Let me just preface this by saying I am aware that this is premature since we haven't even started contract talks, but it is coming around the corner. Until recently, I had no idea that we had a no strike/lockout LOA in our contract at AWAC. This is extremely disheartening given the current treatment by a team of managers who seem to care less and less about their employees by the day. I'm wondering how common this is at other carriers. Does anybody else, that they're aware of, have a similar no strike/lockout clause anywhere in the contract? And if so, what is the point of even negotiating. Unless I am reading it wrong, this takes out what little bargaining power we have to begin with.

 

I'm guessing this is something that keeps you from striking until the LOA is expired, which would be extremly hard to do anyways. Once the LOA expires it doesn't matter what it says about striking or not, it's expired and old news. Like you said though this is a little premature because you would have to be released by the NMB and you just have to look at Pinnacle to see how quickly that happens...

 

Don't sweat it. There are some things the company will want enough to not stall negotiations forever.

1. They really want PBS. If they want it badly enough they will have to work for a new contract with provisions for it. It won't come into effect until there is a new contract.

2. Without a contract they will not be in a position to bid on any flying anywhere as their future costs will be uncertain.

There is some leverage when the time comes. Until then we still enjoy respectable wages and work rules compared to our colleagues at other 'Fee per Departure' carriers.

 

I disagree. One of two things could happen.

The company could bid a new contract today, using the foresight that pilot costs will go up by some number, say 10%. Then when they come into contract negotiations, they could eventually tell the pilots that their best and final offer is a 10% increase in costs because that is the rate that their new flying is based on. If costs increase more, it would be uneconomical to continue that new flying (which could result in furloughs, downgrades, etc...)

If they anticipate the pilot group will ask for an "industry leading" contract, they could assume this increase in cost to be so great that it may make AWAC uncompetitive for new flying. This could also cost the pilot group.

 

It generally takes years of impasse before you are allowed to legally strike in the airline business. The issue is sort of moot. It's not like folks are going to walk or be able to walk the day the contract expires.

 

Most of my colleagues - who I respect greatly - that are still with the regionals are at their personal "bottom" when it comes to wages/QOL. They understand that business is business, but want no part in the airlines should they be required to take a cut in pay/QOL to be competitive. Many aren't militant union guys, but intelligent individuals in their mid-20s to early-30s who have reasonable professional goals. They attended a 4-year college, went through flight training, and expect a return on investment. It would be more costly to their personal life to sustain a substandard career (with no ROI and severe personal sacrifices: I hear it's not uncommon to start at 5am on day one and end at 1159pm on day four) than to "sink with the ship" and find other professional endeavors.


Labor is one of the most malleable costs to an airline. AWAC's current rates are indeed respectable when comparing with other contemporary carriers, but one that should be a baseline. It is despicable that $36/hour is top-out pay for FOs at other shops (with stage lengths in excess of 1,200NM no less), especially considering the lack of rigs/cancellation pay at some. If that's what the seat will yield due to market forces (per a pure economic perspective), I can see why the majority of my regional friends are looking outside the profession should they be "forced" to take concessions. Who will remain? Those who really, really love it, and those who went to quasi-vocational schools and are unable to do anything else. As much as I don't like SOME of Sully's disdainful statements towards the regionals (as I think it's applicable to some major pilots as well), his "best and brightest" rhetoric is accurate.


I certainly don't mean to denigrate ANY pilot "in the trenches," but am just repeating the sentiment of my friends who stayed. I wish you all the best of luck, as you certainly deserve better.

 

I guess I was reading this wrong. I was under the impression that this meant that we did not have the ability to strike, period. I looked at it closely and I'm just retarded apparently, I'm assuming that everybody has this in their contract. Regarding our contract being respectable as compared to other airlines, that may be; but it doesn't matter when you factor in the company's blatent disregard for it. I feel like I have filed grievance after grievance in the past couple months. The mentality of fly now...grieve later, has been beating us into submission lately. This probably has to do with the fact that I've been on reserve for the past couple years, and for those of you who have the latest copy of the Whisskey you know what I'm talking about.

 

Sounds like Marg-NO!

 

Gmafb. Just do what mgmnts have done for years.

Strike then tell the company to grieve it thru the quick grievance process

 

No strike, No lockout here at Eagle. Welcome to the club!