btw, you dont want a union at skywest or ever? thats a dangerous attitude to take with you especially if you want to work at a legacy carrier

Completely agree, ALPA's not the reason for Mesa's problem. It was their MEC's attempt to bring the flying JO was "outsourcing" to then Freedom Airlines. At that point in time Mesa's MEC only cared about bringing the flying back in house and to ensure the problem never happens again. Cause of this they accepted a ******y contract.

My card is in, I think it should at least go to a vote.

ALPA isn't without it's problems, but you couldn't afford an in house independent union. All ALPA pilots pay 1.95% dues, but all ALPA pilots are not created equal. The big boys, pay a lot more and bring in a lot more revenue. How that translates to them is 20% of their dues dollar stays with them to pay for the operation of their MEC's. 80% goes to pay for the national operation and to subsidize regional MEC's. The reason ALPA would be best is that as a regional pilot your dues dollar becomes two when you're under the ALPA umbrella. Additionally ALPA has the best infrastructure in pilot representation. Would you what to pay the legal bills while some lawyer learns the business? If SKW happened to get a change in management and you got into a big fight ALPA has deep pockets to support you when an independent would have to roll over do to a lack of money. Either way SKW pilots will do the business of representing SKW pilots, but why you would want to tie one arm behind their back is beyond me. Don't kid yourself, if SKW were to organize an independent would be a big mistake.

Strike Funds!!

What percentage of pilots "GET FIRED?" I bet .00000001%

What percentage of pilots have to deal with the poor working conditions at MESA? (It's 100%). If you are honest, work hard, have a great personality, and are willing to learn, there is no reason for you to GET FIRED!

If you are worried about getting fired . . . . 1) You probably have none of the characteristics above, and 2) you probably are a really really bad pilot.

So screw ALPA.

except when you go to upgrade, have a bad day on your checkride and there is no second chance... i believe the call it up or out. :) that is probably not the best way to handle someone who messed up on their checkride,, we all have bad days, but to lose your job over it???

And that is the point... they don't need a reason to fire you!!!

I can tell you have no idea what's going on at the airlines. You don't GET FIRED because you mess up a checkride. If you mess up two, three or four; You might. Chances are that you'll be relegated to a carer FO. So I say again, if the only reason for ALPA is to ensure you don't get fired . . .THEN FORGET IT. I'd rather pay my own lawyer.

And i can tell you have no idea about skywest upgrade policy!!! read it and then come back and talk to me.

Funny Stuff
 

LOL I love it how we regional pilots eat out own, its amazing we all brag my airline is better than yours my pay is better than yours.. One things for sure the pay and most of the work rules will remain ****ty as long as we have no Unity...

SKW policy is “Up or Out” on your initial upgrade, but you get three strikes before being FIRED. If you fail your final systems test on the first attempt that's 1 strike, any additional failure is another strike. F up your V1 cut, steep turns and 0 flap landing on your first attempt of your checkride, that's your 2nd strike (regardless of how many problems on the ride it counts as one strike and each ride would be one strike). Then on IOE you have a series of problems that accounts for you not completing IOE by 50 hrs, that's your 3rd strike. If this was you initial upgrade (FO to CA) and not a transition up grade (EMB CA to CRJ CA) then "YOU'RE FIRED!" If you’re a transition CA then you get 2 chances with a 6 month lock in between attempts and if you don’t pass the second time I think you’re stuck in your current CA position.

BUT, if it’s your first attempt at upgrade and you get 3 strikes YOUR FIRED. You don’t get strikes for small stuff, they are large screw ups. At SKW if you’ve got the right attitude you’ll be fine. I asked one of our SKW DE’s and he said that he only knows of one or two in the last few years that failed their initial upgrade and were fired, but they were fired. It’s BS but with out a union there’s nothing we can do about it, it's called “At Will Employment.”