Well hopefully you cover them up before you represent our Airline out in public, unlike some of your other tattooed aviators.

The yes voters fell under two categories, people here less then a year who didn't know any better, like you at the time. You spent all your time flying with senior captains and were totally manipulating you into the yes vote. The other group was anybody above the line. I would say that 90% of the no voters were in between 1 year on property to right up to below the line. People who voted no were employed at other airlines within the last decade (where they saw better QOL contract provisions they wanted here) and were at AA long enough to see the deficiencies, i.e. over the bright eyed newb stage that you were caught in (and still seem to be). I would also say that prior Mil and Part 135/91 hires also voted yes because they didn't know any different.

 

You’re still missing the point. They build lines of flying for the aircraft when the fleet was shorthanded more flying went onto the remaining aircraft.

How many pilots does it take to operate 1 737 per month, it depends if it’s in revenue production for 12 hours a day or 19 hours a day.

You are claiming RAS lowered staffing levels without facts and it’s known aircraft utilization is down with demand.

You are not splitting out reduced staffing from RAS vs lower utilization.

We already know that before RAS they were forced to have higher utilization on the fleet, so that wasn’t necessarily benchmark staffing levels per aircraft.

 

you will never see me in a short sleeve shirt with a tie- I’m not a missionary trying to convert people.

As for being influenced by senior captains for my vote- that was actually not the case at all. One- I was voter eligible, so I wasn’t under a year (just made the cutoff 😀 ). Two- I was a no voter until that last minute, but I will admit I mostly care about the money. That’s almost all I care about. I try to get between 80-90 hours awarded each month. Second to the money, I care about controlling my own schedule. Which I can do without fail. Once my seniority hits that point to be able to do it from the left seat, then I will look to upgrade. That’s my money/QOL balancing point. I won’t sit reserve again- barring some crazy black swan event. And yes- I am retired military and former part 135, so my outlook is formed from those two previous lifestyles- had nothing to do with not knowing better. It had to do with knowing what I want.

Your response still doesn’t answer the question as to why 1 and 2 year people stayed here- and then complain about how terrible it is here- when there are better contracts elsewhere. I still contend that anyone who wasn’t willing to move on doesn’t care as much about QOL or the contract deficiencies as they say they do.

 

Senior CA reserve is the way to go, it’s great!

 

I am not missing the point, I already conceded that efficiencies were gained due to fleet harmonization. I am disagreeing with your assertion that we were overstaffed post COVID.

 

What moment in history are you using to show staffing pre RAS vs post RAS. Without any other outside variables to effect staffing or utilization?

 

I am sure it is!! Alas, I will never be a senior CA (my seniority calculator only goes to 3000-ish), so I won’t be able to put myself in a position to find out.

 

Interesting comment, considering those here under a year weren't allowed to vote on Contract 2023.

 

Why do you claim this?

Why can’t new hires desire for the union to bargain better than they do, if other airline unions can bargain better why is flawed logic to desire that?

If my house has a leaking roof and I expect it shouldn’t I should sell it and move to another house? What is wrong with advocating for fixing the problem?

Seems like it’s just a pride protecting response that your insulted that people think APA should be able to bargin as well as U or D.

You’re receiving offense when people say AA isn’t as good due to poor union leadership?

Nobody is insulting you or the company you choose so telling them to pack their bags shows your own insecurity.

You wouldn’t be mad if I claim AA should generate equal revenue from frequent premium flyers like Delta, but you get mad if I say AA should compensate pilots like Delta.

 

It’s not that I think they can’t/shouldn’t desire for the union to do better, we all should. It’s that at the time of contract signing, hiring was still booming at UAL, so if we received such an egregious contract, then it would have made sense to start over where the grass is greener. Especially if they were under 2 or 3 years at the time. Being that junior and choosing to stick with what they felt is a subpar contract makes no sense to me. It’s just my opinion, though. Why work somewhere you hate, especially when you’re not obligated? I made that mistake for 22 years, but I never complained about it online or to anyone outside my immediate family.

Desiring for the current union to do better is not what many of the guys currently bashing the union and the company are doing. The guys that only want ALPA representation don’t care if the current union can do better this time around. They think ALPA will solve everything. They ignore that United was offered a crappy contract as well. Yes, they voted no and recalled everyone. But it was still presented to them by ALPA. Never should have made it off the negotiating table.

I honestly want the union to listen to the pilot group as a whole this time around. There are plenty of gains to be made.

as for my insecurities, maybe I am- maybe it’s because I spent 22 years at an organization I hated and I won’t make that mistake again. I left my 135 gig because it became a bad company to work for. If it had stayed great, I’d probably still be there.

But I know my quality of life is better now than it was before the contract- granted I was still on reserve at the time. As for saying people should have left where they’re not happy- I tell my adult children the same thing- find a new job. I told my wife that, too, when she was fed up with being a teacher post-Covid. I’d rather her be happily unemployed than working miserably.