Hey XO and Falcon,

This isn't so much advice, as it is an idea that could help your friends and fellow pilots that were terminated last year: Sign a petition.. Positive, respectful, non-confrontational...

This helped at a place that I worked previously by showing management that their remaining pilots did not condone this behavior. It was worded something like this (modified for XOJET)...:

Mr. David Siegel, CEO XOJET
Mr. Director of Operations
Mr. Chief Pilot

Gentlemen,

We, as loyal employees of XOJET, pride ourselves on being part of such a great company and such a special team. As loyal employees, we as pilots have collectively done our best to make XOJET the safest, most efficient, most innovative, and profitable airline in the business. We, as pilots, are protective of XOJET and try to identify problems early on before they become larger problems during these challenging times. This is why we would like to express our collective concern regarding the method in which the terminations of Dec. ## took place.

While we understand the need for workforce reductions during these challenging economic times, we also believe that the good name of XOJET could be further enhanced by either the immediate recall of out 23 terminated pilots or by your changing their status to "furloughed with recall rights". We all know the chances of a terminated pilot finding work in any market, much less today's market. This would also enhance XOJET's good name in this industry by such a magnanimous gesture.

Furthermore, we would request that you make all future pilot workforce reductions by date-of-hire seniority order. This will also enhance XOJET's good name in the industry and will allow our pilots to know that if they were good enough to be hired initially, they are good enough to be returned to XOJET when business picks up. A written furlough policy would cost the Company nothing and would enhance pilot retention by giving them a feeling of security that could reverse the uncertainties of the pilots since the terminations. A written furlough policy can be a great thing for XOJET. Yada Yada Yada...

Respectfully, XOPILOT, FALCON FLYER, YADA, YADA

OK, so you are wondering.. Did it work? Well, no not exactly, but it did let manamgement that we did not take the terminations lightly. But 4 months later, when they went to the AirInc Job Fair to RECRUIT more pilots as they were now short, with the word out on the street.. they actually got heckled for their atrocious behavior! That helped.... Then everybody got recalled and we got a written furlough policy!

Just an idea... It couldn't hurt, but the first person to sign must have a lot of courage: It's better if you can get everybody to sign it.

Good Luck guys!

In Unity,

B727DRVR

PS- Hey XO, I don't think that it is a bad company, quite the opposite... Just a company that made a reverseable mistake, like Flight Options did.. Nobody is perfect! And they can still fix this and turn it from PR lemons to PR lemonade... Oh, and that was a nice post "I would hope we are ALL pro-pilot. There is certainly no need to squabble amongst ourselves." OK, 'nuff said, take care...........