Have been on the block since the BOD got rid of the poison pill. But, looks like they are trying to get furloughs back as quick as they can and do the SEA ETOPS training. They did not plan for needing the furloughs back during the ETOPS training so once again they are behind the ball. Just wait till Christmas season rolls around the sick calls come in. Was told today retirements are being dropped with little notice and they expect that to start increasing. The problem with retirements nowadays is they cannot plan for them like they could with age 60. Guys are leaving at different spots with little notice.

Moose,

Do you know if a bunch of guys submitted their paperwork today? I am not a financial guru, but apparently there are some tax implications on your lump sum if you retire in early 2011 vs. late this year. It's to the tune of $50k. So, gummers who want to go within the next few months are better off turning in their paperwork today... something to do with November interest rates. See TL's post on the WebBoards under "Retirement & Insurance."

No. Was told the old timers are dropping papers here and there with little/no notice and they expect it to increase. They are way behind the curve right now due to ETOPS and furlough training. She did say if I came back from mil LOA early I would not really hurt a furloughee as they are all coming back. Don't plan on coming back though for awhile.

Is this a definite?

No. I told her I heard all the furloughs were coming back by next summer and she said they have to. It was not an official yes, but her take on what she is seeing in Crew Planning. I'm just not sure how many they can bring back with all the SEA ETOPS training going on.

Have they even STARTED SEA Etops training? I think PDX is eating their lunch all by it's lonesome...

Prior planning prevents poor performance. Its a lesson the 2nd floor has never learned.

...if that's the case, then recalling us furloughees at a rate of six per month is not going to cut it. Additionally, the remainder of us furloughees need the full training course (two months worth). Therefore, if we consider that summer travel season starts with Memorial Day at the end of May, then the last batch of furloughees would need to start training in early April. In my opinion, its too late to have us all back by summer. Doing rough math, I am coming up with 15 recalls in the schoolhouse per month, starting December to get us all back. :eek:

The company is going to have to resort to buying sim time from someone else (Flight Safety or Boeing) and possibly even using non-Alaska instructors. I'm sure they're going to want us to give them relief on back-side-of-the-clock sim sessions. I don't have a problem with using a third party's sims. As much as I want to see all the furloughed pilots back pronto, we absolutely cannot give on the back-side-of-the-clock training. As for using non-Alaska instructors, I don't like this either. Our cadre of instructors will put up a good fight on this issue I'm sure. If the company wants to sign a side-letter for, say, a 6-month relief on these issues to get people back, then it might be worth looking at.

So that's what that super secret union meeting with the company was for last monday?

Probably...