Originally Posted by TonyC

[Best Monty Python accent]

He's not dead yet.

[/Best Monty Python accent]

Originally Posted by TonyC

He's moved on, in a manner of speaking. I saw him the other day in the Greenway Training Center cafeteria. According to a fellow student who exchanged words with him from adjacent urinals, he's still on the payroll until next May. Until then, he's offering his expertise to his successor in an orderly transition.
.

Originally Posted by Huck

Bruce is gonna be in charge of our acquisition of a european carrier, pilots and all.

You heard it here first.

Originally Posted by captain_drew

I hope, for your sakes, it is an Irish airline.

Those guys would be about the only ones who would be any fun on a layover.

"Another round of Guinness, lads? Seamus is buying !! "

Originally Posted by TonyC

Yeah, it was them Irish guys that were sitting in a hotel on Democrat waiting to take our jobs in '98, right?

Originally Posted by Albief15

On the other hand--we all know what the union's job is--to protect our jobs and increase our Q of life. Jack's got a tough job--but by definition he isn't there to be your buddy--he's there to represent the company's interests. As long as you understand who's paying his salary, I think you can understand his position at times. He isn't paid X dollars to be your bro, he's paid to make sure the trips are covered with safe, legal pilots. Period. Anything else he does for US is gravy. I don't expect him to cross the street to help me.

Originally Posted by kwri10s

When my CP shows up at a negotiations meeting on the other side of the table, that pretty much means he is not on our side. He should be completely neutral on the issue. A pilot negotiating against other pilots only ensures that the only motivation the company pilot negotiators could have is individual specific rewards from the company. He should be the go between for MGT and Pilots instead of the MGT point man. Other airlines don't have these problems, if you NEED something you call you CP and he/she makes it happen if they can. At FDX you try never to call you CP because they almost always are NOT your allies on complicated issues. They are more enforcer then chief pilot, in fact I think their new titles should be Chief Management Pilot. While sometimes pilots might need some hand spanking, it seems at FDX spanking is what they perform the best.

Originally Posted by TonyC

I'm sorry, but that excuse is old and tired, and we're not so dumb that we'll fall for it. Why does he participate in Negotiations if he has no function? To whom does he provide his expertise and advice? The fact that he sits on the OTHER side of the table speaks volumes to me, and it should to you. If you can't get that, it's because you CHOOSE to be blind.



Yeah, like the decision that you shouldn't be parking in the Out & Back lot if you're dragging a suitcase.


Tell me - - is he "in touch" with the real line pilot?!?!? How many Out & Backs have you flown where you trusted the airplane, the weather, the system form, and scheduling so much that you didn't carry a bag with toothpaste and clean underwear? HUH? Making such a statement betrays just how LITTLE he knows about what we do every day.




Cry me a river. Who has the authority to fire a pilot? HIM




Yeah, ask the Flex Instructor who saved an engine, and whom Jack had fired (from the Training Department) because the Captain's feelings were hurt. He was fired as a Flex before Jack ever even spoke with him. Jack had to change his mind once the Flew was given an audience.



I'm sure it makes you feel good, and patriotic, and loyal to stick up for him. However, your defense of him rings hollow. Whatever favor he did for you in the past, I don't know. I'll bet you a dime to a dollar, though, he saw it as being in HIS best interest. Remember, he volunteered to do this job. He makes the choice every day to stay in this job. He can choose to be the Company's man, or he can choose to be the pilots' advocate. As long as he chooses the former, I have no sympathy for him.




.

Originally Posted by TonyC

Keep your cool, guys - - it's just a business transaction. Give 100.0% - - and then relax.

Originally Posted by fecav8r

Just wondering what "other airlines don't have these problems."

Originally Posted by Ranger

It's kind of funny that this should come up. I had the chance to talk to the chief pilot for DL just yesterday. He was shocked to find out that our SCP was directly involved in contract negotiations. And that's how I feel. Da feds never intended for the chief pilot's job to be a postion that upper management could use to hammer pilots or influence contract negotiations one way or the other. The chief pilot should be the buffer between line crews and management. Keep upper management, et al, out of my cockpit. Do I blame Jack for what he does? Not entirely. I believe that his heart is probably in the right place. But he has choices. He could simply look at Cassel (shudder) and just say no. But he hasn't done that.