committment to AW. Odds are good that MKE will be a base at least that long. The company has been advertising 18-24 month upgrades, but did just have 1 person do it in 12 months due to many senior FO's bypassing because they didn't want to be in MKE. Previous 121 & CL-65 would probably make you a candidate for the 12 month option.
With the looming pilot shortage, used & abused is becoming the norm regardless of the company. MKE has early starts and late finishes, that's all there is too it. But ... you can drive there. At least for a while. At some point in the future, MKE will be closed as the market and company moves and I ( and others) will become commuters begging for jumpseats to work. It's inevitable. MKE will be a base for AW for the next 3-4 years ... probably. After that????? That part about never commuting again ... you might need to reconsider your position. Again, if that's your goal ... good luck.
It's a good group of people, but come in with your eyes open. Make the best of it. Chances are you'll work more than you might want but where else are you going to get a MKE base? Are there other companies out there looking for help? Absolutely ... at the moment you can basically pick what you want. I picked AW, despite some of the negatives, for mostly positive reasons. Feel free to PM with more direct questions.