Back to the topic at hand; the word from the local rep i talked to last week was that things had really slowed down. Everyone wanted to see the Delta ta results and the company and alpa had started squibling over what things would actually cost, ie, what a raise in min day actually costs the company or what a change in rest rules costs. ( the preceding are used as examples only) His opinion was we wouldnt be seeing a ta until fall at the soonest.

 

ASA didn't buy anyone. And XJT pilots don't have anything to worry about if UAL has the same deal as DAL.

Anything else?

 

Why are you guys so stuck on that? SkyWest Inc. bought XJT. SkyWest Inc. is made up of SkyWest and ASA. BOTH funded the purchase.

 

Who bought who doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that we have a TA to work through with intelligence and objectivity. We have no control over what happened in the past. We all have a choice to make. Do you want to be part of the solution or part of the problem?

 

Won't matter how great it is, ERJ side most likely will not touch it. They don't want SLI due to the Delta TA.

I'm curious to see what JA does when this gets dragged out.

 

That's actually a good question. So much of this is chance. Say we do acquire new business and they operate/want a CRJ fleet, well common sense dictates that the flying would go to either the XJT-CRJ side or to Skywest. Say we get some of eagle's farmed out work (I hope not) and they're ERJs, well TA or not, just strictly talking about cost JA will drop them on this side of the house, who the hell knows?!

What I do know is that whether we drag this out or not management still wins (by management I mean Skywest). They'll either save by having a combined, predictable cost structure; or they'll save by avoiding additional training events when the CRJ side furloughs and downgrades.

Here's a couple of facts that people keep ignoring:

1. Management already said there will not be a flush bid regardless of the outcome of the SLI, too expensive.

2. The UA (CAL) contract that JA negotiated is a 1 to 1 replacement ratio for most frames, unlike the Delta CPA.

So I'll ask a serious question for a change seeing as people like edit out inflammatory remarks.

WHAT INCENTIVE IS THERE FOR THE ERJ GUYS TO GET THIS DONE QUICKLY?

Anyone.........?

 

MOD NOTE: Keep the gloves up, everyone. If someone's post gets your blood pressure up, go after what they said and not the person.

 

If American wants to drop some ERJ flying Skywest might take it vs XJT getting it since they do have the ERJ on their certificate as of a few years ago.

 

Unfortunately I do agree that delaying a contract will hurt the pilot group in the long term as the company bids on flying. The company is very powerful and will probably prosper no matter how many airplanes it operates but we directly benefit by more aircraft and a larger company. On the other hand, I wont take another concessionary contract or bend over for a management team that knows it can make money even if we were 10% more expensive. A company that has an entire department devoted to reduced circus tickets and employee raffles with a "department president" can afford to pay more then $23 dollars an hour for a first year pilot.

We aren't a small company with weak finances. They want us to be the largest regional with one of the top 5 largest fleets of any airline worldwide. How can we be that airline and yet in our new contract they are actively trying to cut our retirement match in HALF. The company is shooting for the moon with this contract and they fully intend to watch us work for pennies while they reap the rewards.

I vote no out of spite... I wont deadhead for 50% pay, I wont deadhead without a positive space listing, I wont see my retirement match cut in half, I wont see my scheduling section of my contract gutted and replaced by an unknown quantity that our union will be arbitrating for years with an unfair and lengthy railway labor act process, and I wont see my medical benefits which are already **** poor be cut once again. TO even come to the negotiating table and propose any of those things with a straight face is completely asinine and yet they have. All of those things have huge ramifications on our way of life and yet certain members of both MEC's want us to "play ball." They aren't asking us to play ball they are beating us in the nuts with the bat. That is why I will vote no.

 

I simply cant help agreeing with you.