12 August 2019

Fellow Pilots,

Friday's update from the company was yet another example (in writing) of managemqent's complete disregard for the abysmal conditions they have created on the line. Day after day, week after week, and month after month, our management team continues to demonstrate their refusal to improve the working conditions of front-line employees and their lack of aptitude for fixing the mess of an airline they have created, much less their ability to write an email that resonates with the pilot group, as it appears this last update was supposed to do.

Management continues to laud the number of conditional job offers they have given out this year, despite the fact that this, in no way, shape or form, indicates potential for effective growth. What really matters is putting pilots in airplanes, and of the 500 job offers given out by the company, only about 50% of those start and remain in class, and of those who have started class in 2019, 74% are still in training because mismanagement of the training center has extended the new hire training footprint to up to five months.

While our recruiters are working hard to bring pilots in the door, management is working even harder to kick pilots out as attrition continues to outpace hiring. At the end of July we were down 34 pilots on property since January of this year, and the sheer number of pilots stuck in new hire training means there are 256 fewer pilots currently flying the line than in January. Pilots are fleeing this airline and your MEC has no reason to tell them to stay. Growth at ExpressJet would begin in an instant if management put half the effort into making pilots want to stay here as they do recruiting pilots with half-truths and outright lies.

In order to continue to increase class sizes, the company suggests everyone should "solicit your friends" to come work at ExpressJet by giving a word-of-mouth testimonial.

Perhaps new hires can give testimony of showing up for sims only to have them cancel because no instructors are available, or they can detail still being in training for months while their friends, hired at other airlines at the same time, are already out flying the line and making more money.

Perhaps the 15-year captain can give testimony about being on reserve for the better part of a decade.

Perhaps all captains can give testimony about their hourly pay rates being the second lowest in the regional industry.

Perhaps all first officers can give testimony about their hourly pay being the third lowest in the regional industry.

Perhaps the captain who upgraded a year ago can give testimony about being less senior in base than they were six months ago because this airline continues to shrink, and about the fact that they fly in the right seat almost as much as they do in the left.

Perhaps the 25-year lineholder captain can give testimony about contractually-illegal reassignment attempts every time they transit a hub airport.

Perhaps the reserve pilot can give testimony about being rolled into their days off multiple times per month, and when they ask for their day off to be restored, that request is denied.

Perhaps the non-phone-liable pilot (that's all of us, by the way) can give testimony about being called in for discipline for not answering their phone on a trip.

Perhaps the pilot on a 10-hour overnight can give testimony about being called by the hotel's front desk personnel asking them to call Crew Scheduling.

Perhaps a majority of our pilots can give testimony about not being successful in the CPP, or being denied in the final review process despite meeting all the published program requirements, or waiting for more than two years for a second attempt at passing the Hogan that they may never see.

Perhaps the new hire, who was told the CPP was a "direct path to United" can give testimony about learning the truth only after they were on property.

Perhaps the pilot who called in sick can give testimony about the weight they now feel because of the company email stating that even their excused sick calls would be now reported to United, potentially jeopardizing their career advancement potential.

Perhaps the pilot who turned in a doctor's note to their chief pilot can give testimony about being called in to explain their sick call, despite their adherence to the company's Attendance and Reliability Program.

Perhaps our ALPA volunteers can give testimony about the 11 grievances currently filed because of blatant, continued and deliberate contract violations.

Perhaps pilots who voted in favor for Contract 2018 can give testimony about being lied to by management in order to rush a contract.

Perhaps our flight attendants can even give testimony about being given two sub-par contracts to vote on.

Perhaps our mechanics can give testimony about entering mediation because their working conditions are as poor as ours and their value is not recognized.

Perhaps it's time for the XJT MEC to begin sharing our pilots' stories about what it is really like to work for our airline. Potential pilots, flight attendants and mechanics should know the facts and make an informed decision before hiring on at ExpressJet.

Yes, it is that time.

Do you have an experience you'd like to share with pilots who want testimony about ExpressJet? Please send your testimonies to....

The deal is not done!

 

Stick a fork in it. Management says The Deal is Well Done.

 

True there is literally no reason for them to come to the table as long as they can meet their recruiting goals.

 

But are they meeting their recruiting goals? Email says only 200+ have started class.

 

Sounds like they have ATTRITION goals. Top of the list kinda goals.

 

If I had to guess, there will be an uptick in retirements this time next year. Maybe 30-40 guys at once off the top. After that though, it’s going to be slowww going for the top 600 pilots.

Pure speculation based on talking to a lot of guys at different events and being connected with a lot of the super senior guys. If the company can grow to where 600 people only make up a quarter or less of the group, things could progress in a positive direction with seniority.

 

I guess to me this begs the question why there are literally 600 pilots who would prefer to sit around and complain in the current hiring environment.

 

There is a particular personality that no airline other than a regional airline will employ. It has nothing to do with their pilots skills or ability to perform their job well. Lots of people don’t interview that great, may have an underlying anxiety disorder, have failed a training event or two, have had an incident, or have no college degree etc.

There are a number of issues that, limit their options. As sad of a state that XJT is in, all regionals suck. Leaving for another regional makes no sense to the top 600.

Many of the very senior ex-CRJ pilots worked for the last 20 years with the agreement that they would retire with Delta flight benefits. They were just about to retire and Delta pulled that agreement. Now they are in a position to put in a year with UA in order to retire with flight benefits. Many would have left if it weren’t for that.

You and I both know that they would leave if they could. Circumstances that are no longer within their control hold them prisoners. There are fewer years ahead for them than behind. It’s still a struggle but it’s all they know how to do Many having kids and a family, their financial obligations in life would suffer greatly should they make a career change.

Put yourself in their shoes. Then you won’t have to beg for answers to questions.

 

ACMI, ULCC, NetJets, etc. are not better options?

 

For most....giving up their seniority and , more importantly, the left seat.......is nearly unthinkable.