SKYW Pilots planning walkout?
 

Some of my friends at SKYW said that they have organized a 1-2 day (Call-in-Sick Stoppage of Work) to coincide with SKYW's earnings conference on February 7th. Apparently, it is in protest to their wages. (???)

I don't know how true this is, so I was curious if anyone else heard of anything. However, if it is true, that could sort of be embarrassing for SKYW Management, especially during an earnings conference and after Midwest Airlines selected them to fly 15-25 planes.

I haven't heard anything here at SKW.

Like they care....:rolleyes:

i heard something similar but i didn't hear it would be 1-2 days. i heard it was going to be like nwa flight attendant chaos, just random sick calls for some flights. the bad thing is since they don't have a union the company could just kick them to the curb since the rumor is out about them wanting to do this.

I haven't heard anything either.

Good for them, most of the pilots for Skywest work in some of the most expensive places to live in the US, they should get paid more, it might start a movement in other airlines too, which would be good for all.

I doubt it will happen. First off, we haven't the slightest semblance of unity among our pilot group. We definitely showed the world this when we voted yes to that S*#T pay package not long ago. Also, it's not a big secret that employment can be terminated by management for pretty much whatever reason they want. I know of at least one active case that is in court as we speak (pilot had to hire his own legal help to get his job back), among many others in the past. Until we get some real form of unity here, I doubt anything like this would ever happen.

Place sounds scarrier than I thought it was

I heard about that pay package . . . I suppose that they could fire someone or many, but based upon cost of training new pilots and replacing Captains and FO's things could get costly in a hurry if they did that, since it sounds like they are short pilots (hiring unitl July / August) at lower minimums. What is it now? 850TT and 50-100ME. Scary if you are a passenger. . . .

1000/100 last time i checked.

Ellen! WOW!

Your friends apparently don't have much pull because I, as well as all my SKW friends and everyone on this board (that’s SKW), haven't heard a word. If they had actually organized it I’m sure that the “Buzz” would be around SKW by now.

Now that you have spread the word, I'm sure that Mgmnt will know shortly if they don't already, they will be easily singled out seeing that there will only be a hand full calling in sick. It's not that I don't agree, it's that without a union's legal department to back us and lead us is the right direction (according to the RLA) we are just risking our careers. I for one can not afford to hire legal representation on my first year salary.

No, I'm afraid that Ellen is continuing to blow smoke and until we have legal representation at SKW you'll not see an organized attempt of this kind for some time. BUT, thank you for the amusement Ellen; it's nice to see you care.

We still have some of the highest mins in the regionals. SKW will not drop their Multi time and those that are hired at 850 are told they can't start training until they have 1000TT.

Scary? :confused: Then don't fly at any of the regionals!

Then go to Mesa or GoJets.

Or try Great Lakes Airlines :p :p :p

A little sensitive aren't we?

What rubber toilet ducky means is that skywest is viewed as one of the top, if not the top, regionals around on these boards. Generally, people want to work there and it is rare that you hear negative things about it.... giving a false warm and fuzzy.

Now, what Mr. Duck, and all the other newbies to the industry, need to realize (like I did not so long ago) is that even the best regional has it's serious disadvantages and drawbacks...No regional is a "perfect" place to work. So even the best company still sucks, for lack of a better word. That is why we all play "My sh*tty company is better than your sh*tty company" on these regional boards.

Skywest is a great company. So is RAH, ExpressJet, and Horizon. Each have advantages, each have disadvantages. There is always chaos in some form or another between the pilot group and mgmt. That's just part of the industry.

Note: Don't work for GoJets

Very well said, nice post! Unfortunately you can't see body language when you read a post, I wasn't trying to be rude, just make a comment. But looking back I can see how it can be taken that way.

Note: Don't work for GoJets or Mesa!

Anyone who does that deserves to be fired.

I don't think the average passenger even knows what a ATP is, let alone how many hours you should have as a pilot. Average Joe thinks that you should go straight to the airlines after you get your commercial.

No, average Joe thinks we just got out of our F-14 and hopped up front on a CRJ :eek:

Never truer words spoken:D

What!!!! Everyone didnt?;)

F-14? F-16? Losers! I gave up flying the Space Shuttle Discovery for this job! LOL! :D

hahaha, i still get the, OHHH YOUR THE CO-PILOT, SO WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO FLY THE PLANE!!! hahahahha

i think i will make the statement again...

SKW IS THE NEXT MAG


oh i am so hoping for the typical SKW response...wanna compare W2's


i think it will be funny when the find out that RAH got most of the Delta RFP

Any company that treats it's highly skilled employees like trash...........................deserves the UNION it is about to get!!

Amen! I would ignore SlapHappy...hes whats known in the industry as a TOOOOOOOOL!!!

I'm pretty sure SlapHappy would sucker punch his/her mother if Uncle Jerry would pat him/her on the head and tell him/her what a good boy/girl he/she is....

If you fight fire with fire a lot of people might get burned. SKW has got this far without a union. If they unionize I think they'll start to blend in with all the other regionals.

Look at the unionized regionals, besides Horizon most pay comprable or lower than SKW. When you factor in SKW pay structure and work rules I would say that pilot group is better off than most.

So why would you want to give 2% of every paycheck to an organization that represents all the airlines below you?

You're becoming a broken record that nobody else is playing, Newbie. :confused:

A little clarification for the those without a lot of airline experience...

This sort of grass-roots job action (sick-outs, slow-downs) is technically illegal and IS NOT protected labor activity at any union or non-union airline. A real honest-to-goodness strike has to be authorized in advance by the federal government, after years (and I do mean YEARS) of attempted negotiation.

Employees participating in this sort of thing can be fired by a union or non-union company...however the company would have trouble proving that you weren't really sick, so the chances of anyone getting fired are slim.

More likely the company would attempt to identify the ring-leaders, and fire or sue them...yes, the company can sue and will win for economic damages due to an unauthorized labor action.

Actually union work groups are at a SERIOUS disadvantage in this sort of situation. A non-union company would have trouble pinning down the correct people to sue, and even if they did all they would get would be what they own personally. At a union company the company would just sue the union...the courts generally hold that the union is responsible even if it cannot be proved that they instigated it. The assumption is that that the MEC could have and should have stopped it. The company will get a massive judgement (millions, or tens or even hundreds of millions), which the union will have to pay...this means the PILOTS will have to pay...all of them, not just the participants in the job action.


The moral of the sory is that the feds have labor by the short hairs with the RLA. ALPA should be vigorously campaigning to roll back the RLA.

Oh BTW ellen, early FEB is about at the bottom of the post-holiday airline slow-down. Any airline has it's deepest reserve coverage at this point in time, so it would be hard to make a dent with a few sick-calls. That sort of thing works a lot better during peak travel season :rolleyes:

You mean like what happened at Comair at Christmas time? Amazingly management decided not to impose the cuts to their contract at the end of December as planned!

If I remember correctly the American pilots (APA?) were hit pretty hard by the courts regarding a sick out concerning the Reno Air intergration.

HAHAHAHA But... Doesnt that glide and not technically fly so is it considered glider time?

Skywest ISN'T going to get a union. The drive is failing, if they can't even get us to unionize easily how do they expect us to trust them with getting us a contract.

Good point, I guess I will have to change my logbook to reflect most of it as Multi-Rocket PIC/SIC (Liquid Nitrogen & Oxygen) and Glider time but what will the category & class for an a/c of that kind?

a. Begins as a Multi-Rocket ends as Glider
b. 8.5 min climb to 60 nm
c. Cruise speed in orbit of Mach 25 @ 400,000 feet

Who is "they"? You will be the ones who decide to Unionize and YOU will be the ones negotiating a contract. Too many peopke think that some outside group is going to come in and do everything for you. ALPA will help train your elected leadership. ALPA will offer LEGAL advice and aid in communications, but ultimately it is the Pilots of Skywest that will help themselves.

Sorry its not worth it. Skywest is fine on its own we don't need alpa to come in and destroy this good company. They have done such great work at; Comair, ASA, Mesaba, TSA and of course Mesa and their 1 room per crew contract.

Yeah I really want alpa here just look at their stellar track record. :rolleyes:

BTW what are the cards at now? 40%. Last I heard they are hiring at a higher rate than they can get cards in at. Don't forget that everyone who sends in a card isn't going to automatically vote yes. I know of plenty people who have sent in cards who just want to vote it down.

I can't wait till the drive fails, I will enjoy the look on the faces of the vultures out there who want skywest to fail and use the excuse of "brotherhood". If you guys are just looking out for our best intrests then why were you so angry when we got the Midwest contract? I recall a few "screw skywest bottom-feeders" type comments out there. You would think you would be happy for us.

First off Pal I think you need a chill Pill.

I personally don't care what the pilots of Skywest decide. I don't work there.
To Unionize or not to..........It's the SKywest Pilots decision and nobody elses.

The point I was making (responding to a few comments on this thread) is
If Skwest Pilots decide to Unionize, they alone will be responsible for who they elect on their MEC (The MEC will be made up of Skywest Pilots) and They will be responsible to decide who they put on their negotiating committee.(again made up of more Skywest Pilots)...................It is not like great hoards from the outside will swoop in and negotiate a contract for you folks..........it just doesn't work that way.

Good luck in your future

So I guess you're perfectly OK with management's abitlity to invoke their "pen-stroke" policy changes whenever they please. You're ok with their continuous abuse of PBS due to lack-of proper staffing (100 hours in the month with forced flying, minimum days off, 6 day work blocks, no override pay whatsoever (forced flying IS junior manning without compensation)). You're ok with a 1% pay raise, but for only part of the pilot group, the EMB pilots, well, they don't matter.

I'm not saying ALPA is the answer, however, we need some sort of representation that is LEGALLY BINDING. SAPA (which should stand for Skywest Airlines Policy Announcement group) pretty much has no leg to stand on, as they have no legal bargaining power (don't forget we have no contract, just an "agreement"). At any time management could change any of our work rules, and we would be powerless to do anything about it.

wow man you are Waiste Deep in the STUFF aren't you. We will see how much you don't want a union when you have to call atc one day about missing a crossing restriction, or not noticing an aml in the book and the faa brings you in. You will be out the door!!!! your next post will be,, so any regionals hiring 121 pilot who have been terminated before?