08-23-2014I would just like to post and inform pilots of what is going on at Seaborne Airlines. Seaborne has recently put over half of its flying staff on half or quarter pay status. Before the monthly bid was issued flight crews were informed that there were four options if you wanted to "help the company out". They were as follows:
Leave without pay-you maintain CASS, seniority, and medical benefits (medical benefits here are now a joke since the company changed providers. Most people still don't have an insurance card and have not received any information on how it works) but you don't get paid and don't work all month.
Half time line-you receive half pay and only work two weeks out of the month.
Long call reserve-just the way it sounds but you only get half pay.
I forget what they called the last option but it is my personal favorite. A FLIGHT CREWMEMBER would receive half pay but instead of flying they are responsible for working at headquarters and building binders and such. You could call this one purgatory or community service.
Now these were options if interested and of course as you'd expect no one chose them. Then crews got an email that said they were sweetening the time off without pay option and giving quarter pay for doing nothing. That email ended with this phrase and I quote "Please let us know if you may be interested in helping out so I do not have to take a more drastic measure."
As you would expect that scared up one or two to be buffaloed into one of these terrible options but most of the flight crews didn't. Those that didn't received a phone call saying choose an option or be furloughed without pay. I will break the numbers down for you.
Of 25 captains 14 had to choose an option. Six are quarter pay and 8 are half pay.
Of 26 first officers 14 had to choose an option. 7 are quarter pay and 7 are half pay.
Of 24 flight attendants 16 had to choose an option. 3 are quarter pay and 13 are half pay.
As you can see a company touting itself as "the fastest growing airline in the Caribbean" has just put 59% of the flying staff on the bread line.
On top of all this they can say goodbye to all of their per diem because the company has cancelled all overnights then bragged that that would save over $600000 for the company. The average first officer makes about $780 per two week paycheck which will now be cut to $390. All pilots signed a contract guaranteeing 75 hours at their respective hourly rate, apparently the word guarantee is used a bit loosely at this company. Seaborne is not union protected so have fun working there.
I am an ex employee of seaborne but still have friends working there and they were kind enough to share this with me so that I could tell all of you. This is reliable information strait from employees working there now.
It doesn't matter to me what decisions you make, but with all the options out there I'd suggest getting a good job and visiting the Caribbean not live and work there. STAY AWAY and fly safe.
AIRLINEPILOT CENTRAL
