Hey PIPE I'm right there with you. I agree with you. Things must get better. When I was hired by CAL in the late 90's things were great. Guys on reserve were having to pick up trips on the 73 to keep from going lost Q. Schudling was pleasent to deal with, and we always were above minimum reserve coverage. Come 9/11/01 and that all changed. Our 97 contract was completely re-interpreted by mgt. Things got bad quick. I choose to be a junior CA so I can put up a fight. I don't fly sick, fatigued etc. etc. etc. I'm in the fight PIPE. I could be on the 777 getting 19 days off a month (weekends/holidays) wondering why all the junior guys are *****ing. I still like being an Airline Pilot, and I'm trying to get it back.... Thanks for correcting my reserve movable days off. It's four.

Subject:
Voluntary Junior Manning Opportunity
To:


B737 Captains and First Officers
We are offering Voluntary Junior Manning on the B737.
If you are a


B737 Captain or First Officer in IAH, EWR, CLE or LAX that does a straight
pickup of a full trip pairing from open time that originates on

June 30, 2011 through July 4,
2011,

that pickup will be treated as a “voluntary junior manning” (VJM) event and you will
be paid a minimum of 4:30/day or flight time flown, whichever is greater, at

150% of your
normal hourly rate

fixed.......

+1! When are the majority of you guys ever going to learn that the suits in control will always outplay you??? I ran from this joke of an industry (UAL Mainline)7 years ago and am still flabberghasted that pilots try argue that they have a say in their collective futures!!! What will it take to prove to these groups that you are a number to be reduced. Its really very simple. Show me a recent job action that has thwarted what these companies throw at these labor groups!? Do you really think that a day of reckoning is upon the industry? From airline pilots? Yea right...Management knows it, the splintered ALPA groups know it. And so far the jr guys from al groups know it exceedingly well, for a few groups too well (UAL X2). Until you guys truly unite and/or strike..then the band plays on.with the bar going lower and lower and lower...Even if you strike..those days are all gone.. Doom and gloom? maybe..reality..definitely.

Topgun, sounds like you are a frustrated ex-pilot ****ed off that you didn't make CA at 31 over at UAL. Hey, if you went out on your own and made it big good for you, but this forum is for pilots trying to get it back from mgt. So how about you mind your own business and move on.....

While your point is well taken MX (is that maint. or moto?), and I'm not directing this at you, there is something refreshing about
topgun's call for us to pull our collective heads out of our buns. His quote
"Until you guys truly unite and/or strike..then the band plays on.with the bar going lower and lower and lower" couldn't agree with more.

The counter is that a mgmt. team who has already rewarded itself with millions in bonuses and public low-ball offers,
is going to willingly return us to our pre-bankruptcy living. Not happening without force. These guys are all about themselves.

It's time we start being about OUR profession. Mgmt. certainly is about theirs. Nobody will do it for us.
His belief that it will never happen is simply a reflection of how well we've been worked by mgmt.,
and not defended by ALPA, not to mention voting yes on weak ALPA proposals.
There's blame to go around everywhere. Let's stop the blame on us, now, by getting a backbone and fighting back.
And back to the topic of the thread, that starts with not bailing mgmt. out with understaffing through picking up/junior manning.
Don't fly sick, don't rush, don't do anything but be extremely safe and professional. Know preaching to the choir, but time we DO, not talk.

Every pilot at United/Continental has to begin acting as if a strike is inevitable. Only when the company realizes that the pilots are serious will they begin to negotiate in good faith. ALPA should follow the letter of the law to reach an impasse as soon as is legally possible. If a strike is averted that's great, but every pilot has to act as if it is inevitable.

Once again I agree with you 1257. But, people like topgun need to understand that some of us still like being Airline Pilots, and a few of us are sticking our necks out trying to make this a better profession. The reality is we're not to far off, and I don't think it's all doom and gloom.

Agree 100%.

You might be right odds-wise, but imho we need to not put the cart before the horse.
Pilots have historically undershot and underprepared to go to battle with management.
How many guys are fully strike funded for six months? I'm liquid for a year.
We need to go in like it will be the worst case, and if it's not and is better
than doom and gloom, then great. But we shouldn't start with that lighter presumption,
even if the odds favor it, because people then can't afford the odds failing.
(strike breaking by mgmt. or shutting the airline down)