Are you going to be joining us on our new seniority list or are you going to quit?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA God you need to get a life Xtreme.

Until I find something better.

You know, our union reps are saying things like:

"heavily weighing career expectations from a pre-merger standpoint."

" On the books, with the airplanes on order and the options available all persons on furlough from each group should be back to work when all is said and done, and that takes into account the 717’s and some CRJ/135/145’s being parked."

When all is said and done you might be in an E190 or A319 making decent money on a brand new contract. You know what, I would be happy to see that happen. I do not feel that I am entitled to more than you and i will vote on a solution that takes your previous experience and invested time into account. However, the more you insult my(our) coworkers, the less sympathetic i get. If i were you i would try to work with and not against your future collegues.

Using a statement like "picket line" when talking about this merger is completely unfair and frankly is immature. How can someone with so much experience in this industry be so out of tune with the current situation at RAH. The midwest buyout was just completed recently and the Teamster's are working hard to get an integration before all the 717's are gone. These forums should be Midwest pilots complaining about how terribly they were treated by THEIR management over the last year and how they were sold out by their company. It has NOTHING to do with the pilots at RAH! The furlough's at Midwest happened long before the introduction of E170's in MKE when the MD-80's were removed and 717's were sold to Mexico. RAH's pilots want the best for all involved and a master seniority list, period. No pilot crossed any line at any time! Several RAH pilot's even attended the protest's at MKE in support of the Midwest pilots. I have been a shareholder with Midwest my entire life and I have seen the airline fall apart over the last few years. RAH is hoping to benefit from the wonderful crews at Midwest and what they bring to our organization. I hope they feel the same way. The only other option for Midwest would have been Chapter 7 and no jobs. The talk now is all jobs back, integrated seniority list, and with everyone's help a great new contract. Stop the bashing, start supporting the cause or quit and let someone come back who is positive and needs the job.

Hard to do this when the your facts aren't correct. There were a small amount of furloughes prior to the 170's anouncement. The majority of the furloughs were a direct result of RAH replacment flying. If you look back you will realize that BB was already in cahoots with TPG and Midwest management at the time of the 170 announcement. You and no one else can say that chapter 7 was the only option.

Again, the important thing is to work toghether and get you and the F9 guys off the street and in an airplane ASAP! We want you to benefit from this. Management would like nothing more that a split labor group they can play out against each other. Don't let that happen, work with us. Thats all we can do as labor groups.

I can say it was the only option because I have followed YX since the beginning and have seen the company go through it's fair share of financial problem's and poor decisions over the last 5 years. Choosing the 717 over the A319, keeping the MD-80's to long just to name a couple. So you and others feel that the RAH pilots should of refused the E170 flying for YX, is that correct? If that is true, should all regional carriers refuse to fly CRJ700 and 900's for mainline partner's to protect the future of legacy flying? YX choose to award the flying to RAH to save money, the pilots of RAH did not vote or choose to take ANY job's away from Midwest crews. TPG and Midwest management wanted this, not RAH pilot group. Now it's up to us to make everyone happy! Hoeksema can go back to Pine Lake and relax as the pilots at RAH take all the blame, how sad!

The majority of the furloughs were not as a direct result of RAH by any means. The furloughs of which you speak were from the company falling through on negotiations with Boeing over the lease rates on the 717s. Boeing finally came back to the table and said "no thanks we'll send those aircraft elsewhere". Now with their pants around their ankles midwest management went to RAH looking for aircraft to lease since there were 17(?) of them parked in PIT. Midwest told the pilot group they'd be flying those aircraft which was an illegal action against the RAH contract which stipulated that any aircraft owned by RAH must be flown by RAH pilots. With the additional 717s leaving the fleet and no money to acquire new aircraft and continue operations, couldn't pay any bills including Skywest, Midwest was on the verge of closing it's doors. With no assets, no cash, and a lot of debt the company was unable to survive. With an already vested interest Republic Holdings, a Holdings company, decided to try and salvage something from the deal. With minimal investment the structure of the airline was purchased. I don't really see anyplace where it was up to the RAH pilots other than making sure their contract was enforced. I don't remember anyone being supportive when our aircraft were trying to be flown without our pilots. In the grand scheme of things I guess everyone has a sense of self preservation. I don't understand why MD80 and others feel I'm an enemy because I didn't protest their management for being unsuccessful in breaching my contract. I don't understand why I keep hearing I owe him something or am a scab because our contract was enforced with our company.

I don't believe you should have refused the flying at all. I'm saying that we need to get our history correct if we are going to do the integration. If this ends up being 100 YX guys ratioed somehow and 300 stapled it will just gives management's a playbook on how to once again degrade our profession. It's pretty obvious now that BB used the past year's strategy to lower his costs by purposefully lowering the YX's pilot potential in an integration. I think the "snapshot" should be determined by the time the Rev. got his filthy hands on dictating plans for YX. My best guess is somewhere around June-August 2008. If we don't whose to say that another airline won't buy Republic in 3 years but they really were pulling the strings prior and replacing republics aircraft with new crews and then the magical announcement is made when 75% of the pilots have been furloughed. Just another way management cheapens the profession.

I don't believe a word of it. You do realize they are just repeating BB's words don't you? It's in the teamsters best interest to promote such things. More in the teamsters best interests is to get as many of the YX and F9 pilots on the property as soon as possible because anything short of a real mainline contract is an automatic no vote from 1100 pilots.

You are wrong. Don't fabricate facts in the name of drama. We don't want or need that ****.

BB's words were: "it is not up to me"

Hello everybody. The history of this deal was in the making long before the furloughs started. As someone on here stated, Midwest was not in desperate times. It had 170 million cash before the sale to TPG/Northwest. That is a lot of money for a company that size. When Delta became involved in the merger with Northwest, something started to change. Seabury was brought on property, not to lower cost, but gut the place for something to happen. Maybe RAH. The pay rates offered were 87 max for CA & 37 for FO, hmmmm. Same as RAH fo's, which of course they knew nobody would sign. The rumor was that the B717's were being taken by Boeing, however at a later date, one of the furloughed Midwest pilots landed a job transporting airplanes for Boeing and just so happens he is transporting a B717 to Mexico with a Boeing Rep. on board. Funny how things eventually come out, but the B717 was given back of free will, in fact Boeing wanted to even lower the lease rates, but Midwest/TPG/Seabury said NO. Boeing at the time had nowhere to put these things. The RAH deal was already made. They never had any intentions of training YX pilots on the 170, just stalling for the perfect time. Many other little nasty details left out, but Midwest was not a dead company, Many very smart people at TPG outbid Airtran and paid almost 1/2 Billion for this company, and are still involved now.

Wouldn't it be nice for once if all of us stop screwing each other. Have you guys ever seen an electrical union or plumbers union come on a job and try to out bid another guys union work. It is just not done. If a non union guy comes along, they all stop working and go home. Why can't pilots and these unions do whats right. Take every body's list in it's whole, active and furloughed and integrate fairly by ratio in seat with temp fences. Do you really want to staple a 14 year YX CA with 15,000 hours who has been furloughed behind a 8 month RAH fo with 400 hours. Does that make good working moral and give RAH the respect of the industry. Give a model for future integration instead of future regulation because one group screwed another.

The only good integration I've seen in a while was NW/DL which was a merger, not a purchase. Just to be fair, if the tides were different and YX was buying RAH you would feel that 10-15 year CA's at RAH also should not be stapled, right? I have a sneaky feeling things would then be different. Both companies are represented by union's so the plumber comparison is not valid. No pilot did this to another pilot. Management did this to a pilot group. What would a company in the private sector that BOUGHT, not merged, do with it's current employees. Answer is whatever it wants to do with the bought employees. It could terminate all the employees and it would be just another day in the business world. We at RAH want the master seniority list, want to improve the contract, want to work together, and have not screwed anyone out of anything.

Exceptionally good points. All Bedford has done is placed a Target on his airline(s) and he is now firmly in everybody's sights...

Dude, this is a merger.







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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)



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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)



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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))



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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))













Item 2.01


On July 31, 2009, pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 23, 2009, among Republic Airways Holdings Inc. (the “Company”), RJET Acquisition, Inc. and Midwest Air Group, Inc. (“MAG”), as amended (the “Merger Agreement”), RJET Acquisition, Inc. merged with and into MAG (the “Merger”) with MAG continuing as the surviving corporation and becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger, the shares of MAG that were outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger were converted into the right to receive an aggregate amount in cash equal to $1.00. In connection with the closing of the Merger, the Company also consummated the transactions contemplated by the Investment Agreement, dated June 23, 2009 (the “Investment Agreement”), among TPG Midwest US V, LLC, TPG Midwest International V, LLC) (together, the “TPG Entities”) and the Company. Pursuant to the Investment Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger, the Company purchased from the TPG Entities their $31 million secured note from Midwest Airlines, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MAG, for approximately $6 million in cash and issued the TPG Entities a convertible note having a principal amount of $25 million and a five-year maturity and convertible by the TPG Entities in whole or in part, from time to time, prior to maturity into 2,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances.

The foregoing description of the terms set forth in the Merger Agreement and Investment Agreement are qualified in their entirety by reference to the text of the Merger Agreement and the Investment Agreement, respectively. A copy of the Merger Agreement was attached as Exhibit 10.62(f) and a copy of the Investment Agreement was attached as Exhibit 10.62(g) to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 24, 2009.

I stand corrected. The answer remains the same though. We integrate lists and try (even though it is impossible to make everyone happy) to create a great place to work for years to come. There are plenty of guys and gals with 10+ years at both companies. I could have stayed at Skyway and possibly worked at MidEx as so many others did, but I choose Republic a few years back. I know from experience both groups have great flight crew's that WILL work together. This is the only option.

The plumber analogy might go something like this. I work for XYZ company and make XYZ per hours to fix toilets. You come a long with your company and say you will do the work for half price. You will use your van, but MY name on the side of your truck, use MY customers, MY call and service center, my reputation in the industry that I worked for 25 years to build. You say your boss made you do it so oh well. Do you see the relevance now.

When are WE going to stand up and do the right thing instead of making excuses of what would I do. That was my point, is it YOU against me to see who could screw each other more, or is it all of US to make aviation what it once was, a respectable place to make a living. When was the last time you walked through the terminal and most of the pilots looked at you with respect and said hello. Not bashing RAH, but what airline and what pilot group didn't screw somebody.

[/U]
I agree.

We just want you guys at Republic to understand who you are deal with in TPG. TPG/NWA paid $450 million for Midwest (4 times the Frontier deal) they have cried about money problems from day one, but ...

- TPG buys all new belt loaders and tugs
- TPG develops their own internet based recurrent training software
- TPG stops operating 100% paid off MD80. NWA is flying DC9!
- TPG stops operating $180,000 B717 leases and takes on $200,000+ E170 leases through Republic. You cannot grow an airline with B717.
- TPG adds a Delta code-share. Sharing Miles, Clubs and Internet Reservations
- TPG in the past bought and sold Continental
- TPG in the past bought and sold America West
- TPG owns Burger King, J Crew, Harrahs, ...

.................................................. .............................................

Michael Boyd of Boyd Group Inc., a consulting firm in Evergreen, Colo., said TPG Capital's role bolstered the bid's credibility.
"They know the airline business," Boyd said about TPG Capital, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas.
TPG Capital, led by David Boderman, former financial adviser to Texas oil billionaire Robert Bass, has made several lucrative investments in the airline and aviation industries.
Those included a 1993 purchase of Continental Airlines. The firm, in partnership with Air Canada, brought Continental Airlines out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and helped drive the turnaround of the airline, bringing expanded routes and more jobs. Continental Airlines is now the fifth-largest U.S. airline.
One year later, TPG Capital and Continental brought America West Airlines out of Chapter 11. In 2005, America West merged with US Airways and adopted that name. It is now the nation's sixth-largest airline

TPG said it would finance the Midwest purchase through its TPG Partners V fund, which has $15.3 billion in capital, plus contributions from one or more partners.

``This is a pimple on an elephant's back for TPG,'' John Collopy, research director at Briggs-Ficks Securities

.................................................. ..............................................

The story behind the TPG/NWA purchase of Midwest has not been revealed. Now TPG/Republic are in partnership in a new deal.

Exactly, so hopefully the Midex and F9 guys will stop bashing RAH, and making more drama and see if they can join the fight, together... I hope you can

RAH, like most other regionals, hasn't hired in over a year and 1/2. Give your analogies credence by not exaggerating.

Now talk amongst yourselves
 

And I thought it was DAL/NWA who were complicit in this bone job!

This was posted by a current MEH pilot on another board.

got this letter forwarded to me from a friend. It seems to be written by a UAL pilot to his MEC outlining possible outcomes of BB's most recent aquisitions a few weeks ago. Then again it might just be another x-file for world domination.

Subject: Resolution & Republic Airways Holdings

I wanted to see if anything came of my resolution for half time line flying, especially since the flight attendants now have 'partnerships' with benefits. Same thing, different name.

Also, I wanted to address this Republic Airways Holdings maneuver that is going on now:

I took a jet for jobs position with Chautauqua during the last furlough. I was working there while they were starting the 170 operation. It took them extensive time, money and effort to try and get the Republic operating certificate up and running, but, during that time, they were able to buy the dying certificate of Shuttle America and morph it into the United 170 operation very quickly and cheaply. Bryan Bedford, Republic Airways Holdings CEO, learned very quickly that buying a dying certificate was much cheaper and faster to start an airline than building one from the ground up.

Last year I was jumpseating one of Shuttle America's planes. The captain was very senior and one I had flown with. He asked me if I had heard about the company's plan to start a 90 seat carrier. I said no and that none of the major carriers had given up scope for that. He said 'no, they plan on joining it with the Star Alliance." I immediately shut up and went home to research their SEC filings for 190s. There were none at the time.

This last month I have watched carefully while Republic has purchased Midwest Express and has already expressed intent to eliminate the Boeings and replace them with 190s. In addition, they have bid on Frontier and will most likely get outbid by SWA. This is purely a defensive purchase by SWA to prevent Republic from being able to start a national low-cost carrier virtually ovemight by buying existing certificates. It is my understanding that Republic also bid on AirTran. If they had succeeded, they would have started a low-cost carrier in a couple of months with hubs in Denver, Atlanta and (Milwaukee) soon to be our B gates in Chicago.

The plan to start a 90+ seat low-cost carrier that joins the Star Alliance is crystal clear to me now. Continental, United and USAirways are all complicit in this. They have been working with Bryan Bedford for years on the execution of this plan. CAL and UAL eliminated their 737 fleets because they intend to replace this flying with the soon-to-be Star Alliance partner of Midwest Express. A USAirways pilot told me 2 days ago that the unannounced rumor is that USAir intends to eliminate their 190 fleet starting in January. Just a year ago USAir said this was their most profitable fleet. Perfect timing for Midwest Express 190s to be up and running!

Republic Airways Holdings and "investors" would not have made such a bold financial move if they were not assured of success. CAL and UAL would not have already eliminated their feeder fleets if they were not assured of success. Continental, United, USAirways and Republic Airways Holding are sure to have been lobbying Washington hard over to past years to set this up for success.

[quote=MachJ;665663]RAH, like most other regionals, hasn't hired in over a year and 1/2. Give your analogies credence by not exaggerating.[/quo

True! There are plenty of FO's at YX that have the same time and experience as FO's at republic. It is a fact! When I was hired at republic the mins were 1500-100. Many CA's at Skyway were being hired to Midwest with the same experience as many of the CA's from Mesa and others that left to join RAH for a better career.

Talk amongst yourselves cont.
 

Continued from previous:

I do not have to explain the dangers of this to you on many different levels. Clearly they do not need scope relief. They intend to just take it. They showed their hand to me with the intent to purchase Frontier. They just intend to work out the kinks with the 190s and then replace all the Airbus flying in the future as well. Glenn Tilton fully expects, and will get the elimination of all domestic flying at United Airlines using this operation. You can plan on it!

I really see no way of stopping this unless the pilots of CAL, UAL, USAirway and ALPA take a stand on this. ALPA must work on stopping Midwest Express (or its future name and form) from joining the Star Alliance. These carriers are working together because with the Star Alliance set up in this way they effective take all the wind out of the union sails! If anyone of these carriers ever threatens a strike, the other carriers can pick up the slack by rerouting the tickets through the Star Alliance. In addition, they will easily and effectively outsource all of this flying to cheaper labor. I cannot believe they are going to succeed in this way with a DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY!

Please, Eric, just let me know that our union has already figured this out or is aware of the plan. If we move forward with our heads in the sand they will run all 3 carriers over. SWA just thought outside the box with their blocking purchase of Frontier. Maybe our unions should have thought outside the box and purchased Midwest Express (it was sooooo cheap). We need to outmaneuver them by preventing growth or by blocking this in DC. Hell, get competing carriers like SWA and Delta to use their clout in DC to stop the Star Alliance. At this point, I don't give a (expletive deleted)

Just an additional point I thought of while pulling weeds ... Republic Airways Holdings has been spending 10s of millions of dollars to float the Frontier and Midwest Express certificates for the better part of a year. Republic could have made an attempt to purchase them at any time in that time frame without spending all that money. It was not until CAL was approved to join the Star Alliance that Republic moved forward with their attempt to purchase Midwest and Frontier. Almost immediately in
fact. They had to make sure all the pieces were in place before the final piece of the puzzle was added. Without CAL they would not have had appropriate international coverage in the event of a strike by UAL. Glenn Tilton is the mastermind. This is why his board is so patient with him in downsizing and losing money ...there is a higher goal. They know in the end the
domestic flying will be covered by the new Star Alliance partner. It also makes the recent announcement that UAL wants to replace only its international fleet valid.

Watch this one! If they get Frontier and then make another play for AirTran, DAL will have the combination of UAL, CAL, 'USAir, and the new low-cost AirTran morph thing as a unified carrier operating out of ATL. DAL mgmt should put the spank on this one!

Credence, you mean like a fo being hired from ATP with 250 hours a year and 1/2 ago, and after 8 months of employment, furloughed and still on furlough at RAH. You mean like that!

don't be surprised when the F9 busses roll out in the midwest paint...all one company remember. you think the F9 pilots and equipment are crap too...or are they good enough to fly the midwest name. Bottom line is everyone at RAH regardless of the cert is now on the same side. If you don't want to play well with your new friends at work you should find work somewhere else.

very few if any pilots were hired here with that much time. the lowest time pilots are from mesa or trans states. the lowest published times for hiring were 1000 and 100

ATP Flight School: Republic Airways Airline Pilot Hiring Partnership RAH airlines is on the list with MANY of your pilots who graduated from ATP. I however did make a mistake, the mins are 500 total with 100 multi. It looks like a little more on the list than "very few". I'm trying not to bash RAH, just state the facts, and you guys are very defensive. You guys seem to think as I posted it is OK to screw a 15 YX CA with a 1000 hour fo. Than you wonder why you are not getting the respect you deserve. Did you see Midwest or Frontier on the list. Midwest mins for hire use to be 5000 total time. Nobody was hired at YX with 1500 hours as somebody posted.

WOW!

Didn't even know about the ATP hiring at Republic. Got my first commuter job after years as a CFI with a ATP and like 2300TT.

Didn't have the money.

So if it didn't come from BB then I guess the teamsters are now making the business decisions for RAH. Of course BB told the teamsters that all pilots including furloughes would be back soon. Do you really think the teamsters are taking the liability of saying something they don't have any proof of? If they are without any insight from management I'm dumbfounded.

Good were glad to have you. Hopefully with the experience of the guys coming over we can negotiate something that keeps as many people as happy as possible.

MD80 please realize that most everyone over here knows you guys got screwed by the events that unfolded in the last couple years. I haven't met anyone that doesn't want to work with you guys and most FOs realize that in no way should we be benefiting on the backs of more experienced pilots. However I have met no one from MidEx that has been friendly and wants to work with us. When can we expect you guys to realize that and start working with us instead of against us? Until then nothing will get done... This petty arguing and name calling has to end at some point.

Maybe a friendly call to your merger committee to relay your sentiment. I don't believe they feel the same. They are singing a different tune all together.

I disagree. The last update we got from the integration committee empasized career expectations and time invested pre-merger. In addition, they strongly discouraged RAH pilots from adopting the "not above me" syndrome. We WILL work with you. Let's try to make something good out of this.

It has been a rough road at Midwest since TPG bought us. I'm a Republic Teamster and will defend it once your EXCO shows in "actions" that this will be a fair merger.

Integrate all Midwest pilots!

I believe you, but the information that is being put out by your union is all POST merger. No time invested at all. I believe that is where all the concern or attitude is coming from. Someone with 15 years at YX stapled behind a 1 year RAH fo. The Midwest product is still alive and these people invested many years to YX and to be stapled behind a 1 year fo from RAH and still flying Midwest colors is going to be a difficult pill to swallow for anybody. This should be done fairly and with respect to all.

Actions speak louder than words. Seems to me they are telling you to do as they say but not as they are doing. So far all I have seen is doublespeak.

I'm convinced that a staple won't be on the agenda for F9 or YX. It would be a poor business decision for everyone. We need you silver haired classics to be with the team and kick some ass like you have been for years. This place is gonna go south quick if we have a labor group split five ways. BB, the unions, and pilots are going to need your experience as a stand alone carrier to make this work. And if it doesn't, we will all be FUBAR.

This is a direct quote from our integ. Comm

Fair and Equitable”

The integration process largely follows the Allegheny-Mohawk LPP’s, which was a result of those airlines’ subsequent arbitration. It sets the ground rules for two (or in our case five) airlines to come together and reach an integrated seniority list. It takes into account all of the assets and expectations each group brings to the final master list. It tries to do this by limiting the negative impact from the pilots’ current status (pay, seat, lifestyle, etc.) while heavily weighing career expectations from a pre-merger standpoint. This is where the term “Fair and Equitable” comes from.

I'm not silver yet, but sometimes feel like it. If you read a little farther down is what everybody has their panties bunched about.

“Expediency”
The only pilot groups not to have pilots on furlough is Mokulele and Lynx. Midwest will have another 41 pilots on furlough September 1st, with all of their pilots on the street by December 15th. Furloughed pilots from Midwest and Frontier cannot bid for an open slot until they are on the RAH Seniority List. However, for integration purposes, pilots who were active at the time of acquisition will be considered active for the Master Seniority List. It is the resolve of all Integration Committees to get this completed as quickly as possible so we can begin to get all of our furloughees back on property.


So what about the guys that have been there 15 years plus and now are on the street, behind the 1 year RAH fo?

Maybe someone can give me a heads up but did TWA have pilots of furlough with AMR? What about NWA/DAL? Any furloughs there prior to merger that would set some kind of precedence?