So LAA is pay protected but LUS is not unless we make it to the crew room (a ridiculous requirement) . We voted in the JCBA a year ago but this can't be implemented yet? I lost a lot of money over the weekend with close to no chance to make it up. The company could easily do the right thing here but we all know they won't. Where is APA and a Presidential grievance on this???

 

I don't see what you are complaining about, we got a nice email from our president that told us what a ****box of an airline we work for and didn't mention a single word about the disparate treatment we're getting on the LUS side.

 

I guess they (APA) are still in bed with Team Tempe...

 

If you read the history on this this is 100% LUS USAPA's fault.

The company VOLUNTEERED to give us sequence protection like LAA but the company also wanted the next day bid sheet, like LAA. APA/East refused and as such we are stuck with what we have.

This blame for this lies SOLELY on APA/East shoulders here and their inability to move on from their LUS contract. Do not turn your anger toward the company!

I cannot believe our reps would think a two day bid sheet is better than line protection but it is what it is. My regional had waaaay better protections for pilots then even LAA does, it's insane how crappy our contract really is. Oh but "pay rates are higher than Delta". Barf.

 

The lesson of the future in just what is the latest installment of a long list of "fine print" is that we can expect nothing in 2019 except disregard and table scraps with two choices; Take what little is offered, when it's offered or reject it and enjoy the present CBA for another 5-10 years of can-kicking. Again, the culture here has not only NOT changed, it's doubled-down on what was wrong with legacy AA in the first place. Additionally, the absence of any type of union leadership and the dysfunctionality of that leadership has also not changed. The "new" AA is simply the old AA with fresh wrapping and that includes the "Association".

If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten. Bank on it for 2019.

 

One thing I hang my hope on is that there have been a lot of LUS new hires from the regionals. We bring fresh eyes, ideas, and solutions to our issues. I hope some of us can make it into office and effect change on this outdated organization. We shall see.

 

I don't agree with you that this is solely on APA/East shoulders. Even if what you say is true, the company has a JCBA that covers us all. They decide when to make each section active. They could have implemented this and we'd have to live with the make up provisions. They didn't, right?

Maybe they made the right short term decision. Without the make up provision, most would have taken the money and gone home. Now they are scrabbling to make up lost time. Long term I think it was short sighted. Haven't the pay protected in the past when they didn't have too, under extraordinary situations?

 

The more important point is the union had a chance to implement it last year and refused to work with the company.

Again this is 100% on the union going back to last year. This is not a new thing. They've known a out it for a long time, and they are trying to hide that fact. It's despicable.

As for the company unilaterally implementing it, I think it had to do with PBS coming online. But they were willing to make it happen earlier if the east gave up the two day bid sheet, which they didn't want to do, and here we are.

 

I'm fairly recent from the regionals myself and the same disease is there as well. I wish I could be as optimistic as you. But, the reality is that to really affect that change, it requires some form of leverage and we are virtually bankrupt of that as most of it was given away. Since most of what LAA pilots did have was given up in the last couple of years and clearly, at present no one is minding the store to protect or restore what we can, I see no bombshell changes to our almost certain future. In 2019, we will be #3 in the compensation dept. against Delta and UAL and for Parker that's a perfect place to hang your hat for an extended period of time. 5-7 years of stalling and delay is perfectly acceptable to the NMB and strikes have gone the way of the do-do bird, so the status quo is here for at least a couple of years beyond that.

If we do want any improvements (most likely only to pay rates), we'll be in the unenviable position of deciding if what Parker wants in exchange for them is palatable. Scope, specifically Group I is the prime target, for sure, since it's one of the few things left. 3 years from now we could have 1500-2000 new pilots here and that many senior gone, but that still puts the voting majority block among the even older long-term pilots, most of whom will be 55+ and so 10,000 old geezers will either see a little more pay or status quo for their duration. If given the choice, most will once again reach for the ca$h and since Group I (well, the former Group I since the 190's are sure to go) doesn't really affect them, rationalization for a few bucks will occur just like a year ago.

Will a minority of younger, newer pilots be able to rearrange that reality or concoct some new form of leverage within what is a flaccid and lethargic group of risk averse conformists ?

I simply can't see that occurring in 3 years, let alone 6 or more. We'll NEVER become a Delta as far as pilot respect, treatment and compensation unless Parker develops some altruism and I see that as even less likely. I think mediocrity is our future both from a compensation and product standpoint. Looks to me like that's acceptable as long as the profits roll in.

 

The company is the one with the hand on the throttle. We voted to give them that, they could have made it happen with any repercussions that went along with it. Maybe we could have had just what you said, but had the company implemented our agreed upon contract, there was nothing we could have done about it.