With “negotiations” starting again in a little over week, what can we expect in the post COVID era?

ULCCs like Sunny (huge gains in less than 6 months of talks!) are getting competitive contracts, start-ups like Breeze are raising pay and ATP has deals to put CFIs direct into the right seat of Frontier, Avelo and Suncountry.

With the degree requirement dropped, I feel like the company finally has to come to terms that this is a pilot’s market. The PWA is squarely average and I know more pilots are leaving for FedEx and UPS than the other way around.

What can we expect to see in the next 12 months?

I want to see some good prognostications before my popcorn runs out!

 

I’m not personally going to negotiate in public and I encourage everyone here to remember that. Management reads these forums. (Not saying we can pontificate, but just something to remember)

Everyone should be participating in the surveys and contacting their reps.

Re: FedEx and UPS, I personally have anecdotal observations to refute that. We are still high up on many people’s lists. I doubt many, if any, are leaving us due to our contract. It’s more likely that they have other reasons for leaving (domicile locations still being the primary driver).

Having said that, we need a new industry leading contract, and I feel our pilot group is very much united on that front.

 

They are going to drag this out for a few years. I’d be extremely shocked to see a contract before late 2023

 

A Miata a month and Rainbow Pegasus on PS day, or I’m a no vote!

 

I don't know if I'd use Breeze in your contract comparison. Their non-union working rules are substandard, to put it nice.

 

Plus, aren’t they advertising in Australia right now for pilots because no one here will work for their sub-standard contract?

 

I'm not working for Miatas.

 

I bet we see something by July (assuming the mediation board doesn’t go back into hibernation)

Now, will that “by July” TA be worth implementing? I’m skeptical…but the prospect of a 3-4 year old contact is unacceptable. Giving the company a pass on what will be essentially an entire contract cycle isn’t an option. That’s how precedents are started.

 

I’m not trying to negotiate in public. I just want some thoughts on what expectations are. Clearly the bar has been raised higher all around us and what was a shiny contract in 2016 look more like a turd everyday.

I’m curious if the company realizes they’re up against the ropes or not right now.

This x100. I think the company wants to sign something quick, but I hope ALPA understands our leverage and we don’t want to look like fools holding the empty bag of scope promises in return for shiny pay rates.




Nope. The company needs a new contract in a few sections. Much likely more than the pilots want improvements in many sections. This isn’t 2010 anymore Dorthy…


I agree. I wasn’t doing a 1-to-1 comparison; however even when a scumbag operation like that realizes that they need to improve significantly, then you know the market forces are talking.

 

100% Retro.