Arbitrator Rules for Midwest
 

Arbitrator rules Midwest’s restructuring doesn’t violate contract


The Business Journal of Milwaukee

Midwest Airline’s decision to hire Republic Airlines to operate a fleet of regional jets is permissible under Midwest’s collective bargaining agreement with its unionized pilots, an arbitrator has ruled.
The System Board of Adjustment found that the arrangement is a legitimate codeshare agreement and further found that Oak Creek-based Midwest Airline’s collective bargaining agreement with the pilots provides the airline the unrestricted right to engage in codeshares. The board ruled that there is no violation of the labor agreement.
In September 2008, Midwest Airlines entered into an airline services agreement with Indianapolis-based Republic Airlines to operate a fleet of Embraer 170 aircraft under the brand of Midwest Connect, a regional carrier operated by Midwest Airlines parent company, Midwest Air Group Inc. The flights previously had been operated under the Midwest Airlines brand.
The Air Line Pilots Association subsequently filed a grievance, contending that the arrangement was a subcontract that violated Midwest’s collective bargaining agreement with the pilots group. The grievance was submitted to arbitrator for review.
Midwest spokesman Michael Brophy declined to comment on the arbitrator’s ruling. A representative of the Air Line Pilots Association couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

This is a huge blow to the scope battle for all pilots.

Bad news for us all...

Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!:mad::mad::mad:

I wonder how much the arbitrator got under the table. Way to go Bedford, I hope you're happy with yourself now that you've successfully put hundreds of people on the street permanently; and basically undermined every scope clause. I fear that today this set a precedent for other companies to attempt this same scenario.

Guys don't fool yourselves here, it was Bedford that set the stage for the management at Midwest to pull this off. And before any of you guys at RAH come on here defending him (TD) think about what this means for your long term career goals.

I wouldn't want to fly for RAH for the rest of my career for sure...Neither do my buddies there...Bond is correct.

Republic is a cancer..............

Good thing they have alpa :rolleyes:

Dont blame the Repiblic guys, its Midwest's greedy, dirty, rotten management. They found a loophole to exploit their pilot group and they used it. This is a very, very bad precident to be set for all airlines.

We're blaming Bedford, so keep your pants on. As Saab said, the company RAH that Bedford is running, is turning into a cancer for the industry.

How does Republic get paid for the Midwest flying? If it's a CPA, I would hardly call that a "codeshare." But I'm not a judge.....

Bad news, sorry to hear it.

Chalk another one up for labor :rolleyes:

Do you all not get that if RAH didn't give Midwest money and this agreement didn't happen Midwest would be out of BUSINESS!!! While I don't think anyone liked this arrangement when it was announced or now that it has been almost 5 months, RAH is not a cancer....just an opportunist!

No matter what you try to do Polish it up at Turd will Stink.. Most people are starting to get the impression that that RAH is Quickly becoming the New MESA....

Show me any such document that states that Midwest could not secure financing elsewhere, or that they were going to go under for that matter.

Bedford is a cancer to the industry, and he just set a very bad precedent for all in this industry. As I said earlier, have you consider the long term potential effects to your career?.....Yeah, that's what I thought.

ouch!:eek:

Remember, 170/5 drivers at RAH think they're Mainline.....:confused:

Can I be the first of many to say it? Can I?

RAH SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :p


...and to preempt the inevitable comeback from Bedford-lovers, yes I fully recognize that Compass sucks too. Pretty much anyone flying >70 seats for regional wages does.

Rumor is that the arbitrater delayed the decision for so long 'cause he was vacationing over the holidays somewhere out of the country :) ??????

Things that make you go ......huh?????

Why does everything that stinks have ALPA in it? SWA and AMR don't seem to have nearly the scope issues that the other ALPA carriers have...:rolleyes:

I just wanted to add my airline. Comair sucks too! The pilots are great, but the company is s--t.

A different type of Mesa, but yes, an airline with Mesa-esque effects on the rest of the industry.

I fail to see how this was a ruling "for" Midwest Pilots

Boo freaking hoo. You guys are hilarious.

Did Midwest have any scope language in their contract? If so, what is the limit?

What would you suggest instead? How would at-will pilots have prevented this? This would not have even gotten to arbitration in the first place because if they were at-will employees, there would be no one to grieve anything to.

APA has their scope issue with Eagle, APA is trying to scope in all jet flying. If you ask me, if any jet is flying at a regional, its a major scope issue. I hope the APA is successful in their negotiations. And ask your SWA buddy what the most contentious section of their contract negotiations are? Hint - they have to do with some airline in Canada and Mexico doing their flying in the future.

Isn't this thing temporary? What's the big deal?

C'mon guys, it takes two to tango. Midwest management screwed their OWN people to save their respective rectums. That fact is by far a bigger slap than the airline brought in to do their flying. If it wasn't RAH, then it would be some other regional.., don't think I'm too far off on that one. It's all about the money PERIOD. Not defending or attacking, it just sucks that the so called "Culture" we build into our airlines identity doesn't really mean squat nor does the word commitment to our employees. In the end, it's ALL about the F'n dollar. In the end, it seems that it's everyman for himself.

There's got to be a better way for our profession.

If there is no scope language in contract, that is the Midwest pilot groups fault for allowing it! All these companies are in competition. Cant blame RAH for getting business to survive. Each group needs to look out for themselves. Midwest. as far as I am concerned, in not a major airline anyway. That had a product that wasnt needed anymore.

I find it interesting when those that fly jets for a regional like to make statements that its bad for the industry. I guess its just not bad enough for you to take the job :rolleyes:

I think the poster meant the arbitrator sided with Midwest Management. The title could have been worded better.

You know what, guys? What is happening here (and to the rest of the industry) is equivalent to nature having a forest fire. Forest fires happen to redo the landscape so other things may grow. Champion and ATA didn't make it through the fire.

Midwest is surviving. Not very well, but they are. Firefighters came in (Northwest, TPG, Skywest and RAH) and are helping their name to survive. Do they (Midwest) take a hit right now? Absolutely. But the company is surviving. Hopefully, there will be a company in the future for these guys and girls to come back to. When it comes down to it, though (and I know that someone else said it), Tim and Bryan don't lose sleep if a pilot or flight attendant is ****ed off. Tim and Bryan lose sleep when a shareholder calls and says, "What the hell are you doing?" Exactly what do you want the pilots to do? Refuse to fly? Okay, great. They can feel proud that they stood up for what they believe in while waiting in the umemployment line. They can tell their families and the banks when they foreclose on their house that they stood up for what is right. I don't want to see anyone lose a job, but when it comes down to feeding and housing my family - I'm sorry, but they come first. And if the tables ever get turned and I am the one looking at possibly losing my job, I would expect others to care for their families first before me. What I have done and continue to do is hedge my bets so that I am covered when and if bad things fall into my lap.

The funny thing is that you don't see many (if any) of the major guys getting into this fight. Its regional guys yelling at other regional guys. Why aren't the major guys ticked off that the regionals for helping Midwest to stay alive? With capacity cuts, you would think Delta, United, and Northwest would be screaming that Midwest is taking away their revenue!

I just don't understand why there is a continued lack of professionalism in the regional airline industry. We should be taking pride in our jobs. You hardly ever see some of the immaturity on mainline that you do in the regionals. Mainline treats us like kids because we act like it.

Why aren't the major guys ticked off that the regionals for helping Midwest to stay alive? With capacity cuts, you would think Delta, United, and Northwest would be screaming that Midwest is taking away their revenue!
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The regionals should not be blamed for flying the routes, they were thrown into the middle of a concerted effort by Midwest managements greed and Northwest and Delta teaming up to keep Air Tran at bay. August 2007 article.

"For Northwest, the investment would help prevent AirTran from developing a hub in Milwaukee - which could threaten to siphon away travelers who fly to Northwest's hubs in Minneapolis, Detroit and Memphis."

Midwest to go private - JSOnline

Judging by the loads I saw on the few MKE trips I did with SKW I bet we ended up costing MidWest more money than we made them. FWIW

Is that a Joke? :cool: :confused:

WOW! Are you serious?!?:confused: That's a HORRIBLE way to think of it.

I just want to know how the Midwest Pilot's contract ALLOWS this. Who screwed the pooch on the scope? This is a SAD day.

The introduction of the CRJ was the gateway drug and the E-jets turned the airline into crackheads. :p Just give me another fix! :D No airline really thrives with them, but they can't quite seem to live with out Bedford's constant predatory "financing"

Fine - I'll edit it.

"Northwest, TPG, Skywest, and RAH"

Do you feel better now?

Some Midwest pilots felt that maybe ALPA was not looking out for their best interests. I do not think that Northwest and Delta pilots were loosing sleep over the plight of their Midwest pilot ALPA "brothers".

commpage

Regional pilots blaming other regional pilots. Stop acting like high school girls and realize that every regional is the problem. As someone said before if it wasn't RAH that came in to do the flying it would have been someone else. All of a sudden RAH is the bad guy because they seem to be picking up more flying while nobody else is. If it was Express Jet or Skywest that was adding a bunch of new partners then everyone would be calling them the new "Mesa".