MD-80,

Thanks for your post. This is the kind of information I was hoping for. I was aware of further impending furloughs, but hadn't seen any schedules laid out in an ordered fashion.

Dirty Rat et al,

I had just turned 24 when I was hired at Chautauqua. Prior to this, I instructed while in school at Illinois and for a year after at PWK. As was the norm, I instructed six to seven days a week for very little money. If you considered the down time spent at the airports, my average "duty day" was extremely long. All of the regionals were hiring, and several good friends of mine had already gone to Chautauqua. I make only a little more money, but I have much more time off and much better benefits. I made the same decisions as hundreds of other young pilots in 2007 made at all of the regionals.

I deserve much more from my company. All of us do. It infuriates me that the company pays me so little, then puts bids on two airlines within 48 hours of each other. This is all after 600 furloughs had been rumored by management. When a ballot is mailed to me, I will exercise my right. If our union says strike, I will gladly walk.

However, before any new contract is brought to ballot, we must get through the integration process. As we coalesce, we must keep each other informed. Not only will this speed the process so we can get back down to the real business of negotiations, but it also minimizes the time window for the company to continue their shenanigans:

- Advertising new jobs on public TV while WARN letters are in the mail.
- De-activating a seat to keep a 99-seat payscale "kosher."
- Potentially shifting flying to other certificates to lower costs.

Midwest is by far taking the brunt of this. I'm sorry. However, we need to integrate and keep each other informed to get down to the real business of righting these wrongs.

Again, MD-80, thanks for the information - keep it coming, from all concerned carriers. But to some of the others: please, if all you have to contribute are snide or sardonic comments about how terrible I am... PM me and I will provide you with my contact information. Then you can berate me on my time, not others.

Thanks all,
Gear Swinger