Not to split hairs but we got the 2016 contract (first at the airline) at the beginning of that cycle right before everyone else. They all proceeded to leapfrog us immediately but we were the highest paid for a few minutes lol. More money than most pilots here had ever seen! The BMWs and Audis that suddenly appeared in the Avenger parking lot were impressive.

Then we screwed around with PBS for a few years and Andrew's shenanegins and the culinary union attorney. Everyone except Tom realized that people who are on the gravy train have little motivation to let that train stop. The other airlines started the next cycle around 2018-2019 which was interrupted by covid. Then Delta was the first to sign their 2019 contract in 2023 and the rest of us basically me too'd it. So really it was one long cycle punctuated by covid.

But if you guys don't do something you're going to miss the next one too. Delta's early opener is this summer. They'll probably negotiate for 2 years barring another black swan and take they'll their hats off and march and thrash and act mad and then keep most of what they have with some work rule improvements.

The real question at this point is do you lay up early and put some points on the board but be locked in for another 5-10 years or wait until Delta goes and then go for the slam dunk? Either way you're going to have to get this union problem settled and be ready when the opportunity hits.

 

Maybe you will raise your hand in the next monthly zoom meeting and ask the hard questions? I see a lot of opinions, but when the opportunity presents itself to ask the leadership directly, nobody does so.

 

Nobody asks questions because of the style of leadership the IBT displays. If anyone dares to question their superior ideas, they are immediately labeled a sellout, management goon, or some other insult. Just look at what happened when a breath of ALPA was mentioned before. Not once did anyone with IBT give a list of reasons why they are the better option. Instead we were hit with intimidation and threats. At this point it’s safe to say they’ve succeeded with their methods. The majority just accept defeat and refuse to try and help themselves by pursuing better options. We’ll continue to be the lowest paid pilots in America until more than half the group wakes up. The question is, will that ever happen?

 

That's a copout. You have questions or want to say something? You raise your hand in the zoom and become recognized in front of your fellow pilots and share your ideas or concerns. There is plenty of people who don't agree with every decision speaking their minds. If you are just hiding what you are feeling without speaking up then I would say re-examine whether or not maybe you are the problem.

 

The thing about Allegiant is a lot of pilots view this as a part-time job - drive to the airport, do a turn, go home. We don't hang around airports on legacy-style productivity breaks, we don't have crew rooms, we don't have layovers. It's easy to be content living in your own little bubble.

 

This. That's one of the things I miss about Allegiant that you don't realize until you leave. It's the best part time airline job in the industry. But that breeds complacency and a lack of participation and it's led you to where you are now as the worst compensated Airbus/737 pilots in America. At some point someone is going to have to step up and risk the inevitable shout down that always follows from the power hungry money brokers at IBT with their Samurai style of management.

 

Sure Tom, keep flying the Teamsters banner proudly all the way to that exciting new contract. It’s always “just a year away!”

 

Here we go, another base closure. Don’t worry, GU and his top notch NC have all the leverage and then some. Surely they’re about to deliver a billion dollar CBA, right?

Gents, let me remind you, GU is a thief and continues to steal from you and your families. He’ll keep feeding his little sub EG billable hours while we all starve. Remember inflation? Not only have we not had a raise, we’ve taken a pay loss each year we reached the amendable date.

 

It's truly laughable how far behind we are at this point. Nothing like being envious of a CRJ pilot's paycheck these days.

 

Rumor mill is that Frontier management told the union they are looking for work rules and benefits “that do not increase costs.”