I don't fly the Q and I did vote for the union. I'm sorry for you and yours that Continental awarded the EWR flying to Colgan under the PCL banner. I have friends at XJT as well. We had no union to negotiate the Q payrates, and a lot of the guys who didn't vote (no voters) thought Colgan was going to stay as this nice family run operation. I'm hoping this next drive will pass, but apathy abounds everywhere. As DME said, its easier walking into a job with a union than it is trying to organize and establish one from scratch at a place that has never had one.

 

Actually I could've have gone to Colgan long before I went to ExpressJet. I held out for a respectable carrier. Can you see why there are those of us that take this personal? I didn't quit instructing early for shiny jet syndrome for the lowest pay out there, why should I sympathize with someone who did and is replacing our flying?

 

Wait- who's flying? Yours?

No it's mine. And the rest of the pilots here at mainline.

I really can't believe you're proud of your payrates. You and Colgan will for peanuts.

 

excuse me?! If you guys take that flying from us at ExpressJet, be my guest. You should be very upset that pilots are coming in and flying for 80% of our low wages and are flying 48% more seats. DMEarc get your facts straight. Some of the guys I fly with were actually CAL employees before. We don't fly for peanuts over at Express. We have some the highest pay for 50-seaters and can't demand wage increases because PRACTICALLY EVERY OTHER REGIONAL IS UNDERCUTTING US!

Wow, why don't you solve this problem instead of making it worse.

 

Maybe I'm mising something here, but YOU WORKED FOR COLGAN. You built your time there to get on at CAL. You have been at CAL what a few months now? if that's not being hypocritical and the pot calling the kettle black, I dont know what is....

 

so which is it? this quote or your previous "I can't believe colgan and XJT are proud of your payrates. You guys will work for peanuts" ??

 

xjet lost 70 million dollars last year and it has nothing to do with the 11 planes colgan is flying out of newark. If you are worried about colgan's few planes and measly pay, you are going to get blindsided by skywest or republic that underbids the MAJORITY of your flying. Look at the history of XJET and how it came to be. IT started by flying t-props out of IAH and underbidding them to get a foothold.

Your pilot group has done a great job since 02 raising the bar on wages and QOL. I applaud your enthusiasm and understand your concern over losing what has been built over the past few years. Not every company gets to start where your's may finish. Xjet is about to enter the game like all the other regionals where there are 5 or 6 regionals feeding one legacy carrier and they are all cutting each others throats to do so. Best of luck to everyone in the crummy economy.

 

Yes- I worked at Colgan.

However I also think all flying should be done by mainline and have there be no regionals. More mainline jobs.

Are you guys that dense? Do you not read my posts?

I worked at Colgan, got treated great and enjoyed 3 on, 4 off....17 days off a month right off IOE for 2 years. Doesn't change the fact that the Q400 is undercutting mainline.

Doesn't change the fact that XJT undercuts mainline and steals mainline jobs. All the regionals do it.

 

Bingo, as I said it before everyone that took RJ jobs flying mainline routes are the blame, not us that chose Prop flying from little airports. Yes I wanted props for a lot of reasons.

I would like to get this thread back on track, start your own P---- thread, and if anyone could please pm me a copy of the arbitration that would be greatly appreciated, I read an exert, but would like the whole document. I do believe that we will have an union this year.

 

AMEN Brother!