Originally Posted by
Viperstick
Kirby could NOT have furloughed
4000-5000 1 October. It would have decimated TK staffing and hamstrung retraining those left into proper fleet/seats. Once everyone is trained, the company will furlough to whatever level it needs based on demand. We may very well see 4000 furloughs next year, if demand dictates, because the training backlog will be solved (and because more senior instructors will be online by then). We paid, through previous contract negotiations, for having TK manned by seniority list pilots. Like furlough pay, RJ seat pulls, and LPA changes when pilots are on furlough, TK manning is meant to make furloughs more expensive for the company and thus act as a brake on the depth and speed of furloughs.
Kirby was holding a pair of twos and bluffed us to fold with a full house.
You are 100% correct about TK limiting furloughs and how we bought them time. You have officially been acknowledged so no need to repeat this over and over again going forward. The LOA also bought the pilots time before getting furloughed. I just don’t see any more than the 2000 getting furloughed next year. We would have easily cut 2850 by years end with no LOA. Of course you are also correct, the company could furlough 4000 pilots next year and we bought them to time to get everyone trained but the chance of that happening is slim.