Midwest is DONE!
09-25-2009 | 04:50 AM
#11
Line Holder
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 529
Likes: 0
I'm no lawyer but wouldn't BB manipulating AM be a federal offense? If not, isn't in the best interest of the profession to look into this so as to stop future manipulations to screw other pilot groups in the future?
Last edited by likeitis; 09-25-2009 at 05:47 AM.
09-25-2009 | 04:53 AM
#12
Weekend and Holiday Pilot
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 1
From: Sippin' at the Troubadour
No dog in this fight but I wonder how it would have shaken out if AirTran would have been successful in their merger attempt with Midwest...
Good luck to all the Midex pilots, classy group of folks.
Good luck to all the Midex pilots, classy group of folks.
09-25-2009 | 05:16 AM
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 5,602
Likes: 361
Who care? It doesn't matter now. It couldn't have turned out any worse if that's what you're asking. What's worse than the entire airline getting furloughed?
09-25-2009 | 05:31 AM
#14
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 867
Likes: 0
So... Fight for PLAIN LANGUAGE NON LAWYER SPEAK scope before you get a letter like this:
There simply is no way to sugar coat this so here it is. Yesterday was a bad day for us. As you know, yesterday we had our grievance hearing on the scope arbitration. Even before the hearing began we were informed that all of our remaining aircraft would be returned and all our remaining pilots would be furloughed on November 3, 2009. While we all knew this was coming, it is obviously sooner than any of us were led to believe.
Unfortunately, that was not the worst of it. After both sides presented opening arguments in our grievance case, the arbitrator called the attorneys aside and spoke to them at length. Essentially he told us that, given the fact that Boeing was recalling the 717s because it had a buyer for those aircraft (a claim made by the company that we had no evidence to rebut), there was no way he could find that the company had an obligation to continue to pay pilots who, through no fault of the company, no longer had planes to fly. While we did discuss this at length, the reality was that we knew we did not have the evidence to prove the company voluntarily returned the 717s. We had the burden on this point and we simply did not have the evidence to prevail. Unfortunately, a ruling that the company could furlough pilots as the planes were returned could have an adverse impact our seniority arbitration case. We therefore stipulated to a more limited issue for the system board’s determination, that is, what the status was of the pilots who would be replaced through no fault of their own at the time the 717s were returned. The arbitrator made an arbitrator’s ruling that the pilots who were active at the time of Republic’s purchase would be considered as “active pilots in a non-pay or benefit” status upon the grounding of the 717s.
Quite honestly, we don’t know what the value of that ruling will be in the seniority arbitration case, only time will tell. We will continue our fight to get a fair and equitable seniority integration, but I would be lying to say that we are in a good place. I couldn’t even speculate on what the timeline for a seniority integration would be, let alone what the outcome of that process might look like. I can only commit to you that as long as we have a fight we can make, we will make it. I am sorry we were not able to achieve more. The work that the Merger and Grievance Committees have been putting in has been tremendous and I hope you will take the time to acknowledge their efforts.
There simply is no way to sugar coat this so here it is. Yesterday was a bad day for us. As you know, yesterday we had our grievance hearing on the scope arbitration. Even before the hearing began we were informed that all of our remaining aircraft would be returned and all our remaining pilots would be furloughed on November 3, 2009. While we all knew this was coming, it is obviously sooner than any of us were led to believe.
Unfortunately, that was not the worst of it. After both sides presented opening arguments in our grievance case, the arbitrator called the attorneys aside and spoke to them at length. Essentially he told us that, given the fact that Boeing was recalling the 717s because it had a buyer for those aircraft (a claim made by the company that we had no evidence to rebut), there was no way he could find that the company had an obligation to continue to pay pilots who, through no fault of the company, no longer had planes to fly. While we did discuss this at length, the reality was that we knew we did not have the evidence to prove the company voluntarily returned the 717s. We had the burden on this point and we simply did not have the evidence to prevail. Unfortunately, a ruling that the company could furlough pilots as the planes were returned could have an adverse impact our seniority arbitration case. We therefore stipulated to a more limited issue for the system board’s determination, that is, what the status was of the pilots who would be replaced through no fault of their own at the time the 717s were returned. The arbitrator made an arbitrator’s ruling that the pilots who were active at the time of Republic’s purchase would be considered as “active pilots in a non-pay or benefit” status upon the grounding of the 717s.
Quite honestly, we don’t know what the value of that ruling will be in the seniority arbitration case, only time will tell. We will continue our fight to get a fair and equitable seniority integration, but I would be lying to say that we are in a good place. I couldn’t even speculate on what the timeline for a seniority integration would be, let alone what the outcome of that process might look like. I can only commit to you that as long as we have a fight we can make, we will make it. I am sorry we were not able to achieve more. The work that the Merger and Grievance Committees have been putting in has been tremendous and I hope you will take the time to acknowledge their efforts.
This blows.
I remember a scene from one of the Smokey and the Bandit sequels. It had Big & Little Enos Burdette, a vintage bomber, pitchforks, and the "recycling" of some straw. TH really needs this same treatment.
I really miss the D52 cave, but not the deli.
09-25-2009 | 05:34 AM
#15
Thread Starter
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 306
Likes: 0
I'll tell you: Being entirely replaced by cheap labor flying aircraft painted in Midwest livery pretending to be Midwest Airlines.
Good luck with that boys!
Priceless.
09-25-2009 | 06:10 AM
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 312
Likes: 0
09-25-2009 | 06:22 AM
#17
Banned
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,857
Likes: 0
Sorry to see what's happening to you guys, then again this industry has gone:
from profits to greediness.
from CEO's to Scum-bags.
from pilots to Scabs*
*I also consider a Scab someone that takes a Job for less money than he should make, even if there is no line to cross.
Good luck to you. And for the way things are going, to all of us.
Cheers.
from profits to greediness.
from CEO's to Scum-bags.
from pilots to Scabs*
*I also consider a Scab someone that takes a Job for less money than he should make, even if there is no line to cross.
Good luck to you. And for the way things are going, to all of us.
Cheers.
09-25-2009 | 07:02 AM
#18
On Reserve
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: 777
What about the group of seasoned pilots that was furloughed due to the outsourcing that took place last September?! What about those pilots?! This isn't just about a small group that was there at the actual time that the purchase was announced... this was in the making long before that!
09-25-2009 | 07:14 AM
#19
Self Employed.
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,120
Likes: 0
From: Corporate Pilot
Shutdown
I don't know what is going on at MidEx but in reply to your question a complete shutdown and lay offs is worse than a furlough.
At least when you are furloughed there is a chance of getting your job back.
Skyhigh
09-25-2009 | 07:29 AM
#20
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,269
Likes: 0
What about the group of seasoned pilots that was furloughed due to the outsourcing that took place last September?! What about those pilots?! This isn't just about a small group that was there at the actual time that the purchase was announced... this was in the making long before that!
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