What does that mean? You are obviously completely out of touch if you think the SKW pilot group is happy about this IAH flying. This is going to hurt the junior guys at SKW because they will be forced into IAH when they don't want to be there or have any part of it.

I'd be willing to bet that if it were ASA, XJT, insert any ALPA carrier here, you wouldn't be saying the same thing. In fact, I bet you would be trying to find a way to support the IAH flying.

 

Because we don't support the baseless threats of blacklisting us over something beyond our control, you think we want to be career regional pilots? If you are talking specifically about SlapHappy, just say so. I don't think a single SKW pilot shares his opinion on just about anything.

 

Everyone up to now has been saying that that pilots will be "forced" to do this flying. I wonder how many Skywest pilots will proactively put a bid in to IAH? If Skywest pilots are truly being "forced" by their management to do this, then a dialogue with CAL MEC needs to take place. Otherwise, I'm not sure that there will be much sympathy over there at CAL. Remember, if no one at Skywest puts a bid in, it makes it MUCH more complicated for Skywest management.

 

I think most people here at skw have no clue as to what's going on. People who frequent our pilot association forums have been obscenely vocal. Unfortunately that's a small number compared to the many who have their heads in the sand. Good luck, hope it ends well.

 

Last I looked, there were less than 20 bids in for IAH on the FO side. Most of those, I'm sure, are because they live in Houston, or nearby. As of now, <2% of our FOs WANT to go to Houston. I'd say it would be a bit off-base to judge the entire pilot group based on the actions (and ignorance) of 1.4%

 

Emotions are running high at CAL, but at the end of the day, the pilots that put a bid in for IAH for Jan. 1st will show that they lack the compassion, solidarity and situational awareness required to work for a union carrier in the future. Goodwill will not be shown when they try to get on a CAL jumpseat; karma is a b*tch, especially in the airline industry.

 

Ha!

I'm pretty satisfied to be out of the airlines. But reading a thread like this one makes me even more so.

Good luck with your senseless jumpseat war.

 

Like I said, don't judge us by the 1.4% that probably don't even know the situation because they don't frequent internet boards. I'd be willing to bet that the majority of SKW folks that end up in IAH will be there AGAINST THEIR WILL.

I undertand your frustration, and that the easiest, "feel good" thing to do is to take it out on the SKW pilots. Most of us understand your position, and are no happier about the flying than you are. That said, when you start denying our guys (there against their will remember) a ride home to their families, you won't get much support from us. This is an issue with management and needs to stay that way.

Just ignore everything SlapHappy says.

 

Cal 171 LEC update.





The SPSC has been directed to formulate a response intended to show management, the media and the traveling public our outrage at management’s actions and our displeasure with management’s outdated philosophy concerning outsourcing. Your MEC will review the details of these plans as part of a Special MEC meeting scheduled for next week.
With regards to the pilots of SKYWEST and the rumor of jump seat issues, all I can say is that we are not at that point—YET. Keep in mind, however, SKYWEST has voted down ALPA representation on several occasions. I’m hoping they are starting to realize the detriment to their careers should they choose to fly stolen work. Captain Pierce has requested Captain Prater’s approval to reach out to the SKYWEST Pilots’ Association leadership so that they are fully aware of our position regarding this flying.

 

First of all, I want to thank the numbers of Skywest folks that have treated me with respect and dignity as I make my way to/from work on a route that USED to be flown by our 757's, 737's and A320's, but in the last couple of years has transitioned to mostly RJ's. This is a stinky business sometimes, and I DO appreciate the ride.

A little bit of history, however. I was on the receiving end of NUMEROUS threats (some recently) from Skywest pilots saying they were going to deny me the jumpseat because of a mixup in the computer that UAL management was not bothering to fix whereas UAL guys would show up ahead of Skywest guys on their own flights....because you use our computer system for the jump. A couple of times, I hear a UAL pilot slipped through the cracks and snuck on the airplane in front of a Skywest guy. This was brought up to me time and time again, every time I tried to jumpseat (which is the only way I would EVER get a seat on a route that typically has a load factor in the high 90's... ALL YEAR LONG thanks to UAL pulling mainline from it). I was told I needed to get our guys to fix it, or I would be left behind. My answer was always the same. "I hear you, but unfortunately I'm afraid this is low on the alarmingly high totem pole that we have between the pilots and management. Feel free to deny me, I could use the time off anyway". I was threatened denial as recently as 3 months ago.

Fast forward, and now a "jumpseat war" is the most horrible thing in the world. Not trying to start a debate about the rights/wrongs, just remember that it always looks different when its YOUR issue.

One more thing that I feel needs to be pointed out. The pilots in question that will be forced to IAH through no fault of their own are the junior pilots on the property according to the posts I'm reading here. Every pilot hired at Skywest in the last 7 years was hired as a direct replacement for a UAL pilot that is now out on the street... some of them raising gear for the very guys that were hired in their place for 1/5th their pay. When each and every person in these junior position was hired, they were fully aware (or should have been) that they were replacing a mainline pilot with their lower paying job flying airplanes that were painted the same, flying the same routes, and doing the exact same thing as our 1400+ brothers and sisters were doing before UAL used Ch 11 to destroy our contract and what was left of our scope clause.

I'm not saying Skywest pilots shouldn't have gone out to try to get hired, and I'm sure I'll hear all about how United pilots "voted in" this scope clause "voluntarily" (go through a Ch 11 process and see how you feel about the word "voluntary" when/IF you come out the other side - see Mexicana). But the simple fact remains that at SOME POINT the pendulum was going to shift, and you HAD to know that the seat that you are in at someone else's expense was going to get awwwwwfffulllly uncomfortable. Best of luck to both sides, and I do truly hope a solution can be found that doesn't include the jumpseat.