So what are you telling me here? I am not or do not match the "Mainstream SkyWest Pilot"? I will have to send a email to Camille telling her she made a mistake on hiring me (Because I am not Mainstream) and better re-think her decision to keep me in the pilot ranks. I would have been ok with this package (And I feel many others as well) if we could have gotten a 3% COLA over the next few years. (2% at the very least) SkyWest can afford it and still be very competitive in the market place! Then again....what do I know......I am just a dumb turbo-propeller first officer! Time to move on.

 

I feel like I've said this many times here, but no, I don't think .32% is good. In case you haven't noticed, I kinda parody that a bit. But I didn't vote for little ole me. The overwhelming majority of pilots got something much better.

So, again, not sure what praises I've "sung" for this pay raise. It's still not emotional for me. Since I don't feel that the overall package was "pathetic", considering we were eligible to get zero, I doubt that in two years, I'll be singing praises or bemoaning, like is so frequent here.

It's business.

 

The facts are self evident. Would you contest what I stated? 90+% of the responses here are either emotional, against the pay increase, or both.

Very simply, it doesn't reflect the actual vote. Not even close. Not for the ALPA drive either. And I predict, it won't in the future.


Yes, it is.

 

Would you be so kind to explain to us the "current regional environment" Would it be the part of the environment that points to regional service shrinking. Our major partners struggling to stay on top financially in the current environment. Or would it be the part of the environment that should have us all feeling lucky we have jobs? This is a pivotal year for all regional airlines. Call it Kool Aid drinking if you want this is not the year to be throwing money around like it's September 10th 2001 again.

 

I heard that ASA got 1% COLA, which is probably why they offered that to us. IF that is true, we can thank them for that.

 

And its that business that says you will be eligible to get zero in two years as well.

But Skywest specifically has >$700 MILLION in the bank and making about $150 MILLION a year!

 

Very, very well said...

 

I believe that's right... same as ASA... and the $1.65 per diem, same as ASA, except we get ours in Jan 2009, and they get there's 18 months after their contract (so, summer-ish 2009).

I'm confident that the usual rhetoric applies.

 

I’d like to say I’m perplexed, that I’m confused, but I’m not. Our Mgmnt group is the best in the industry at what they do. They have 35+ years of proof (growth, profits, stability and labor management). They know what to do and how to do it in order to give up just enough to retain their large profits, while keeping the majority happy enough to vote in managements favor. As far as examples, you don’t have to look very far to get more than you need, with the last union vote and two pay proposals leading the pack. Please don’t get me wrong and don’t spin my meaning, I’m just stating the obvious.

I respect our pilots, I think that we have a quality group that does an exceptional job, but it baffles me that they would rather settle for being near the top instead of on top. Unfortunately, without representation and a quality bargaining team, we’ll never achieve the level we so richly deserve. Our pilot group leads the way when it comes to performance and Kool-Aid drinking; but not when it comes to pay. The large majority of SKW pilots feel that being near the top without having to fight for it is worth more than an extra 5% they’d gain if they had to struggle and battle for it. Although I don’t completely agree, it’s no reason to bash them. We're not crossing picket lines, we don't work for an alter-ego airline and our total compensation package plus QOL is at least good enough to rank us among the top. Just because we’re not union doesn’t mean we’re bringing down our industry. No, GoJet and Orenstein are bringing down the industry.

I do not agree with TW's philosophy or views and I feel that he has become a true SAPA Rep in accordance with SAPA’s disappointing history. But, we’ve seen what happens when we get the type of SAPA rep we need, Mgmnt runs them off. Just ask our last President.

SKW is a top tier regional airline regardless of representation or not, but they could be so much more. Unfortunately, I can honestly say that it will never happen while I’m here and if it does ever happen it will be long after I’m gone. 65% against representation and 70% in favor of this BS pay proposal tells me that the majority of SKW pilots are consuming something stronger than Mgmnt’s Kool-Aid. I’d go as far as to call it Mgmnt’s moonshine, straight from Jerry's basement still. Maybe mixed with some fruit punk and fruit to create Jerry's Moonshine Hooch.

 

Thank you my friend!