Without fences, CJC F/Os stand to get hosed.

Many Colgan pilots should remember that the entire Q400 fleet exists due to Colgan's purchase by Pinnacle and the ensuing financing and deal making done by Pinnacle. These Q400s were Pinnacle birds put on the Colgan certificate. Due to this, though paying for the airplanes, Pinnacle pilots suffered 2 years of no growth while Colgan pilots experienced rapid growth/hiring/upgrades. Further, there is potential that thanks to this fleet allotment, a Colgan pilot hired after the purchase by Pinnacle could end up ahead of a Pinnacle pilot on property before the purchase on the new seniority list.

I'm not trying to say anything bad about Colgan guys, I'm just trying to make sure everyone remembers what happened here. Colgan pilots lucked out a whole lot in this deal and those FOs who will be "hosed" probably wouldn't even have a job there in the first place if it weren't for Pinnacle. They're not getting "hosed" - their truly unnaturally high rate of seniority increase is simply going to be brought to more industry average levels.

Pinnacle pilots' hard work bought another airline and then bought that airline dozens of airplanes without getting a single upgrade or newhire out of them for Pinnacle. Now they stand to see these pilots, whos jobs they created, be put ahead of them on the combined seniority list.

Pinnacle pilots are the ones who got hosed.

Hey fellas, if you really think that by 11/15/10 we're all gonna have one big nice shiney new industry leading contract, then I predict we're all gonna be hosed together.

The Colgan guys are not getting hosed at all...they stand to do pretty well with a new contract and probably in the SLI mix...I wouldn't be asking for too much here...

so are we saying that a pncl or mesaba pilot was somehow prohibited from applying to Colgan instead of pncl or mesaba?

Wouldn't surprise me at all to see that scenario play out here in Colganland, however, I don't really like it and no one in my position would. However, I am not going to have any angst toward anyone that is able to find a good seat when the music stops. I mentioned in another forum that these are very dynamic times in our industry. I am grateful to have a paycheck and I hope our negotiators improve F/O pay on the "heavies" Q/900 and give them a separate pay-scale. Plus throw a bone to us guys slumming in the SAAB would be nice too!
In the interest of getting along, I'd like to ask the Pinnacle pilots to stop talking smack about Colgan pilots flying the Q with their pay-raise! Do you guys honestly think you were going to get one without the Colgan purchase? Point is this...I didn't buy the damned things, I just work here...I'd be happy if I was still in the left-seat of the 1900 doing BKW-BLF-IAD Mo-Th on the early crew!

Regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead

How can you say we stand to do pretty well with a contract that doesn't exist? It could be 5 years before we have a contract...until then, the F/O's here want 1 thing: An upgrade. It was a reasonable career expectation for Colgan pilots hired here. 3-5 year fences should be able to accomodate that before they have to sit reserve for 5 years in EWR

exactly

no one forced pilots to work for any particular one of the three carriers

9L pilots will at minimum be merged with XJ and they will absorb our current contract. Correct me if I'm wrong it's a pretty good step up from the current contract.

That much is true.