Originally Posted by JDFlyer

Thanks for the detailed post. Not many of us ever take the time to post such a detailed point of view, especially with graphs to support an argument. Usually responses are one or two sentence sarcastic comments.

The only things I would point out in response to your post is:

1) Skywest pilots already get a pay raise every 1 year anniversary of their hire date. Your data does not account for these annual raises. I don't really care to argue semantics over what the word "raise" means. But suffice it to say, my paycheck gets bigger every twelve months regardless of whether we agree to take 1% more from management.

2) Skywest is a non-union, non-ALPO, airline. Management has NO contract with us, and we have NO contract with management. We are free to "accept" the 1% offered today by management, and we can go back and start knocking on their door for more money tomorrow. We are not locked-in to anything. We are not foregoing a turn around in the economy next month or next year. The other pilot groups that agree to 5 or 7 year deals are locking themselves in - we are not.

3) There are very few service industries where providers in those markets can continually, annually, raise their prices to consumers by an appropriate CPI percentage to accommodate contractually agreed increased labor expenses. In the airline business 2 or 3% margins are the difference between success and failure.

If you can get airline consumers to agree to a 1.2% ticket price increase today, with a 3-4% increase year after year going into the future, I vote for you and Pedro for President and Vice-President.

Boiler . . . thanks for the clarification on the ALPO dues, but in my opinion, 1.95% is still too much by 1.95% If you are happy with them, great. Choice is a wonderful thing.

By choice I work for a non-ALPO carrier and my next airline job will be with a non-ALPO carrier.

Originally Posted by JDFlyer

Wait . . . I don't get it? Who are you talking about? I am talking about ALPO - the Airline Pilots Organization.

My apologies if you, or anybody who supports ALPA, took my ALPA comments personally. I do not mean them to be so. Collective bargaining is one thing. Regional airline collective bargaining by and through ALPA is another. Just ask a L.A.M.A. member. Comair recently got neutered. The jury is still out on the fate of ASA and XJET.

My personal opinion again, but when Skywest management tells us how great we are, thanking us for all our hard work, etc. etc. without putting their "money where their mouths are", I agree something is not connecting. But here is what it is - SKYWEST MEANS NOTHING TO UNITED, DELTA OR AIRTRAIN. Skywest is not paid by United, Delta, or AirTran enough to put any real money behind their words. We get paid what we get paid, and our work rules are our work rules, because they are essentially industry standard. Period.

We are one of many possible carriers for their customers. All United, Delta, or AirTran care about is getting the job done to a reasonable service standard for the LOWEST COST. PERIOD. They honestly don't care who does the work as long as it gets done.

Just because my mother tells me all the time how handsome I am, that does not mean I actually look like Brad Pitt.

Originally Posted by JDFlyer

First let me say, I completely respect the opinions above who don't like the pay proposal.

However, I think I am going to vote in favor of taking it.

1) The economy is in meltdown, thousands of pilots on furlough and we (Skywest) are hiring and getting offered a pay raise that is in line with the CPI.

2) While the majority of Skywest pilots (EMB FO's not withstanding) may not be the highest paid pilot group, we are near the top - and MOST IMPORTANTLY - we don't have to pay ALPO 3% or whatever it is to support their legacy airline pilot labor organization in negotiating our regional pilot pay.

3) Management has no contract with us, but also, we have no contract with management. If for some reason the economy completely turns around and Skywest starts printing money, we the pilots can absolutely go ask for more money. We may not get it, but at least management cannot say "we have a contract" how dare you ask, we will talk in another 5 years.

4) Because we are a competitively priced sub-contract carrier, we have grown amazingly well over the last 10 years. We are acquiring other airlines, ASA and XJET to be specific - and who knows who else in the near future. (Mesa? Comair?) Other airlines are NOT acquiring us because of our business model or cost structure.

My two cents. Flame away.

Originally Posted by Paid2fly

4) So they have hundreds of millions to purchase all of ASA and XJET, and invest in other ventures in Brazil and Vietnam...but when it comes to the pilot group that made them the money to do so, a sub-standard offer that doesn't even keep up with inflation is okay?

Originally Posted by JDFlyer

First let me say, I completely respect the opinions above who don't like the pay proposal.

However, I think I am going to vote in favor of taking it.

1) The economy is in meltdown, thousands of pilots on furlough and we (Skywest) are hiring and getting offered a pay raise that is in line with the CPI.

2) While the majority of Skywest pilots (EMB FO's not withstanding) may not be the highest paid pilot group, we are near the top - and MOST IMPORTANTLY - we don't have to pay ALPO 3% or whatever it is to support their legacy airline pilot labor organization in negotiating our regional pilot pay.

3) Management has no contract with us, but also, we have no contract with management. If for some reason the economy completely turns around and Skywest starts printing money, we the pilots can absolutely go ask for more money. We may not get it, but at least management cannot say "we have a contract" how dare you ask, we will talk in another 5 years.

4) Because we are a competitively priced sub-contract carrier, we have grown amazingly well over the last 10 years. We are acquiring other airlines, ASA and XJET to be specific - and who knows who else in the near future. (Mesa? Comair?) Other airlines are NOT acquiring us because of our business model or cost structure.

My two cents. Flame away.

Originally Posted by JDFlyer

Wait . . . I don't get it? Who are you talking about? I am talking about ALPO - the Airline Pilots Organization.

My apologies if you, or anybody who supports ALPA, took my ALPA comments personally. I do not mean them to be so. Collective bargaining is one thing. Regional airline collective bargaining by and through ALPA is another. Just ask a L.A.M.A. member. Comair recently got neutered. The jury is still out on the fate of ASA and XJET.

My personal opinion again, but when Skywest management tells us how great we are, thanking us for all our hard work, etc. etc. without putting their "money where their mouths are", I agree something is not connecting. But here is what it is - SKYWEST MEANS NOTHING TO UNITED, DELTA OR AIRTRAIN. Skywest is not paid by United, Delta, or AirTran enough to put any real money behind their words. We get paid what we get paid, and our work rules are our work rules, because they are essentially industry standard. Period.

We are one of many possible carriers for their customers. All United, Delta, or AirTran care about is getting the job done to a reasonable service standard for the LOWEST COST. PERIOD. They honestly don't care who does the work as long as it gets done.

Just because my mother tells me all the time how handsome I am, that does not mean I actually look like Brad Pitt.