SWAPA’s last email about DEN.

oof

 

No idea what’s going on with this place. As long as the Sr DEN guys are out, the likelihood of anyone else getting back home to a base out West soon is slim.

 

There were no senior pilots displaced from DEN. By definition, those displaced from DEN were junior.

Also not really accurate for FOs. Assuming there are even half as many upgrades and new hires as the company claims, FOs shouldn’t have a problem getting into any base besides DEN or ATL

 

yeah, not great bedside manner by SWAPA. Just finally ripped the band aid off i guess.
DEN will not be growing back to it's previous size and those displaced will be out for years even though we are hiring. Oh and by the way you can take a paid move.

Meanwhile were going up to 26 BOD members. Its ok though because we'll make sure full time e trip pull guys will be able to move bases this summer to go cash in on premium then go back to trip pull in the fall.

Im thinking SWAPA is going to get a shake up soon.

 

Junior in base, senior relative to everyone else displaced (except ATL guys). Most Jr CA in DEN is a Oct '15 hire, making DEN the 2nd most Sr base behind ATL (most Jr CA in the company was awarded upgrade on this bid - Jan '18 hire - 1511 pilots Jr to the DEN CA plug). Most Jr. DEN FO is now an April '23 hire making DEN the most Sr FO base in the company (there's 1730 FO's junior to the plug).

Takes 48% system seniority just to hold DEN as CA or 85% as a FO. With SWAPA's email today saying it could take years to get back to DEN, the only real way back into a base out west as a FO are people willing to commute to upgrade (how many are really going to sign up to do a transcon commute to sit rsv?) or growth (which is only happening in AUS). As a CA - it's retirements, which are negligible when spread throughout 13 bases.

Company is telling new hires and interviewees they can hold DEN and bases out west shortly out of training. It could take years....especially since DRR doesn't apply to secondary vacancies (union needs to fix this....like yesterday). New hires went to BWI and MCO....likely to continue as people hired the last 2 years work their way back west.

They could unf*%& this pretty easily if they wanted to....

 

Commuting to captain after 6 or 8 years is better than having to wait for 10-12 years for first available. I know that doesn't make you feel a whole lot better, but just saying try to keep that in perspective and maybe it won't suck quite as bad.

In the meantime, it would be nice if the company would build some lines that start with deadheads for a while and at least split the pain between labor and management.

It would beat paying for moves if a bunch of guys took advantage of them.

 

Depends if you value QOL. A 5-6 hr commute long term to cross 3 time zones is pretty awful if you’ve never done it. Even worse to commute to sit reserve.

The only thing that isn’t awful is the pay raise and having sick time pay out at CA pay.

Agree on DHD lines. They should also eat the cost of hotels..with how much $ this place wastes daily…hotels for displaced pilots is a rounding error. I’d also like to see the union get all vacancies subject to DRR.

 

ever wonder if the union said that because they plan to sell out scope, but now they can say they saved a base?

 

I am extremely disappointed in our company and even more so our Union. The Union truly does not care much about the displacements. I voiced my concerns to my reps in a well thought out email and all I got was “thanks for the feedback”. No feedback on changes I suggested we look at pursuing or even the courtesy of giving feedback to me and why my suggestions would not be a good idea. And then SWAPA’s email came out today that said “read our resources page” (which does not do anything to really help anyone) and “you can take a paid move” which is a roundabout way of saying that commuting is a choice. Our Union has lost touch with the people they serve.

 

Wouldn’t a change to Section 1 have to go to a membership vote? I’d think something that big that affects everyone shouldn’t be decided by 25 people.