hockeypilot44

ALPA celebrated the last Midwest flight. To this day, I still can't believe that.

Carl Spackler

This is so important. No furlough clauses are the carrots used by management/ALPA to get buy in from the junior pilots for Scope cave-ins. Increased pay is what they use for the senior pilots. Junior pilots CANNOT buy in to no furlough clauses for Scope sales.

Carl

Carl Spackler

How can this be Scambo?? Most of the unionoids here consistently state that our reps will never agree to any more Scope concessions. They won't put it in writing, but unionoids are sure about what they've heard from our reps.

Carl

Scoop

Lets look at the bright side - remember the Christmas movie with Jimmy Stewart - A wonderful Life?

Every time a bell rings an Angel would get their wings.

Every time there is another Delta outsourcing event the DPA gets a new card.

Before all the ALPA defenders pounce on this statement - I am not necessarily for replacing ALPA - but a decent conversation about it, is probably warranted.

Additionally, this kind of thing certainly does raise issues about RJs being self limiting - they are not. They are Scope limited - period. Any weakness in Scope will be exploited to the full extent possible by a management that is apparently still mesmerized by outsourcing to the competition.

Scoop

johnso29

We are foolish to believe anything else. Keep this in mind as negotiations are just around the corner.

FmrFreightDog

This!!!! I get ill every time I fly into Milwaukee. Instead of hanging their heads in shame at failing a member group, they turned it into a full color glossy on the magazine. Although it had nothing to do with Delta, that was the day I completely lost faith in ALPA.

LeineLodge

I went to the Council 44 meeting today and heard TO speak. I will say that I left convinced that he is aware of the scope threats to our profession. It was emphasized that a large threat (and he's right) are the gov't subsidized, soon-to-be MEGA middle-eastern carriers.

He did not infer or even approach re-capturing RJ scope. The presentation was more of a "let's look at the biggest threat going forward" [quotes mine] vs. spinning our wheels working for something we already have: a limit on large RJ's that is almost met, albeit frustrating and far too generous.

Don't get me wrong. I'm sick everytime I see a 175 at a mainline gate; both for us and for the crews stuck flying there that would prefer to be here. We certainly need to shore up some of the language regarding allowing ANY more RJ's regardless of the mainline fleet count. However, I DO want my elected reps to be looking over the horizon for the NEXT threats, which the new guys seem to be doing so far.

I'm rambling, but my point is I don't want to be so focused on the left hand (RJ's) that the right hand (JV's, Codeshares, Cabotage, younameit) slaps us without even seeing it coming. Unless we relax RJ scope, at least it is where it is for now. If we can tighten it up, or recapture, so much the better.

This is not to say we shouldn't work towards insourcing OUR flying by convincing mgmt to stop signing/renewing these DCI contracts and let them eventually expire, but we shouldn't let the RJ issue cloud our awareness of some of these other very big, very real threats to our job protections.

Also, I hope we eventually acquire/merge with Alaska, because that's whole 'nuther problem that noone but the west coast guys seem to care about.

Oh yeah, and the Midwest situation was/is a f*#&ing travesty! That is all

forgot to bid

Start-up Airline Business Plan 101

DO NOT try and buy new A320s or B737s and launch a new ultra low cost carrier that is heavily reliant on flying routes where other airlines did not have direct flights and flying to secondary airports rather than heavily-trafficked ones and doing cheesy stuff like selling advertising space on the interior and exterior of its aircraft as well as selling merchandise on board.

DO buy a small fleet of cheep regional jets. Fly for a mainline carrier and get a contract where you're guaranteed a profit for each departure and you don't pay for fuel. To show good faith accept whatever base they request and call that a hub and make the pilots live there (like NYC), pay everyone really low wages and skimp on training and maintenance. One day take your small fortune and buy bigger jets and compete with the mainline carrier completely funding your new airline with a long term contract signed with the mainline carrier who probably won't even notice what you're doing. Their pilots may complain but nobody listens to them anyways. Heck, make sure your pilots join their union! It'll neuter them both.

It's simple, it's cheap, everyone who is anyone is doing it.

That ends today's lesson in Start-Up Airline Business Plan 101.

DAL 88 Driver

I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Carl Spackler

Because he doesn't believe we should. Period! He will grudgingly go along if we force it by overwhelming pressure from a majority of us.

Bottom line is that he doesn't see our current Scope as a problem.

Carl