The second broken promise was by Dave Barger at the pilot pocket session right after the new contract came out. He said "Don't worry, we will take care of you". Well, losing 10% of my purchasing power due to inflation, sky rocketing health care cost, lower productivity, etc, etc, etc. Thus the broken promises. I try to listen to what the 3 Daves, but talk is nothing but talk unless they do something. And from were most of us sit, not much is happening.

FNG[/QUOTE]

So, I'm just wondering, say after some period of time, like maybe 4-6 months we get a raise like 10%. Would you then say "OK I was wrong" "they were taking care of us" ?

 

i know you JB guys are all in love with the company and all but are you starting to see that the king has no pj's? that promises are just that?

trust me, pretty soon you'll be in the gutter with the rest of us. and the cycle will begin again.

 

So, I'm just wondering, say after some period of time, like maybe 4-6 months we get a raise like 10%. Would you then say "OK I was wrong" "they were taking care of us" ?[/QUOTE]


Banger,
I would say "yes, they are finailly taking care of us". I don't think the "Ok, I was wrong" applies. JB mangement had many chances to do this every year and didn't (especially for the years 2002, 2003 and 2004 where we had over 15% profit margin). I would still have some questions as to what about the $$$ lost over the last 4 years due to the lack of the raises (which is over $11,000 for an FO and over $19,000 for a Capt). But if we consider it water over the bridge, then I would like to see some defined cost of living raises added to our contract (like every normal contract has in them). I'm not asking for massvie raises (like SWA or the other majors over the last 10 years), just some modest 2-4% raises. They could even be attached to the annual inflation rate and be adjustable annually. But something to keep us on a level playing field.

I would love to see it happen. But history doesn't speak well for it so far (one pay rasie in 2001 and 4 years of no raise). Time will tell....

Just my opinion.

FNG

 

I would love to see it happen. But history doesn't speak well for it so far (one pay rasie in 2001 and 4 years of no raise). Time will tell....

FNG[/QUOTE]

I can give them more than 4 years. I worry about the skyrocketing oil costs. I worry about the competition being in BK with reduced bills to pay and the ability to fly under profit margin. THis last quarter we charged more for tickets than we ever have and our profit was small. I can wait for a raise when things have turned the corner. I want stability more than anything. Call me a fool but I have trust.

 

Just fly the jet. Why be angry about doing an easy job.

Quite frankly, we are mushrooms.....we are labor, we are the ditchdiggers. Just accept it and enjoy your job. Pocket sessions? Give me a break. If you have to put your heart and soul into every breath of a pocket session then we need to hang it up. These sessions are designed to sedate you for the moment. They are designed to make you feel like you have a touchy feely input as to what management does. The truth is you DON't. So let it go. So, down the road we get a 10% raise - who cares. It really won't make a difference. So then you will have to wait another 5 years to get a real raise when things do turn around because you want a mesely 10% now.

We don't need to rant and rave on some random board. It just makes us look stupid. These lashings have no teeth. Do you really think the management team cares about this website?

Clean the jet, cater food, taxi the jet, takeoff...land and park it. Is that really busting your a$$? Are you suggesting a slowdown?

 

Gents, take a look around. US Air and United bankrupt. Delta soon to be. NWA just around the corner. The industry is in miserable shape, in part because when things were good just six years ago, neither management nor unions were smart enough to plan for bad times. That's why they are in the gutter. Too many planes, pay raises that were too much, too much infrastructure. We have to get through this very unfriendly business environment first, then we can talk about broken promises. Meanwhile, Jetblue is trying to grow in the midst of this mess, a very difficult thing to do, while still trying to make a profit. Dave and David know that if we are still standing when this is all over, we will be in a very good position, but we have to be standing.

FNG, you are right on with your comments on the difference pilots can make. Customers see it all the time. The long term view, in my opinion, is that promises have not been broken, just delayed. Maybe management should just say that. The long run payoff, if we hang in there and win the game of musical chairs, should be more profit sharing, options with some value, and, indeed, higher pay. If that does not happen, then I'll be willing to accuse the bosses of breaking promises. Until then, as Ben Franklin said, if we don't hang together, we shall certainly hang separately.

 

Ah! The voice of reason. Bout time.