TRO
 

Nothing like getting a Federal Judge to stop maintainers from fixing broken jets. Let’s see how this works out for you!

Hey Robert, I S(upport) O(ur) M(echanics)

Who signs your paycheck? AA or the TWU/IAM?

Just like in SWA's case there is way more to the story.

Keep rowing, indentured servant.

Some people in our industry prefer to fight for better. Others, like yourself, have shown time and again that you’re more than happy merely making “more” than you used to at LUS. How about less potshots and more solidarity.

You're gonna have to walk be thru how paying other employee groups more and expanding their ranks leads to more money available from the corporation to pay the pilots more. I'm all ears.

In the mid 80's US Air was the place to be. When they merged with Piedmont they combined the best of both contracts and greatly expanded the ranks. Mechanics used to be required to do pushbacks even. In the 12-13 years that followed, US Air went from having the single best contracts in the industry to the worst and held that distinction until the merger in Dec 2013.

I don't want to work at the 1989 US Air.

What does the progression of gutting a contract have to do with this situation? That’s what they are trying to stop. Get onboard.

Doesn’t take a genius does it? :)

So keep in mind the plight of the mechanics. Skilled labor who hitched their wagon to the fleet service/ground crew.

I'm just not sure how smart it is to "support" unskilled labor. At this point I'd rather the company outsource it all (or do it with Envoy/Piedmont/etc bidding on contracts) and let mainline focus on crewing the aircraft and above the wing direct CS facing stuff.

Bingo..........

You wonder why every other work group here hates us. We, as pilots, have more in common with these “unskilled” workers than those in management.

“Hey, uneducated ramper, I don’t support your cause to get a better contract because I think your job can be eliminated so I can get paid more.”

Stupid and short sighted because you know when they are gone, that’s one less level hurdle to have our jobs out sourced.

I don't really care what other work gro...I mean "team members" think of us. I mean it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'm not here to make ramp buddy friends. I'm not saying it's ok to be a dick, but the kumbaya hand holding diverse opinion sharing that other team members do on a daily basis to "collaborate" is not how the operation needs to be run. It takes decisions that are at times unpopular in order to facilitate getting things done. It's not the military but is run in a similar fashion. Except the CA has no direct authority over his reports.

We tell other team members to do things, of course they dislike us. Just like most people dislike bosses that make them work. Cry me a river. Yes some pilots are jackasses and talk down to our "team members", yes it's uncalled for. I have seen hands down the nicest CA fuming mad at the ground crew, although they were not doing their jobs which is why they become irate. I can't make excuses for that - none exist.

Overall we all should share the same goals - on time flights for our customers and efficient operations. But each team member work group is fractured and is managed like a dictatorship with martial law and under duress to do their jobs. It's all negative reinforcement not positive.

As far as outsourcing us the company would save a little. But our pay is in line with other pilot groups (even the ULCC). And if you take the $/seat we are in line with even the RJs. Now, our ground crews on the other hand make 50% more than their counterparts at Envoy and the ULCC. The other larger legacy carriers pay about the same but have far fewer jobs.

Ha! This reminds me of taxiing onto the ramp with a time building captain after he’s been lecturing me about “what we gave up to fund the merger”... totally dragging ass to stick it to the man and “get it back”. He turns onto the J line and flies into a rage about how the ramp crews should be fired for not sprinting into position when the inbound aircraft comes in. It was absolutely laughable.

Sounds like Tool of the Day material.