Originally Posted by
SrfNFly227
Pinnacle is in fact hiring. This new contract is going to be very good for our pilots, but there are so many unknowns at the moment that I would think long and hard before coming here. If I were looking at being hired right now, I would chose Colgan over Pinnacle. SLI is the reason.
SLI is the biggest unknown right now. As a new hire, you will end up at the bottom of any combined list, but that isn't what should worry you. The pay rates are pretty good on all of the planes now, but the jets still pay significantly more than the props (well for the 2 years until the Q400 catches up to the 200). Unless there are fences put in to the SLI, I believe that future vacancy's for the jets will go to people already on property. That may leave you on reserve for the next few years unless you voluntarily transfer to the Mesaba side and take the pay cut for flying a prop. Why not just start out on that side and avoid the seat lock that will come with changing airplanes?
Wait a minute, what makes you think a new hire at Colgan will get any senority benefits over existing or new hire 9E or XJ guys after SLI? By what means are you using to measure the pay rates being
significantly different? I think thats a little bit of a reach. I wouldn't come into this with that mind set, this is a regional. If we were talking heavies and 73's then maybe. Do you really think these seat locks are going to be enforced when the flood gates open? 9E had seat locks with the ATL 900 flying, see how long that lasted? When the majors start soaking up regional pilots you can say goodbye to any seat locks. They will be scrambling to fill the vacancies. Who knows, you may be lucky enough to pick up displacement beny's out of the deal. One more thing, a question really. When/if the contract is ratified and CORP wants to start moving the 900's to the 9E ticket, how do they expect XJ guys to be able to fly the 9E way without some sort of training event? Has this been talked about at all? I don't think the FAA would be too excited if XJ pilots transfered over and the next day started flying with 9E. Am I correct in assuming that some sort of training event will be required for XJ guys, and I guess the same goes for Colgan going to XJ. Anyone think of that? If we think the staffing is horrid now, how will we staff when guys are in training? IMO, these 95 block and 10 day off (im sorry 11 as of the 18th) are going to continue for the forseeable future.