Slaphappy, I've read all your posts, and you come off only as a flamebait. How would you take it if we turn the table and say XJT is going to buy SKW and take your flying. Be careful, I'm expecting a certain response from you.

 

i can read, thanks. that's not what i asked. your other post insinuated that your pilot group would get a vote on whether or not the sale to skywest inc. could or would happen, separate from any vote done by the shareholders. remember, the board of directors cannot by themselves approve this sale, either. only the shareholders can. skywest inc. is offering to buy all outstanding shares of stock.

 

this doesn't make any sense either. "master" list comprised of whom exactly? expressjet pilots? don't you already have a list based on DOH? who else would you like to add to that list?

 

It would be a master list of ALL groups owned by Skywest. Composed of SKW, ASA, and XJT. If you think this wouldn't be the best, than we would just get whipsawed against one another. Also if you think the XJT guys wouldn't want this, you're also dreaming. We would naturally assume most of the new flying would go to the SKW guys. Of course the XJT guys know the SKW guys would prefer it separate because the SKW guys would unfairly benefit. Part of the reason we have a contract is to prevent pilots from undercutting other pilots.

You can't tell me the SKW guys wouldn't want XJT kept separate for this reason, so they can get most of the new flying with fewer companies to compete for it. Do you really think the XJT pilots would fall for that?

I know there are plenty of SKW guys that want our DAL LAX base, but don't want senior guys than them at XJT to be above them. If you want to merge our seniority lists, I'm down to consider that, otherwise if we would be kept separate, I would rather stay an independently owned and separate and compete fairly for new flying.

 

um...yeah. just like they merged SKW and ASA lists after Skywest Inc. bought ASA from delta. oh wait, they didn't do that. um...that must mean they whipsaw SKW and ASA against one another. oh wait, they gave us both raises. hmmmm...

you obviously have no idea what my dreams are like. i can tell you for sure that they do not include what the XJT guys do or don't want. also, even besides my dreams, i would never claim to know what XJT "guys" want or don't want, nor would i assume that all 2900 of them want or don't want the exact same thing. skywest inc. buying expressjet does not mean the lists would have to merge. there's no precedent for that at all, and i'm not sure to whose benefit that would be. oh...maybe alpa's coffers.

 

SKYW said they won't buy us unless we amend our contract. If we don't amend our contract they won't buy us. When the BOD/shareholders approve a sale, SKYW will come to the pilot group and ask us to amend the contract, the union will then negotiate with SKYW because we won't just throw pages our of our CBA for nothing... If the union gets a solution they see as "vote-able" the pilot group will then vote on the changes to the CBA, if we don't change the CBA (either becuase the pilot group votes it down or the union can't come to a solution with SKYW) SKYW has said they won't buy us. This would be the make or break vote you're talking about.

ASA didn't have anything in their contract that SKYW wants to negotiate out, ASA had no leg to stand on. The XJT pilots do.

Comprised of all the pilot groups under the SKYW umbrella. So that when a furlough happens, or SKYW loses all the CAL flying our 20 year guys don't get sent to the street while SkyWest newhires stay put.

 

The profit XJT makes off of CAL is about $80 million a year. So $25 million would be a big "magnitude" and more than just a couple percent.

XJT operates at around 8.5% profit margin for the CAL CPA.

This was a combined orchestrated move by both CAL and SKW. Neither company would have signed off on the wording of these concurrent letters without the other being in on it.

No one other than CAL and SKW knows what the tentative CPA says. It may or may not include the 51 aircraft. It may not be 205 aircraft or it may be for 274 aircraft. We don't know.

I don't think so.

The XJT MEC will do what is in the best interest of the XJT pilots. Its not about acting macho. In fact, the XJT MEC hasn't even been approached about this so they are not even on the on deck circle, much less the batting box.

Like you said, the XJT BOD rejected the offer so right now there is no reason to even get the XJT MEC involved yet.

By the way, XJT has $214 million in cash an cash equivalents, and $597 million in total assets as of Dec 31, 2007. My guess is that the $188 million bid grossly undervalues XJT.

I don't know what you mean about ASA and JA not being a pushover.


SKW has given the XJT MEC leverage by stating what they want from them in order to consummate the deal. If it comes to it, the XJT MEC will negotiate with SKW and look out for the interest of XJT pilots.

Don't confuse the XJT pilots with the XJT BOD. Two different entities. The XJT BOD feels like the offer grossly undervalues XJT. I'm sure they would take the right deal if it is offered. Its not about peacocks. They are looking out for the best interest of the shareholders. The XJT MEC will also listen to any offers made by SKW in return for scope relief. And they will do what is in the best interest of the XJT pilots.

According to the JA letter, the offer would be contingent upon the XJT MEC negotiating away some scope relief. This means that whatever the XJT MEC negotiates in return for the scope relief would have to be ratified by the rank and file pilots at XJT. Nothing secret going on. Of course this is only if the XJT BOD approves whatever offer SKW makes in the future if they even make another offer.

There doesn't need to be any precedent. Its in our contract and precisely why JA wants that part null and void.

 

I don't think SlapHappy has any idea what goes on in a UNION, becuase he is not part of one. One thing is for sure, our pilot group, will not settle for less, like some we know......................CRJ-900 payrates??????????

And to his ridiculous comment about Expressjets MEC not looking out for the pilot group, thats just ignorance, our Chairmen had the opportunity to flow through to CAL, he could of probably been holding close to 75 CA, so he has a lot vested in this, hes a very very bright guy.

 

just so i understand this correctly: you're saying it's specifically in the expressjet pilot contract that if expressjet gets bought by some other company, the expressjet pilot seniority list must merge with all the other seniority lists of all other companies owned by the company that buys expressjet? if that's the case, then i see what you mean about a "make or break" vote by expressjet pilots.

 

Yes, that's correct. That's why J.A. wants it out, it's a deal breaker.