Thanks. I wasn't referring to number of passengers. But thanks for showing us how "smart" you are.

You're kidding, right?
NWA is canceling flights right and left. Doesn't matter how big your presence is if you don't have the crews to work your flights.
As far as your Delta comment goes, I was stuck behind a line of DAL MD-88s in ATL yesterday. Care to guess who didn't design the -80 series?

And EVERY SINGLE time I taxi out a CAL plane is between the runways waiting on a hour+ ground stop to Sewerk or IAH. What's your point?

My point is that if you wanted to show why CAL isn't the industry leader - note that I'm not taking a side on this one - you should use better examples.

We fly to more destinations internationally than any other US carrier. Like my compatriots, I'm not for tooting any horns but at least get your facts straight.

PS, our management and our contract absolutely sucks.

Some people like to pretend that since Boeing merged with MD, all aircraft are now Boeings. If it was made before the merger, its not a Boeing! They do call the fighters the Boeing F-15 and F-18 though. I've have heard more than one old timer say "I don't work for the Boeing Company. I work for McDonnell Douglas, a wholy owned subsidiary of the Boeing Company."

The three legacies you listed all just emerged from bankruptcy. CAL exited thier 2nd b'ruptcy, what 12, 13 years ago? Hell, US has done it twice since 9/11. The latest rumours have CAL as the carrier buying out one of the three others, probably the "world's largest airline" (in 1985). CALs starting pay is the same as AA's and better than US's. And CAL has the distinction of having new hires. A better metric would be fourth year pay. CAL has four year pilots(holding Captain). None of the other legacies do, if I'm not mistaken. Please pull your head out of your fourth point of contact and join the 21st century.

The question remains, if CAL is an industry leader, how are they leading the industry? Certainly not in sheer size. CAL's management team has been very forthright about not wanting to be the biggest anything just for the sake of Ego.

You can justify the claim of industry leader in terms of cash flow, and customer service. Since 9/11 they never lost as much as thier peer group, and have been making money for a while now. Also, you don't read CAL hate mail in USA Today the way you do about some others, especially UAL. Evidently the service at CAL is somewhat better than thier peers in that regard too.

TIME OUT THREAD DRIFT!



Just the facts please! We do have a POS contract no doubt. But compared to the industry the following is true.

Our entire POS Contract is better than NWA's hands down. Our POS contract has higher pay rates then UAL, NWA, USAirways, and just about the same or slightly higher than DAL.

As a 12yr plus plus (in my 20th year but pay rates max out at 12) 737 CA my 2006 compensation:
W2: $180K
Stock Options: $13K
Profit Sharing: $12.5K
B Fund: $15K

Total Compensation not including retirement $205.5K how does that compare to a 12 year narrow body captain that those companies?

Look our contract stinks and I am ready to work my tail off for our union to get a real industry leading contract light years ahead of what we have now, but please get your facts straight when comparing us to the rest of the industry!

Then what were you refering to? Please enlighten us with your knowledge!

CALPilotToo,

If you were involved then you probably know me. I was Vice Chairman of the Strike Committee under John Prater Contract 97. Ran the EWR IACP/ALPA Merger Crew room campaign 2001. Very publicly demonstrated against our former weak, incompetent corrupt and even criminal MEC and Key Committee Members during Contract 02. Was threatened with lawsuits by many but didn't care because I wanted our pilots to know the truth about who then was representing us.

I can certainly understand and share your frustrations about our history. When I came back to work for our union a few months ago the first time I was back in the MEC office in almost four years I checked under the desks, in the closets and everywhere and found no evidence of any of Panerallo's regime, not even any ghosts.

Today we have a real MEC, have you ever read anything like this blast mail from the Houston reps before?

Our pilot group last time came within less than 350 votes of voting NO on contract 02. That was with an apathetic pilot group and while management and the union was threatening those returning from furlough's if they voted No they would be out of a job in a few weeks.

Our pilot group today is made up of a consistency of a totally more radical pilot group willing to do what it takes and I have the Wilson polling data to prove it. By the way the Wilson polling data predicated within two percentage points the actual ratification results from Contract 02.

Look I have promised myself this is the last time I will ever be involved with ALPA or any union representing the Continental pilots if we aren't remotely successfully in Contract 08 for whatever reason. I ask you to put aside your feelings and work with us your union and more importantly your 5000 union brothers and sisters to get a real contract. No excuses if you don't you only have yourself to blame,

Fraternally,

Jayson Baron