My intent is never to insult but your first post on this topic was an attack. This forum is all conjecture- its about different ideas about which tactic our company is employing- If you want to interpret a different slant as an insult, it is your problem. Ive been through this before and it looks textbook to me. As Ive said ad nauseam..I hope I am wrong about my suspicions. Ease up man.

 

As a recent former ExpressJetter this resonates with me as well. This feels like a move to reduce our overall leverage (very legitimate concerns + picketing + strike vote) for an amount of money that will be instantaneously mitigated by reduced profit sharing. Every move that the company makes is done for a negotiating purpose, they may be thinking ahead to mediation and their overall record as to labor relations. How will they explain their decisions to date?

I'm not saying I've made up my mind, but I will say that anyone that thinks this is the company extending an olive branch is likely disconnected from the way these things are done in the modern era. Consider your vote carefully unless you are 100% happy with:

the status quo,
plus 8%,
minus 33% of your current status quo profit sharing check.

I will add one final detail. I hear the "yes" guys arguments with respect to supporting the MEC's position. But in my ALPA experience, it's important to contact your rep directly to ensure that you understand their thinking, rather than expecting a blastmail to give the nuances to you.

Once the hubbub dies down, I intend to do this and my rep will know my decision before I fill out the ballot.

 

How would the flight attendants react if we took a 25% raise and they only got 17%. Versus giving us 8% now, and another 17% in 18 months (hopeful) with a new CBA. I don't think that would stink as bad in their eyes. I'm sure the company doesn't want another union on the property. I would be surprised if this didn't have anything to do with it.
Sorry guys, but I don't think it's just about us (pilots) this go around.

 

Agreed. At this point I'm only hopeful that everyone sees this for what it really is. Simply a play to the NMB. Either way we take it is lessening our leverage with the NMB and there is nothing we can do about it except get more unified. Get the damn ALPA flare on, go to the meetings, join a committee, follow the SOP, FSM, and fly safe.

 

I really hope you are shooting for more than that. The minute the DAL contract goes into effect I'm 39% underpaid. Jan 1 it will be 34% underpaid. That's on 320 rates and 321 flying is becoming a good chunk of our flying.

 

See! It is a trick from management. They just discovered a way to figure out 30% of our pilots are retarded without making them take a test.

 

Lets get that number up to 40

 

Can you explain the math on this one? Listen I'm all for fighting for a large pay increase, but if you are talking straight Pay rates then I think your math is wrong. If you are talking overall contract, I'd hope that our non Pay sections would be dramatically improved as well to bring us to legacy standards.

 

The 8% was offered to all non-unionized employees, and extended to the pilot group. They extended it to us during negotiations and we are angry. Can you imagine the anger if they hadn't offered it to the pilots as well? As Pilots, we have a some say in the efficiency of these airplanes. I hear alot of 3 engine taxi talk now, if they didn't offer the 8%, I think the gear and spoilers might get extended indefinitely.

 

Its not anger, its just a question of motive. You say its to influence or appease some of the pilots. I agree. It doesnt necessarily make it a good thing during negotiations, thus the MEC's tepid response.