jtf560

There is a union message board penalty box if you break the rules of the message board. There are plenty of people that post things that the union doesn't like that aren't put in the penalty box simply because they followed the rules. Anybody can share their opinion and those who don't take personal shots can continue to share their opinion. Their are definitely some that will continually try to discredit anyone with a different opinion, but nobody gets shut off for their opinion. Your 1st amendment comment is simply wrong. If you get shut off, it is because you broke the rules and a differing opinion is NOT something that is breaking the rules.

ExecJet99

That’s the problem. The base pay is way too low and always has been here. We are not helping anyone by extending the VED LOA. They’ve been using soft money to get people in the door and then they control how much flying you get and how many VEDs you get. Sorry. They lied to you. This has to stop so we all can get a decent base pay.
You were hired last year. And now regional new hires are starting at $100k. That’s why we need to have a little pain for us and the company to get what we want.
I will spare you the crap about how I started at$ 27500 and built this place. Blah blah blah. But I will say what I’ve learned. This company comes to us when ever they want relief from a problem that THEY created. Not sooner. And they will come. But we have to stop enabling them.

FracCracka

We aren’t trying to cut our noses off. We’re trying to get the rest of the 2700 of us to stop bailing out the Bridgeway Brigade’s poor scheduling efficiency, and ostrich-like strategy to pilot hiring and retention.

You’re helping yourself and you’re helping the company.

We’re supposed to be helping each other.

Das Auto

You're right, but its not like the company is refusing to hire while trying to squeeze more out of the existing workforce is it? The training dept is at near max capacity with new hires and upgrades. VED works for everyone. Leave it alone.
Complaining about new shirts that don't fit properly, crew meals not arriving on time, and the Hasbrouck Heights Hilton just makes us look like a bunch of cry babies too. Why don't we focus on keeping a simple message? The current salaries are not keeping up with inflation and other carriers have significantly increased their compensation in an effort to attract and retain. Our turn now.

ExecJet99

The company has only/always come to the union to fix the problems that THEY created. This is another one. We are just enabling them with the VED. If we don’t keep the 2.5 that doesn’t mean you can’t still extend. And may others that have over extended themselves for the last 2 years will. If you want to get a base pay increase that’s the first step. Then we will almost be as attractive as a regional. Very soon we won’t be able to fill the classes and the attrition will skyrocket. It’s already starting to happen. They will come to us soon. To fix the problems that they created.

jtf560

I personally like the VEDs and take full advantage of the program, but if the overall group says they must go for leverage, I'll be OK with that because it will put pressure on the company to up the salary part of the compensation that everyone will get. As far as not complaining about hotels and crew food and the uniform, I don't agree. When you have been here for a while, you will get very tired of the company failing to provide adequate service to us. Just complaining doesn't do much until enough people get fed up and use the use union surveys to get leadership to aggressively take these problems on. If the majority is lead to set the parking brake until adequate food is obtained (in a reasonable manner), the company will magically find a way to fix the issue (spend more money to get caterers to care and keep the metal moving). Or when the hotel sucks and doesn't provide adequate rest, leadership could lead the majority to call in fatigued or to "mitigate" their schedule to get adequate rest. This will get the company to make a needed change. The little things that affect our quality of life will be magnified as you get older and as the job itself starts to "get old".

jtf560

I think that the union president should want to stay at the company that he works for. His post did say that he is young enough to start over somewhere else without harming his household very much. He also said that he will follow the desires of the group- as in what the majority ask for via surveys and how the last survey (from March) showed that 69% of the membership wants to keep a non aggressive working relationship with management. There is a survey going on right now so now is the time to let the union leadership know that you want a more aggressive stance and maybe if you get enough pilots riled up, that is what the majority will request. Pedro fully knows how to take the aggressive path if the majority asks for it, but until the majority and not just those that post a lot, tell him to go to war, he won't be leading that way.

I am requesting a more aggressive stance, but I don't think we should take it to 2015 levels yet. Until management truly believes there is a problem recruiting and retaining enough pilots (and convinces the Bershire board that actually controls the purse strings to open them), it will be a much harder fight to move the compensation to adequate levels. The company has already lowered the mins twice in the last year or so to attract new hires and attrition is most definitely starting to creep up, especially from those who were hired recently. That is our true leverage and the best leverage we will have. I personally believe that the union cranking things up like 2015 before the hiring and attrition have truly ripened will not achieve results that we will be happy with. There is a risk that we go into a bad enough recession that the spigot to the airlines and good cargo will slow down enough for the company to keep their head above water with enough crews, but I'm willing to take that risk to go for big gains and I'll support union leadership as long as they are following the will of the majority.

Peabody17

jtf,

I also support the union leadership. However, with the latest announcement of a HUGE pay raise by Horizon, on top of all the other regional pay raises announced, I feel the time to pressure management is now…or very, very soon. The longer we wait, the higher the chances of something happening which decreases our bargaining power.

HeavyD

The 2.5 VED will not snap back to 1.5 due to pilots. It will happen because of management. The survey that is currently ongoing will probably show this.

Das Auto

Yes but pick your battles. Right now the focus should be on increasing compensation. The other stuff is a distraction. I've never had a problem with getting meal deviations when my crew food was no show. Maybe increasing the deviation amount idue to inflation is a legit argument though.