Scope or lack thereof is probably one of the greatest threats to the Alaska pilot group. No one benefits by turning the issue into a VX/AS food fight. In solidarity.

 

Well said!

 

Amen brother.

 

Sun country could bridge AS with JB. In 2030 we’ll be flying for USA airlines.

 

Keep our eyes on the prize. In solidarity.

 

Shoulda, woulda, coulda.... I’m well aware of the importance of not only scope but many sections of our contract that need improvements. My point is this, if you hold both the current AS scope clause and the former VX scope clause in each hand, what have you got? Exactly nothing. Some ex VX have turned the lack of scope into an AS only issue, never acknowledging that they themselves did not have any and brought none with them. Saying “we surly were gonna vote some in”. The division isn’t in my remembering that neither group is able to stack their contract against the other, it’s in the finger pointing done by some, blaming only AS pilots for the lack of scope. I can just as easily assume that with all the hiring done between 2012 and 2017, we at AS were, “surly gonna vote some in”. In the interest of unity, yes, let’s all vote in some scope protections.

 

What percentage of VX's flying was done by either a wholly owned regional or a FFD contract with SkyWest? 0%. And it's MUCH easier to get scope BEFORE you give it away.

Since AS never fought for scope before, the JCBA arbitration panel decided that we didn't really need it, and now our single collective pilot group has to put the toothpaste BACK into the tube. I don't know what percentage of Alaska's flying is done by Horizon/SkyWest, but it's definitely become enough that Alaska's business model has grown to depend on it. Thanks to the people that actually had many opportunities to slow that down (over the last 85 years), and chose not to, now we ALL have to fight a MUCH harder fight.

 

What percentage of AS flying was done by RJ's in it's first 10 years of existence? Or even its first 20, 30, 40 or 50 years? This thing didn't rear it's ugly head until the the ever coveted "big 3" gave it away in the early to mid '90's. It wasn't an issue at AS until really the last 15 years, so claiming the AS pilots didn't do anything for 85 years is just over inflating the issue to sound dramatic. Whether or not VX would have voted in scope is as irrelevant as whether or not AS would have voted in scope in '18. Facts are, neither group had it so it's a combined effort now to gain something neither group had. Pointing fingers at one group only serves the individuals ego and stokes their sense of self superiority.

 

It's REALLY hard to put that toothpaste back in, since jets are bought and contracts let. I can't even begin to imagine what a pilot group would have to give up to get management to go there.

Freezing status quo would probably be achievable. And honestly *some * regional feed is probably good for business and hence pilots.

But better hurry up on that, before status quo includes 100-seaters

 

Jet America