OMG. You're screwed.

 

Right on the money!

 

Management has simply chosen the tried-and-true product of negotiating directly with the pilots. To bolster that, they put out a Q & A that implies WITH acceptance of this tactic, there are no guarantees of the future, but without it, the certainty of doom and gloom of imposed contractual provisions (chapter 11). First of all, they cannot guarantee anything either way. Secondly, think about the realities if they DID file chapter 11 at least for the pilots.

They insinuate instead of handing over this supposedly wonderful offer (again bypassing the union negotiators and pressuring the weakest source - the pilots), they would file chapter 11 meaning the the pilots would get a worse deal. Think about that for a minute.......

If they were to do that, it would only exacerbate they very problem of what they are trying to solve. With concessions or no truly significant improvements, their future would be in even more jeopardy putting the point of chapter 11 into question and actually putting them closer to chapter 7. Republic is still a viable company and any restructuring would be pointless if they were to gut the pilots further. The card trick here is to "manage the pilots expectations" and that is why they are negotiating directly with them and using fear grenades to push their offer over the finish line. The biggest disaster in this deal isn't a particular pay rate or work rule, but ambiguity that makes much of the deal subjective to the whims of management. It's a slick game and part of the process of union-busting. Just how are unions "busted" nowadays ?

Not by elimination, but by nullification. That is why they have bypassed the union and are essentially functioning without them and directly with the pilots. As long as these managements can successfully shape pilot GROUPS expectations by altering the landscape like this, the pilots will be unwitting accomplices to their own marginalization. True success for the pilots here is not just a fair contract with real improvements, it's recognition by management of the structure of the union and respecting that. Nothing has changed for RAH pilots with this offer except the solidifcation of their own demise and the essential unrecognition of their own union. As long as that occurs, the pilots will ALWAYS lose.

 

1. Bound by the RLA

2. IBT bylaws written without consideration for the RLA (NOT the local union by laws)

It's really not difficult to understand.

 

All of the Republic/SA pilots I know have either departed (to Compass, Mesa, Skywest and 135 charter) or are planning to leave with resumes out. I think Republic will find it very difficult to attract new pilots with its terrible, pilot-unfriendly reputation. This drawn-out contract process certainly has not helped.

 

So if this truly is the LBFO and it's voted down, that implies Republic wouldn't give more and the pilots won't accept less, essentially putting everyone at an impasse. Is that not a reasonable point at which the pilots would likely be released to self-help within the framework of the RLA?

 

I have a question for you all. Usually, I try and be diplomatic, encourage debate, and try to listen to opposing views, but I'm not going to do that with today's post because I don't think there is a valid opposing view, the environment has changed. If you disagree with me then you are an idiot and will be stealing from your wife and from your kids.

Here are the starting pay rates for a CRJ-700 Captain at a Japanese
airline that will be in Denver recruiting pilots. Since they are here looking I am assuming they pay much less than the others who are not having to come here.

Net Monthly Salary (After all Japan tax)
During Training
USD6,440.00

1st Year
Non-Commuting
USD8,220.00

Commuting
USD7,630.00

2nd Year
Non-Commuting
USD8,820.00

Commuting
USD8,120.00

Completion Bonus
JPY2,000,000 (USD17,000 at current rate) After all Japan tax
Accommodation

Housing Allowance Available
Days off from work
10 Days Off for Non-Commuting Pilot per month
18 Days Consecutive Days Off in 2 Months for Commuting Pilot
Vacation
24 Days per Year (Non-Commuting)
20 Days per Year (Commuting)
Ticket Allowance

With the bonus, after training, the first year salary is $102,890 and second year it is 110,090.

In the past there was a simple reason that they had to pay more, we had lots of available pilots they did not. Supply and demand.

Are there a lot of extra pilots in the US now? No, so that difference no longer exists.

So my question is, wait, wait, wait!

Why are you considering less? Why is there a debate, why is there even a discussion?

Republic pays a first year captain 64 an hour times a guarantee of 75x 12 months = $57600. A 5 year captain is 77x75x12= $69300. Therefore, a republic pilot is making $45,290 less than starting at this other airline. Being pilots we will lie to ourselves by saying if we give up our days off we can make 10 hours more a month to make another $11520. That way we can compare apples to oranges so that the difference is only $33770. An emotional defense so we don't feel so stupid. But you could fly overtime at the other airline too so lets not lie to ourselves and realize it is a difference of $45,290 on an apple/apple basis.

On the EMB-145 it is 50 x 75 x 12 = 45,000. Difference is $57,890.

At Gojet they pay 65 x 74 x 12 = $57720 (120 a year more than Republic's best airplane, tell me the airlines are not getting together to decide what they are going to pay you!) That is a difference of $45,170. per year.

The market is telling you that you should make a minimum of $45170 a year more than what you are being paid. What is the union looking at getting you, a 10, may 20% increase? Why are you doing that? over 10 years that is $451,700.

You need to tell the companies that you are being offered $102,890 by the competition for a first year captain, nobody, absolutely nobody should be considering agreeing to a dollar less! That is the already the level, they need to beat that number.

Everyone needs to remember these two numbers, $102,890 for a first year captain and $110,090 for a 5 year captain. You need to make sure that everyone you fly with knows these 2 numbers. You need to take a tube of lipstick and write it on your mirror at home and leave it there, you need to write it on your hotel mirror and leave it there when you check out. You need to show the number to your wife and kids and even your mother-in-law because that is your minimum worth, that is what you deserve as a minimum, any dollar less and you are being robbed.

Tell your wife, kids, and mother-in-law what these numbers are. Tell them about how the pilot shortage has hit the US and how the airlines are having problems getting pilots. Then, I dare you, explain to them why you are considering voting for a contract that would pay less!

I want to see these numbers everywhere. I want every CEO to know these numbers. I want every chief pilot to know these numbers. In fact I want both the chief pilot's wife and girl friend to know these numbers! I want every pilot scheduler to know these numbers. I want the schedulers to understand why they can't get pilots to fly for $75 dollars per hour less then the competition in Japan pays to fly an hour of overtime.

$102,890 and $110,090 should be the first numbers you look at when a contract is being offered. If the numbers are not bigger than that then don't bother reading any more! Stop settling for a $36 hotel room 3 times a month and get what the market demands. KDA, Know what you are worth, Demand what you are worth, Accept nothing less!

102890 and 110,090!

 

Ideally, I think regional airlines should go completely union less. Here is my arguments why.

1. The company doesn't abide by your contract anyway, save your money (for that matter any regional airline)
2. There would be no organization to sue in the event that one or more pilots decided to be sick (unsanctioned work action). Who would remind the pilots to fall back in line? Nobody.
3. It's an employees market right now, supply and demand leverage
4. I hypothesize the union is nothing more than the enforcement arm of the company's wishes. Imagine the company having to deal with employees as individuals instead of collectively. The ensuing chaos would force the company to reconsider a variety of practices.
5. Regional airline pilot unions have had decades to figure out proper wording of contracts yet they still pass contracts with vague wording open to interpretation after all these years, why?

For these reasons, I believe the company needs a union more than the pilots need a union. Further, I hypothesize that the company would fear losing the union and their control.

Essentially, what I'm trying to do here is get you to imagine what it would be like for the company to have to deal with the pilot group as individuals instead of as a collective group.

 

Independent unions are the way to go. They are not beholden to anyone but their own pilot group.

 

In an ideal world, your theory would be correct. However look at Virgin America and JetBlue. Both companies made a big deal about how good it was to treat employees properly and how unions weren't required at "good" companies. Both airlines recently voted in ALPA by large majorities.

In your example of the pilots who called in sick, they would all be fired. Over and done, with no union to fight for them and get them back to work with back pay.

All airlines need unions. The IBT sucks. ALPA sucks. I'm sure plenty of the in-house unions suck too. Guess what, the airline management groups suck more. The unions' suckiness is still significantly better than having no union at all. Despite their many flaws, unions are an absolute necessity in the airline world, especially when safety is a concern.