Continental and AirTran Offer Aid to Fellow ALPA Pilots in Need
Continental MEC chairman Capt. Jay Pierce made a formal request this week to Continental management to extend preferential hiring for pilots from Midwest and ASTAR as those airlines ramp down flying and furlough pilots.

Pierce commented, “The brotherhood of ALPA runs deep, and a pilot group supporting another in times of need is just one example of how ALPA as a whole is so much stronger than the sum of our individual parts.”

Continental management approved the preferential hiring request and is in the process of drafting a letter, which will be forwarded to Midwest custodian Capt. Tony Freitas and ASTAR MEC chairman Capt. Pat Walsh.

AirTran MEC Chairman Linden Hillman announced last week at ALPA’s Executive Board Meeting that the AirTran MEC has requested and the company agreed to extend preferential hiring to former Midwest pilots.
“We didn’t join ALPA only to receive,” Hillman told the members of the Executive Board. “We joined ALPA to give.”

 

Very nice to hear this... way to stick together.

 

I may be missing something, but doesn't both CAL & AAI currently have guys on furlough?

 

I don't know the answer to your question, but this would be for when they hire.
fbh

 

And the time to get this in writing is before they start hiring.

Nice gesture. I hope it helps.

 

By the way, preferential hiring for ALPA pilots is written into the Delta contract.

 

I believe only CAL has pilots on furlough

 

CAL has 147 on furlough!

 

CAL has pilots on furlough, but ATN does not. We have a few pilots that bypassed and are basically on leave, but everyone has been offered a chance to come back already. Hiring will probably start within the next six months.

 

Barring a merger, we (CAL) have been told 2010 MAY contain hiring. In April, 100+ pilots that took leaves of absence are slated to return. We have 147 pilots on furlough, and several of those have indicated they would bypass a recall. A clearer picture of staffing requirements should come out in the January(?) bid. It would be great if we could get some Midwest & ASTAR guys on board by the 3rd Quarter (though I wouldn't wish this contract on anyone). In the interim, the retirements continue - I'm up 58 numbers on December's staffing report.
The second week of December, our contract (including economic portions) is presented to management and will be shared with the pilot group shortly thereafter. At that point the sky will continue to fall, and we will be threatened with order cancellations, more furloughs, and 200 more Q-400's. That's all I know. Back to my cave.