Doug Parker was sitting in his massive "war" room, sipping on his favorite scotch. As he looked down on his butt kissing minions, one spoke up:
"Doug we have a ton of cash left over from a great year and not giving out any profit sharing. Our tax situation is not good. We need to offload some."
"More bonuses for all of us!!!"
"Yeah we already gave ourselves so much that we also are in a bad tax situation".
"Okay how about this, let's give some money to peons, but we will make it seem like we are doing them a huge favor"
"Let's call it retention bonuses"
"Yes good idea Kimchi, I'm glad I had it!"
(Lots and lots of laughter and drink glasses klinking together)
End scene.

 

Your reasoning does not constitute a "concession" in the terms we are all used to, contractually we lost nothing. A distraction technique? Yes, probably. Lost negotiating capital? perhaps, but seeing as this was unsolicited and a surprise I doubt it. Yes, we've all agreed, a hundred times over, that the reason the FO's are leaving is because of everything else wrong here. The rest of your rant about the MEC...well, whatever.

 

Yes.

THIS is how you throw someone under the bus:

 

I think your rationalizing the reality of the situation so you can focus on only what feels good as like it or not, "negotiating capital" IS the foundation of gain or concessions when bargaining with an employer. The reason it was unsolicited (and thus a surprise) is because it serves the needs of OTHERS, not the pilots AND initiated by the party that has controlled the process for decades exactly BECAUSE of the predictability and flaccidity of your bargaining representatives. When it supposedly served the needs of Envoy ALPA and THEY went to the company 6 months ago with the poaching suggestion it was rejected in part because the company believed flow alone would serve THEIR purposes. Now, it's obvious it isn't and then THEY come to your MEC with virtually the same plan because it NOW meets their interests and ALPA dances to the sound of the same music they put on six months ago, but now played by the company.

The predictability there is now so easy, Parker doesn't need Glass to play Envoy ALPA like a Stradivarius. Again, money is all nice and fine, but this doesn't do a single thing to solve the problems there, nor indicate management has changed its philosophy. It only indicates they are willing to do whatever is in THEIR best interests, not yours. The only question is now, is what will they do by mid-late Summer when it is obvious that pilots wont come running from other regionals and F/O's there aren't passing up LCC offers (they would never turn down a legacy) from the likes of Jet Blue, Spirit, Frontier, etc. ?

Perhaps another plan will be developed and presented to the MEC with a bow tie that covers an essentially empty gift like this ?

Let's face it, your MEC has a credibility problem with most of their pilots and to them, a little payola to calm the most vocal segment of pilots (the captains make decent money and the mid-senior of them are salivating at the flow) also fits there present needs. One of your reps isn't convinced and he probably doesn't like seeing the inner circle make the same mistakes of the past and so seems to be distancing himself from this latest unfortunate choice. It's baffling to some to watch such a hapless group continue to cry to the heavens about their misery when from the outside, it's obvious they are significantly responsible for their own agony.

For me, it's kinda of like the car wreck you don't want to watch, but can't turn away from.

 

well I believe the mec at envoy has thrown pilots under the bus. this is an lou and temporary. other regionals have fought and have included the bonuses there companies was giving to new hire to be included across the board on the pay scales. envoy mec has not done that, it has given aag 2 year reprieve on inability to hire at envoy due to aag actions.

I agree with eaglefly, whether you all like it or not. what he said above is true.

 

What am I missing ?

It seems the opposite to me. The PSA MEC is acknowledging aircraft may be transferred to their carrier from elsewhere without their request or control and they are advocating the affected pilots come with the aircraft as opposed to just the aircraft for their gain. This is unlike your MEC's attempt to goad your company into a scheme to poach other carriers pilots that would weaken them in a pilot availability crisis, thus capitalizing on the suffering of others to your benefit and initiated by your MEC. It appears they were actually thinking of YOU as opposed to your MEC's action of thinking ONLY of themselves when proposing a poaching scheme.

 

Wow, who's side are you on? A one-man army.

 

One also has to honestly asses if this is REALLY a benefit to F/O's beyond what it might seem without critical thinking. One question is, which is more beneficial to a regional F/O; A faster upgrade that makes him substantially more money AND the obtainment of critical PIC experience to become more marketable (think of it as a package), or a small percentage raise to agree to remain chained to the right-seat for an extended period of time ?

Is this F/O really coming out ahead in the long run or is this simply a distraction, if you will (like a toy or piece of candy), to get them to focus elsewhere so as to stop critically evaluating their career path forward for awhile ?

Pilots certainly are easy to distract and manipulate, that's for certain.

 

Here we go...

PEOPLE!! Stop letting eaglefly hijack every thread.

 

I'm on the PILOT side. But, astute pilots (now being a sought after commodity in short supply) now more then ever have to consider the realities of a specific situation that affects their future and hard questions need to be considered and explored even if unpleasant. It still sounds as though you are on-board with ANYTHING that maximizes YOUR flow to AA, even if it's bad for others or the industry.

Are you arguing that present Envoy F/O's or other pilots SHOULDN'T consider these difficult questions (regardless of how they themselves factor them in and act upon them) and just become (or remain) mindless robots batted around by others like a cat does a stuffed toy ?

I'm not telling anyone what to do, I'm simply A. assessing the situation how I see it and B. suggesting that potentially affected pilots think outside the box TO DETERMINE IF SOMETHING REALLY IS WHAT'S BEST FOR THEM instead of being unthinking marionettes for the interests of others.

This seems to upset you greatly, but perhaps that's because your focus is solely upon yourself ?