RAH TA Letter
 

I got a copy of this and since the Local won't post this on the website, I thought I would throw it out here for all to see.


March 2014

Brothers and Sisters of Local 357:

As you are undoubtedly aware by now, we have reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Company. Republic Airways pilots deserve an agreement that protects their flying, values their time, honors their seniority, and treats them with the respect airline pilots deserve. We believe this TA does just that and are pleased to present it to you for consideration.
Taken in whole or in part, we feel this TA provides the highest standards in the regional industry for pay, work rules and quality of life. Republic pilots will see dramatic improvements in job protection; compensation; scheduling and time off; ability to bid vacancies; ability to exercise seniority in displacements; increased Per Diem; and, multiple protections during cancellations and reassignments.

Attached are the documents that amend your CBA. Please take the time to thoroughly read through all of the information. To assist you, in addition to the TA itself, we have provided bullet points, examples and flow charts. You will note there are revisions attached for Articles 1 (Scope), 3 (Compensation), 6 (Scheduling), 6A (Reserves) (new), 7 (Vacancies) and 23 (Duration). That is because it was firmly agreed in December 2010 that the remaining articles would stay as currently found in your CBA.

We believe the time for ending concessionary agreements for pilots in the regional industry is long overdue; this TA drives a wooden stake through the hearts of those in the industry who think otherwise. Join us in setting the bar at a new high level that turns the corner for the pilots in the regional industry, in general and for Republic Airways pilots, in particular.

As the Republic pilot members of the IBT Airline Division Negotiating Team, we fully and unanimously support this TA. Please do not hesitate to send any questions to: [email protected]. One of us will respond as quickly as possible.

Fraternally,

Capt. Dan Sneddon, Local 357 Negotiating Committee Chair Capt. Eve Grauer, Local 357 Negotiating Committee Vice-Chair Capt. Gary Czachowski, Local 357 Executive Board VP
Capt. Matthew Markillie, Local 357 Scheduling Committee Chair

I think I would rather see a silver bullet than a wooden stake.

It would have have been a great contract 7 years ago. I guess if you're a very senior CA it's not that bad right now but fell short on FO compensation to say the least. When you lower expectations, all is great in the world.

Its bad for everyone, period. There is no ca vs fo here.

biggest jokes at our union!

You mean pilot unions in general.

(sorry)

So is it going to pass?

It would have been a horrible contract 7 years ago. The language is concessionary, riddled with holes and gray areas. We gave up the few good parts of our CBA for cancellation pay, rigs, and overtime pay. The problem is the company lawyers have worded these sections completely to their benefit. I'm a 6 year FO, and I'd rather work under our existing book than this TA. 5-6k in additional income isn't worth gutting our work rules.

I doubt it. When the bullet points came out, people we very angry. After the full TA was released, that anger just about doubled. As time passes, it just looks worse and worse.

All eyes are on Republic now... all managements across the industry waiting on republic. If this passes then the whipsaw continues! VOTE NO!! this is about the WHOLE industry together... there is a bigger picture here! If everybody votes NO then there may be no choice but to breakup the regional model and start bringing everything in house. They may have no choice! RAH guys, look at this TA as the whole industry picture here and what it can possibly do for the future of the regional model. If you vote this in, then its all over... you have set the market and the whipsaw continues!

I can only suggest to the RAH pilots, after reading your TA, other than pay, your TA is worse than the AIP that the eagle MEC board voted NO to.

VOTE NO, but it is your choice whether to stand up straight or not. Remember, management has no place else to go to, both mainline and regional management are in the same position. Little wiggle room to screw the pilots over. They are all stealing each other's pilots to staff there current operations, eventually the bridge will collapse and all will be stuck for years where they are currently at that time.

This is hard to keep straight...

The RAH pilots that actually participated in the IBT Airline Division Negotiating Committee overwhelmingly support the TA.

Meanwhile, the RAH Local 357 Executive Board starts their most recent Pay Day Update with the following sentence...

"After receiving the Negotiating Team’s presentation on Friday, February 21, 2014, and, after very deliberative
and careful consideration as to its merits in the last ten days, the Executive Board’s consensus is to put the TA to
a membership vote without comment."

How can the EBoard remain silent while the NC overwhelmingly endorses the TA? This is an incredibly conflicted message. One of the NC members is on the Eboard. How can he be silent in one letter to the membership and in support of the TA in another letter?

This is incredibly dysfunctional and a COMPLETE failure of leadership by the E-Board.

This sounds very familiar... oh yeah!! XJT ALPA pushing it. Look what happened to them? Recalled and fresh blood. Is it just me or are union members entirely disconnected from the line pilots? Not flying the line, living life in a cushy office, earning 120 credit hours a month has gone too far. Fight on RAH friends!

If you vote this in you will put this career into ruins.

XJT put their money where their mouth was and voted hell no. we are rolling the dice hoping everyone else will do the same. Can't find enough pilots
EGL put their money where their mouth was and voted hell no. They are rolling the dice with their careers hoping everyone else will do the same. Can't find enough pilots.

It is your turn. This vote will determine WAY more than YOUR future.

They have no respect for you. They Think you should make less than a substitute teacher. Why put up with this crap?

It felt good to tell this incompetent shyster management group who lie, exaggerate and steal from us to pound sand. They threatened XJT with winding down. They are pressing on and ordering tablets, and restructuring our ops. I though you said we were going out of business? Which is it?

This is what's going on. Teamsters National was not happy with the Eboard president and the pace of the negotiations. National decided to save the day and brought in a outside negotiator to take over negotiations. ( Some old former United guy). One of the Eboard members went rogue and together with National formed this new negotiating"Team" . The head of the team was this United dude. The team included some of the former negotiating committee members, but not the hard liners and included several new guys hand picked by National . They got this TA. The E board except for the rogue, was not involved at all in the negotiating or agreeing to the TA. Now they are under pressure from National to put this out to a vote and have decided to be neutral and let the membership decide. Based on what I am hearing it aint gonna pass. National hijacked the bus with help from an Eboard member, but instead of returning with a pot of gold they brought back fools gold and now everyone is really upset! Confusing but the truth!

This might be the worst TA to make it to voting in recent history. It's literally garbage, there's no way anyone should vote yes for this.

Staffing is bad and will continue to be bad even if this piece passes. Management knows that so their goal is to pass something that will keep you on duty for as long as they can and pay you as little as they can. That's why flight time pay is so deceiving and we should get paid duty time. Since that's not happening anytime soon please educate yourselves and read between the lines. You vote this in and you're voting for less money for your family and more time away from them.

Im thinking that Frosty has a better chance in hades.....;)

Can you say "DFR"?

The IBT Airline Division is negating the ability of the Local 357 to govern per Article XXII of the IBT Constitution;

"The principal executive officer shall, in general,
supervise, conduct, and control all of the business and
affairs of the Local Union, its officers, and employees.
He shall have charge and supervision of all the officers
and employees of the Local Union including elected
Business Agents. The principal executive officer shall
also have charge of all labor controversies involving the
Local Union."

If the IBT Airline Division wants to hijack the negotiations they need to first recall the Local 357 President. They skipped that step, violating their own C&B's.

When does this thing get voted on?

Very soon. Voting to close march 28 at noon.

Nice good luck and Vote no. I think RAH would be the first to put forth a decent contract if pressured.

Well they should, they've been getting robbed blind for the past decade, flying the biggest airplanes in the regionals, with I believe the biggest fleet of them, for the lowest wages and under one of the worst contracts. Now they get thrown a sub-par contract that not even gets them to the level of where everyone else has been for the past XX years.

I hope they tell management and their union to shove it. This industry needs to be fixed, there is a lot of momentum on our side, and if it doesn't happen now, it likely won't ever. XJT and Eagle had cast their votes, it should be easy for Republic, to do the same, with confidence, them being the last ones.

A friend of mine sent me this comparison:

RAH 2014 TA:

Min day: (Line holder) 4.0 (1 day)
Min day: (Reserve) 4; 5 for airport standby
Duty Rig: 1:2.5 (actual)
Trip Rig: 1:4.2 (actual)
Cancellation Pay: Trip by trip with plus up
Deadhead Pay: 75% scheduled (actual on company)
Taxi Pay: 15 min; 30 min in Hubs; Or rig credit
Per Diem: $1.80; $1.90 DOS+2; $2.00 DOS+4
Minimum Guarantee: 75 Hours
Premium Pay: 125% time over 87 hours
Reserve Call out: 120 minutes
Min Days off: 12 Lineholder; 11 Reserve
Junior Manning: None

Skywest (2011 Policy handbook)

Min day (Line holder): 3.57
Min day (Reserve): 3.57
Duty Rig: 1:2 up to 12 hours (Scheduled)
Trip Rig: None
Cancellation Pay: Shift Cancellation
Deadhead Pay: 100% scheduled
Taxi Pay: 12 minutes; 30 min ORD
Per Diem: $1.75
Minimum Guarantee: 75 Hours; 80 EMB120 Lineholder
Premium Pay: None
Reserve Call out: 120 minutes
Min Days off: 11 in 31 day month; 10 for 30 day
Junior Manning: Yes: 150% pay

We get almost everything we need and want in this TA, while our peers have only some or mostly none of what the TA has in the way of rigs and protection.

The only thing that would be concessionary about this TA would be to turn it down and languish in the weeds forever while our E-Board and our incompetent leader gets us nothing, just like they have done for years now.

Now is the time to get a contract--not because we are tired of waiting, but because this TA is remarkably good IMHO.

Whaaa...?

You have read the language and see the GAPING holes in the language, right? I mean, the company would never use that against us. They would never argue when is a seat a seat, when is a base a base, what does "a pilot" mean.... and you are ok with being at the beck and call of scheduling? This is just to name a few things.....

I guess I just found out who my NO vote will negate.

Umm....still NOPE.

Seriously? It's remarkably good?
So you think that getting the same FO pay regardless of equipment is remarkably good?
Cancellation pay by trip is remarkably good?
No minimum daily credit is remarkably good?
1:2.5 and 1:4.2 is remarkably good?
Please, these are below industry standard. Yes, below industry standard. Let alone industry leading!
VOTE NO!

The E-Board is making a very wise move...the company has been trying to project blame for the slow pace of negotiations on our "unreasonable union leadership." If the union leadership stands aside as this TA gets voted down by 80% of the pilots, the company can no longer use that excuse.

It's pretty simple, actually.

Wow.. is that you Mr. Heller? That's the only way this post makes sense. I no longer have a dog in this fight but I worked for RAH 7 years and there's no way I would vote yes for this TA. Very very slim gains on anything and for that you will be required to be contactable by scheduling at all times on a trip. No way that is better than current book. Maybe you have a job offer and just want your piece of the signing bonus before you GTFO. Just wow.

This brings you guys up to average. There's nothing innovative about this.

~Average min day = 4 hours at most regionals (line-holder and reserve)
~Average cancelation pay at most regionals is leg-by-leg pay. Endeavor has leg-by-leg plus up.
~Average DHD pay is 75% at most regionals (SKW has 100% in some cases)
~Average Per diem at most regionals is between $1.65-1.80. (A few cents isn't going to make this TA remarkable)
~Average min guarantee at most regionals is 75 hours (SKW is 80hours for E120)
~ Average at most most regionals critical pay/premium pay is between 150-200%.
~Average call out is 2 hours at most regionals
~Average min days off is 11 days at most regionals

There is nothing remarkable about this. You have ALL the leverage to get a truly remarkable industry leading contract that raises the bar. Do not settle.

And by average at most regionals I mean regionals that fly jets like you.

Please, it's important, now more than ever that we get this new Collective Bargaining Agreement through the pipeline. It's important that we pray for God's guidance with this. I'm sure God will tell you to vote, "yes." I know that if we pray, we will be able to vote this agreement in.

God Bless,

Bryan

God hates Bedford.

I guess some people can see the good in anything and I respect that. You and your great attitude are usually great to fly with but please don't sell yourself short. "Industry Standard" is shameful and this barely meets that standard. Missed oportunities like this one is why we are where we are. Airline groups are finally taking a stand so please be careful when you defend this TA because it's a huge slap in the face to XJT & Envoy pilots.

Regional pilots are not second class citizens.

Junior and CX pay are incorrect. At SkyWest there is no mandatory junior manning, any flying added to your schedule after your release or on your days off is purely optional and if so then paid at the rate of 150%. Also cancellation pay is leg by leg, not by shift. Not that it matters much but MDG is 4 now as we'll.

Thank you. I'm tired of hearing that we are supposed to be one level of safety, and one level of service between mainline and express carriers but two levels of pay and two levels of treatment. Do customers get a cheaper ticket flying on express than they do on mainline? No, its time to demand major improvements. I dont expect mainline wages, but I do expect big increases in that direction. They have no pilots in the pipeline because its simply not worth it. FUPM

Skywest has 100% for DHD in all cases that I know of...