hahahaha, so much ignorance in one post i don't know where to start,, so i want, i will let everyone else tell you how stupid your comment is and that you have proven that you have no idea what you are talking about.... cheap rates?? we dont even have rates for the 900, your crummy contract at asa will decide what we get paid. oops, there i go.. i will stop here..i have beaten this horse to death, just click on my name, read my posts, and educate yourself.

 

Ignorant....Bring it on! I'll compare our OLD contract against yours any day...not to mention the new one we're about to sign. I'll bet you anything you got that you take a cheap rate to 'get them on the property, or grow your little baby!' Everybody knows Pinnacle bid those planes at the thinnest of margins to win the flying, something Skywest refuses to do. See, thin margins are bad business in the long run. (See Mesa). So, your management needs you to fly them for cheap in the wort way to eeke out any profit at all. So expect to get beat up on those rates.....

As I said...enjoy!

 

Our contract was signed at the begging of 2000. we did nothing to get those planes, we dont have payrates for them, they will be assigned by the arbitrator based on all 900 rates in the country, so the only way we will get beat up on the rates is if everyone elses rates suck. we didn't take concessions to win the delta contract, we aren't taking concessions to keep it (hence the almost 3 years without a contract), so dont get your panties in a bunch. we are just 2 years behind you guys as far as contract negotiations go (we will probably surpass you at the rate we are going).. as you can see every thing you said in your post is incorrect. you obviously didn't do your homework assignment... like i said go read my posts, then we can talk.

 

This is the rumors I've heared. With Pinnacles 900's coming to the ATL, SKW will bring all of there 900's back to SLC. SKW will start more Mexico flying from SLC.

 

SLC just started awarding pilot domiciles again(for SKW)...I'll be there on 01-01-08 along with a few of my old classmates. The movement seems to be true...

 

More people took SLC than left it on the 10/4 award, but we only have a few reserves here, so that would bring us closer to proper staffing more than poise us for growth. I'm not saying the 900s aren't heading west (that makes a certain amount of sense), just that this isn't neccesarily the evidence of it.

 

I would say this is for low staffing numbers more than anything. It would be nice to see something other then red arrows on Sked+. SKW could only bring as many 900's back to SLC per month as Pinnacle brings online. Figure two a month it will take a few months if it's true. Could the ditch be the grandcayon? The same one I flew over to many times? Welcome to SLC.

 

I realize pay rates aren't everything, but your FO buddies at Colgan get paid more flying a turbo prop that you do for flying a 50 seat jet. I don't know your contract, but I've never heard anybody say Pinnacle was a great place to go for QOL. Maybe I'm just ignorant as well, but I suspect you're being touchy.

My bet is that SKW pulls the 900s from ATL and that ASA takes the flying over. Seems innefficient to have both operating there.

 

ok,, i think i can handle this....

my fo buddies don't make more flying the turbo prop, only the second year fo pay is higher than ours, and remember those are blended rates for the saab and the q 400, ours is straight rj200. our captains flying the rj with 50 seats make more then those flying the q400 with 76 seats. so maybe you should look at these web pages before you make those wild statements..

http://airlinepilotcentral.com/airli.../pinnacle.html
http://airlinepilotcentral.com/airli...olgan_air.html

believe it or not,, the web site has lots of info, its not just a message board.

and i don't think i am being touchy, just correcting that guy who was trying to call me out earlier.. yes our contract is over 7 years old, and yes we are about to enter year 3 of not having a new contract. no we are not known for the best qol, pay, or anything else.. infact we don't have much going for us at all right now except moving up in seniority fast and upgrading when you want.. i am ready to do what is needed for a new contract and will be doing my part to make sure we get one.

pinnacle will be flying the 900's in atl, slc, and lax. we will start in atl (look at deltas new timetable and you will see we are already printed in there).

 

Wave,

I'll tell you how. The way the system has historically worked is that each represented group bargains for improvements off of the latest guys contract. i.e. leap frog up in the good times/ management will do the same in the opposite direction in the bad times.

The way it works with the unionized carriers and Skywest is.... we fight for better contracts through our dues, our lawyers, our efforts, and then to keep you happy, Jerry matches it. Matching isn't leaping.

Finally, their is the ethical angle. I know slaphappy will jump in here and I won't engage him when he does, but is it right that unionized groups through their dues, lawyers, PACs, efforts, and strikes drive the industry up and non union carriers ride the coat tails? I think no.

Now Slap will get on here and post over and over that ASA only wants Skywest to unionized because of selfish reasons like it will slow upgrades and we want quick upgrades at our airline.

I can promise you that is simply false. He CAN NOT make a blanket statement like that because the majority of people I talk too who want Skywest to unionize are all Captains. Plus, you can add in the fact that we are upgrading over 30 a month now and plan to for the rest of the year +. Given the fact that ASA is a smaller company than Skywest, percentage wise, the upgrades are running at about the same rate.

Finally, I can't attribute this directly to slap, but several Skywest pilots have posted on here that ALPA only wants the money from Skywest.

I'm not sure if we have punched through the ceiling yet, but as of a few years ago, ASA was still in the hole. That's right, ALPA national had given us more money (for strike preperation, lawyers, expenses, etc.) than ASA dues put into the system. When ALPA takes on a new airline, you get all the bennies of a national Union from day one and that cost a lot of money. It takes years for the carrier and union to break even.

For me (ten+ year 70 Captain) Skywest unionizing is about two things.

1. If you're ALPA we will have a better relationship between pilot groups and hopefully keep JA from whipsawing the two groups against each other.

2. I truly believe in my heart it is the ethical thing to do. If you (as a group) benefit from us busting hump for 5 years to get a contract shouldn't you (as a group) also contribute?


I am not some hard core ALPA guy. they did save my bacon once, and I know the value of a strong union first hand but I'll be the first to admit it's not perfect. But it is the best show going and in the long run, we will all be better off.

Sincerly,

Stick