TonyWilliams

Silly posts ? Is this where we exchange insults ? You need to grow up.

It would be no surprise that many XJT guys and gals would be miffed at the provisions of SkyWest's offer ( I would be, too), but I would be honestly surprised that a majority would vote to (probably) put themselves on the street. Like there's lots of pilot jobs out there right now. But, stranger things have happened.

Listen, I really don't care whether our company buys XJT or not. I doubt seriously that there will be any short term benefit to the pilots at SKW or ASA, and only nebulous long term benefit. Obviously it's important to Jerry that he regain Continental business, and it's also important that we diversify to more carriers. Should United actually fail, for instance, we would be SCREWED (Delta, too, but I think they'll be ok).

Yes, our management will have their way with you

andy171773

I'm an outside perspective on the whole thing,...but does anyone else see SKW management as getting a bit greedy with maybe some $$ in their eyes.

Ya'll talk about XJET (or MAG) and ASA being whipsawed against each other....what do you think is stopping mgmt from whipsawing the SKW pilot group against these airlines?

I know i'll get messages saying "mgmt has always, and will always abide by our 'agreement'." but forgive me for being a tad pessimistic in saying this is a VERY different industry now..and in 6 months, it'll probably be an even more volatile landscape than it is now.

The bottom line is simple, with NO legally binding contract, mgmt can very easily do whatever they want, whenever they want..to whomever they want.

Don't forget, it's always..and i stress ALWAYS about the money.

Best of luck to every party involved.

waflyboy

LOL!!!! Snap!

ChinsFive

We'll negotiate with Chip and Jerry - we aren't going to vote something out of our contract unless we can put "something else" in there.

JoeyMeatballs

So proud to be part of SkyWest, ill be sure to thank you if/when we have 500 guys on the streets.................

Nevets

Trust me, the pilots aren't very impressed with the bargaining process either. The only reason why "involved himself" in the contract negotiations is because the NMB "involved" him when they required him to show up to the final day of negotiations with the threat that if they didn't come to an agreement the ASA pilots would be sent to a cooling off period.

As far as XJT contract provisions that "seriously limit the company," unless you think that having one seniority list seriously limits the company, there isn't anything in there that would. But if SKW got what they wanted they would be able to transfer aircraft without pilots and in essence would strip "its crews to then rehire them at first year pay and seniority." You are right though that the XJT pilots would do that to themselves if they let SKW get what they want without offering any protections and assurances. Remember, the CAL letter left the door open for XJT to come to terms with them if they provide the savings on the "magnitude" that SKW is offering.

It really does come down to SKW not wanting a certain labor group to organize. For all the talk that SKW treats their employees well but yet they are against wanting them to have a basic right to organize.

The pilots are open to SKW buying XJT out. But the deal has to be right. If it is not, I think they will rather have XJT management make their own deal with CAL instead. Like I said, the letter left that door open. This is just CAL's way of using SKW to whipsaw XJT into coming to terms to the savings on the "magnitude" that SKW is offering. Its a negotiating tactic. CAL wins either way.

Your management cannot have its way like they legally can with its "at-will" employees. They are required to bargain with us, per the RLA, if they want certain things removed from our contract. If the XJT MEC comes to an agreement on those terms, the pilots would be required to ratify the agreement. There is no legal way for SKW management to "have their way with" us.

TonyWilliams

If SKW buys your company, and a SKW, Inc pilot hits the street (which hasn't happened yet ever), I think it will forces very far outside Jerry and Chip's control.

And, of course, I'll have absolutely nothing to do with it.

rickair7777

I think this whole thing is really more about CAL not wanting to pay XJET a relatively high guaranteed profit margin.

If SKW comes in with a new agreement, fine by CAL. If XJET stands alone, they will either need to negotiate a new contract with CAL, or lose flying (probably all of it eventually).

Labor is not the big issue in this deal, but there are a few concerns...

JA is not likely to agree to any deal which would force-integrate the SKW pilots into a union pilot group. It goes against the grain of the company, and it would be quite hypocritical after all the effort they put into squashing alpa last year.

But what Tony said is probably true. SKW will likely get the CAL flying...either by buying XJET under terms acceptable to both parties, or by picking up the pieces after CAL terminates the XJET contract.

The other possibility is that XJET management will voluntarily reduce their contract margins to keep the CAL flying. But will your management cheerfully eat that lost margin...or will they come looking to labor to make up the difference?

My suggestion to the XJET folks would be to make a deal with Jerry. You can probably keep your compensation package and your flying that way, which is not a bad deal in today's regional market. This is alltruistic advice, it will not benefit me to have XJET part of SKW. Actually I would likely benefit more if XJET were left alone to be disassembled by CAL since the SKW group would probably gain flying.

I don't think JA wants contractual freedom to remove your flying, I think he simply wants to avoid a pilot list integration.

I won't say that there was zero whipsaw with the ASA purchase, but in the grand scheme of things there wasn't much and both groups now have essentially equal compensation. Also it would be MUCH harder to whipsaw XJET because of the CAL scope...SKW would need a new certificate to whipsaw you guys because ASA and SKW both operate 70+ seaters.

Nevets

It is about CAL not wanting to pay what we want to charge them but they also want to keep ALL the prohibited provisions of the CPA as well, like the MFN clause. They want their cake and eat it too. And why not. They wrote the CPA and then sold XJT off for $16 a share. They hold most of the cards and left XJT management with very little leverage other than taking any aircraft released and putting them to work somewhere else. But even that is restricted by clauses in the CPA.

CAL has left the door open for negotiation for a CPA with XJT. They have used SKW as a negotiating tactic. Its a win win for CAL because either they get the savings of the magnitude SKW has offered through the buyout or from XJT as an independent.

If XJT signs a deal with the same "magnitude" in savings that SKW was offering there will not be a release of aircraft. And even if they decided to release aircraft anyways, XJT has first right of refusal on them. There is no guarantee that SKW will get any CAL flying.

Our management has had two great opportunities to come to any of our labor groups for concessions. Once with the original release of the aircraft and then again when the arbitrator ruled that XJT must lower their CPA rate. But neither time have they come to us asking. "It goes against the grain of the company." But you never know.

This is not to say that an the XJT pilots would not be open to an agreement with SKW to address their concerns. I think that if the deal is right, it could benefit everyone.

JoeyMeatballs

unfortunately, your wrong..................