Ahhhhha,
You have just defined the very essence of the SKYW experience. Corporate is like the snake pit in an Indiana Jones movie.

The $20K bonus is not part of the pay package, and I always understood that clearly. I think it's a mechanism to...

1) Allow the company to incentivize retention if needed

2) Ensure that the whole pilot group gets treated fairly, ie no targeted bonuses at certain fleets/longevity demographics.

So it's a not a promise or potential bonus, it's just a statement that everybody gets the same bonus if it comes to that.

That dress was blue

If #2 is true, then it can't technically be part of the pay package since every other pay package we have voted does NOT do this. Every pay package pits the pilots against each other.

Grow or shrink it's all the same to me. Since I have made the decision to move on, and SW has made it clear they have no desire to reward those with longevity, it really doesn't matter which direction they decide to go. I have other sources of income so the "be careful or we will go out of business" threat doesn't hold much water with me. Treat me like a professional that contributes to the success of the organization, or make veiled threats about what you will do if I don't comply. See which one works out best in the long term.

If can't even trade trips one day forward or back because everyone is so maxed out right now. If I was awarded 75-78 hours, it is possible I would pick up a local or two day here or there to help out a fellow employee. When I help out someone, I never take the extra money they are offering. I feel that is wrong that people need to bribe others to help them out. I have not once, nor will ever, pick up the phone for a CS call. And I consider it a two way street. I don't ask them for help either.

Last time I asked for anything was to move my 4 day trip to start one day earlier. There was another 4 day that I would have been able to do one last trip with a friend before they moved on. Called CS and they told me I couldn't trade because we were below reserve minimums that day. We had 4-6 reserves every day of the month and the minimum was 20 something. When I informed them they were below minimum everyday of the month, they gave me some story about how my trip would be too hard to break up if they needed to because it didn't come back to base like the other one. Good to know. At least I was reminded why I never talk to them and now I won't feel as bad about not answering my phone over the next couple months.

And there was no reason for SAPA or management to include any dollar amount in the proposal. It's misleading and done on purpose. It could stated "any retention bonus will be paid equally and to all pilots"...

Except for that you specifically said that management would not fork out $70M. Not once did you ever say anything about maximum amount. But regardless, in essence, they are lying or misleading. Which is it if they aren't going to ever pay out the maximum, as you now say?


They can do that without including it in the pay package. When the time comes, they can pay out the bonus, certainly the new hire bonuses. But you lose a whole lot of leverage anytime you negotiate contingencies ahead of time. Which is ok but at least get a little something out of doing them the favor.

"We are pleased to announce the long awaited ERJ Denver domicile September 1, 2015. As we continue to grow the ERJ fleet for United Express, Denver ERJ will be staffed with 7 CP / 7 FO positions."

- T.G.

Every other DVR has been released around the 3rd week of the month for at least the past 6 months. Usually around the 20th. So coincidence that this one is released with the announcement right as the pay vote opens? Also, way smaller classes this round. Maybe they realized we need to get some new hires on the line first, or didn't want us to be short during the busy summer months.

I'm also curious to see how the Q1 earnings call will effect the voting, if at all. This industry is full of pilots willing to sell other pilots down the river for a few bucks. This may be the first time ever that pilots have the opportunity to sell themselves down the river, which is what year 1 pilots will do to themselves by voting yes.

Any one see the plea attempt TG wrote to the Crj FOs about picking up extra reserve in May?