travelJunky

Anyone know how Pinnacle's picket in DTW went today?

Are they still cancelling flights and getting fined by NWA for crew shortages? July was supposed to be a baaaad month, worse that March. What a mis-managed mess.

machaf

Yes. And its only going to continue getting worse until the pilots get a contract. PCL Management has yet to figure this out.

PinnacleFO

You know, at first, I thought that management did all this stuff like not negotiate openly and make demands for last best and final offers becuase they were negotiation tactics. Now, I know it is just becuase they are plain stupid in upper management. Tranery has absolutely no idea what he is doing. Even middle management people are getting worried. Yesterday we had a new hire class start with 6 people in it! Why even start the class? With NWA going to hire, United, and all the others, the only way to get people to come to your regional as opposed to others is to pay better and have better work rules. You cant use the quick upgrade time anymore becuase every regional has that. These guys in management are stubborn arrogant but above all, just stupid, plain stupid. And now they want to start flying for Delta, when we already pay millions of dollars in performance penalties?

There was one time last september when we were the closest we were to being adequately staffed, and that was when we had that string of almost 2 weeks without a cancelled flight. Then those a holes cancelled 2 captain vacancies for no reason and we have NEVER recovered from it. Just like Mainline NWA, you reap what you sow and this whole system is imploding itself. Even Mesaba, they dont even want our 200's anymore cause they cant take them staffing wise.

ShyGuy

Not Eagle. Unless you consider 8 yrs as "quick" for an ERJ upgrade...




PinnacleFO, I've heard PNCL is desperate for pilots.

I knew this one guy who lives very close to DTW, and was very ecstatic about getting hired with Pinnacle and being homebased. I know him very well, he's very sharp, technically very competent.

Unfortunately, he didn't get hired.

Not only that, Pinnacle folks have been telling pilots "phone call if it's good news, letter in the mail if it's bad news."

However, he got a phone call 2 days after the interview to tell him he WASN'T hired.



Apparently, he said he might have messed up the situational questions. He told me exactly what they asked him and what he answered. I didn't think there was anything wrong with his answers.

But who knows, maybe the truth is hidden somewhere as to why he didn't make it.


Kinda has me worried, I'm interviewing next month. I'll do my best. Sure, I can try with XJT, Skywest, RAH, etc, but in all those jobs, I'll be commuting.

With Pinnacle, no commuting.

Fingers crossed, studying hard, and hoping for the best!

Airsupport

true. i honestly think management stopped using negotiating tactics a long time ago and just started being stupid. i was just reading our message board and it appears scheduling is BEGGING people for help. no one is answering the phone, what do they expect.

i am sure you will do fine. who knows what they are thinking. i had a friend interview here and he didn't get the job the first time, but came back and got hired. so who knows. good luck and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

higney85

They are desperate for pilots without a doubt, but they are still giving interviews at the previous level of expectations. I remember when I interviewed it was no cake walk, but a little studying and looking at the gouges and you were good to go. I wonder why they don't use the sim anymore though- that weeded out a good number of people as I recall. Now its some "scenario based" test where you have to make things called "decisions"...

rvr350

I feel sad that they don't hire the folks that actually live close to one of the domiciles. Because those are the folks that will have "higher" tolerances to the torture they'll receive for their duration of their stay. But at least if you live in base, it'll make it a little bit "easier".

I wish i was there for the DTW picketing today, but I'm at a new job now...

G-Dog

Was the contract with Northwest dependent on whether or not management and the pilot group completed their contract? Please shed some light on this.

Airsupport

the contract was only dependent on 17 planes being removed from us if we didn't have a deal by march 31. latest word is that the planes are going no where any way. i was talking to a dispatcher and all the planes are still on the schedule through the end of the year.. not that it means they still wont be taken away but i heard mesaba is having a tough enough time staffing their own planes, plus the new ones to take on any more. not that we are doing a much better job.

GliderCFI

I don't know about the picketing but the 750 bonus my class was promised? Well I just called payroll and apparently they just made the decision to not pay us since we didn't start in june, even though they told our class months ago we'd get it... Actually called the union rep whom then called the assistant chief pilot who said he was just asked what could be done to attract more pilots. Is management really this dense?