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However, you said that Mesa (Go!) came to Hawaii simply to take Aloha out of business (I agree 100%). If you read some of my older posts you'll see I've been thoroughly disgusted with what happened there and said early on Mesa engaged in criminal behavior......
Well, GoJet came into effect so the management wouldn't have to deal with the TSA's union... It's an alter-ego whose entire premise was to take the union out at one airline and fold the pilots into another (at the time union-less) airline. I don't know all the answers and don't know where all the furloughed ATA, AAI, Aloha, etc. pilots could have gone instead.
However, wouldn't you say that what Go! did in Honolulu is eerie similar to what GoJet did in St. Louis?
Yes, it is pretty similar. It was all a huge battle of egos. Originally in our bankruptcy, Mesa (JO) wanted to be Aloha Express or something like that and replace some of our flights. Some didn't think it was a good idea, and we told Mesa to go packing. If we agreed to enter into a code-share with Mesa and allow them to fly as Aloha Express, who knows... maybe I'd still be flying 737NG's across the Pacific. Perhaps there wouldn't have been this massive fare war. I don't know all the details. But in any case, it was a battle of egos, and Aloha lost... well, the employees anyway. Originally Posted by ⌐ AV8OR WANNABE
RJSaviator - great post and I agree with almost everything you've said... However, you said that Mesa (Go!) came to Hawaii simply to take Aloha out of business (I agree 100%). If you read some of my older posts you'll see I've been thoroughly disgusted with what happened there and said early on Mesa engaged in criminal behavior......
Well, GoJet came into effect so the management wouldn't have to deal with the TSA's union... It's an alter-ego whose entire premise was to take the union out at one airline and fold the pilots into another (at the time union-less) airline. I don't know all the answers and don't know where all the furloughed ATA, AAI, Aloha, etc. pilots could have gone instead.
However, wouldn't you say that what Go! did in Honolulu is eerie similar to what GoJet did in St. Louis?
I followed TSA/GoJet debacle as it was unfolding and was disgusted with the whole thing. I do remember that the issue at stake wasn't TSA ALPA, but APA scope clause, so another certificate had to be formed anyway to accommodate 70-seat United Express flying. Just like Aloha vs. Go!, it was a battle of egos between TSA MEC and Hulas. Unfortunately, TSA ALPA lost and as a consequence, GoJet is now considered a separate airline from Trans States. Crappy turn of events...
Here's how these two situations are similar when it comes to employees:
Mesa pilots fought their whole Freedom battle and accepted a really crappy contract to secure all of their flying under one umbrella. This enabled their management to come to Hawaii and do what they did. I can't blame Mesa pilots for flying their bids in Hawaii. I blame their unethical management. However, how easy would it be to blame Mesa crews, and take out our anger on them? The difference is... most people who've been around the block know better than to take out their anger and frustrations on poor schmucks trying to make a living. Although go! was there to put Aloha employer under, do you know what Aloha did to go! pilots? We were hiring them...
Now... as far as GoJet, TSA MEC lost their battle when they refused to accept a crappy contract in order to secure their flying. You can say it was a battle of egos in that TSA MEC refused to accept ALPA National opinion that they should secure this flying under one list first. In any case, just like with the original Freedom guys, one can understand some anger towards the original GoJet cadre. But blaming GoJet pilots hired after the legal battle was over, and particularly those hired in 2008 or 2009 after all the job losses makes about as much sense as blaming go! pilots for the demise of Aloha Airlines.
That's why I take a big issue with hypocrites who are way too quick to blame other pilots for their misfortunes and yet fail to see the big picture.