BusBoy88

If you think United cares about performance, you've got a lot to learn. United doesn't have a whole lot of options. They need to start investing in some of their regional feed if they want their product to be better. It might as well be the one they own a large chunk of. Obviously the XJT MEC's tactics are working if management is coming to the table and getting serious about negotiating letter 2. DSPS is either management or the biggest company man in the history of company men.

YANXJTPilot

Why would you want the regionals to grow? More whipsaw 2.0 opportunity? Mainline throwing jets to whoever can work the cheapest? Doesn't matter who owns if there's not much benefit to being owned.

The regional model needs to be radically changed. It is C scale pay and the carrot of the majors has been used for years.

There used to be a whole huge pool of overqualified pilots (tons of glass jet PIC candidates) for a much smaller amount of mainline jobs.

I say "overqualified" because years ago, turbine time of any sort was a big deal. Now thousands of hours of glass cockpit jet time is essentially worthless.

Now that pool is finally shrinking and the carrot is become attainable...and people want to flood the market again?

Supply/demand, anyone? That's how to get a better price for your work. You don't want to be cheap labor.

Not everyone can go to the majors, numerically speaking.

If you are thinking 'Well, it won't happen to me! I'll get to the majors 100%!" then you're that guy.

Lots of guys thought that then for one reason or another they have been 'stuck' here.

Butterbean

United doesn't have a lot of options?

Hmmm, let me count the options.

1.) SKYW (can easily assume more 50 seat lift)
2.) RJET
3.) MESA
4.) Commutair (50 seat lift only)
5.) Air Wisconsin (50 seat lift only)

You're right, they don't have a lot of options but.....they do have a few others.

If you really think that Management is on their knees ready to bend over?

Then why pi$$ them off by sending out post cards the week you meet with them?

The smarter play that most people would do is wait to see how the meeting goes. Then if Management gives you the one finger salute?
Then you send out the cards after they've played their hand at the "meeting". The logic and strategy is baffling.

If you think United and specifically Sarah Murphy SVP United Express, are not watching us and our performance very closely right now, then YOU have a lot to learn. If we(XJT) can't get pilots to not only staff the 175 flying AND ramp up to the required level of 145 flying then United can and will make other arrangements.

Are you willing to gamble with other peoples jobs and chances to move on that they won't???

Sure hope this ALPA MEC and ALPA National realize that before they get sued for misrepresenting people!!

DoSomePilotStuf

The thinking by these guys is that they have 15-20 years at XJT and they don’t care how much it shrinks because it doesn’t affect them. They are at the point in their careers that whether the airline shrinks or grows they are at their choice of base, left seat and the only way their seniority improves is when guys ahead of them leave. The only thing they care about is contract improvement because they have every intention of working the rest of their careers for XJT. The fact that it sends pilots/planes elsewhere is irrelevant because they truly believe United “needs” them.

It’s literally 2 for me none for you. And they expect us to just “shut up and get off probation.” They will also tell you that “You will never make it with that attitude” or “You'll never make captain with that attitude” as if that is supposed to intimidate you into complacency.

There is no doubt the #1 reason not to come to XJT right now is the joke of an MEC we have. However in spite of their best efforts I believe there are great times ahead at XJT. When the news of immediate class dates and low upgrade times spreads new hires will flock to the company and it will finally grow. Opportunities for rapid career progression will be abundant. And we will even get a new contract. These jokers will claim all the credit and say “look how well our plan worked!” But at the end of the day we are going to get a new contract due to outside forces including changes to the CPP and possibly being rolled into United ALPA. Thankfully that will finally put these guys out of their misery.

DoSomePilotStuf

The old “back in my day” rant followed by don’t be “that guy.” Yeah I think we can see who “that guy” is!

SeeYa

So realistically, how long should a new hire expect to be on reserve for the 145 at ORD or EWR?

BusBoy88

Oh no! Not the almighty powerful Sarah Murphy! Well that changes things completely. Everybody should get on board now or Sarah Murphy is going to cancel XJT lol. Management has been giving the middle finger to the pilots ever since they made a promise about letter 2 and then failed to live up to their end of the bargain. Maybe Sarah Murphy needs the ol' United "we value integrity" speech as a refresher.

SureJetz

He sure did. We’re all too dumb to notice though...

Buford Justice

This is why probation guys don’t get a vote. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say this guy wears the hat.

The union knows what they are doing. Actually there really just pointing out to potential pilots that there are more lucrative contracts out there. Right now, XJT is bottom of the barrel working on basically a 15 year old contract, and we’ve even given concessions on that.
Meanwhile, the company advertises “top tier contract and pay” to potential employees, which is far from the truth.

If this stresses you out, find another career. It’s going to get a lot worse if the company doesn’t come to the table and negotiate fairly. Were due huge pay raises, duty rigs, leg by leg pay just to name a few. And that’s just to keep up with SkyWest, not leapfrog them, which we should be able to get a better deal because we have ALPA behind us.

As an experienced guy I can promise you that United doesn’t give a crap about you. And the feeling is mutual until they prove to me otherwise, which they won’t, and that’s fine also.

RoyerYetlink

Oh you think management will just hand us an industry leading contract? Or a new contract?

The strategy of management for the last 5 years is to be a day late and a dollar short. When envoy came out with retention bonuses of $20k XJT rolled out $10k a year later. Same with hiring bonuses.

Now the new CEO is in charge with the same playbook. Stall. Feed the pilots sh!t and keep them in the dark. When directly asked about Letter 2 negotiations he lied through his teeth to his own employee and said the union has never approached him about Letter 2. He was given a blue lanyard with Letter 2 written on it at the 175 launch party at the training center.

But yeah we’ll get a new contract out of thin air.

Frontier sent out similar postcards. Their campaign worked. They got an improved contract. Is their MEC “jokers?”