Do you think you'll see AA/DL/UA money with any contract?

 

I do. I mean, it wasn't long ago (2 years ish) that we had A320 captains making more than LUS A330 captains. Things change quickly in this business for good and bad.

 

Yes but the better question is, why don't you?

 

I may be off in saying a lot of guys are leaving if this contract aint good but I'm not far off. Ive talked to a lot guys around my seniority and lowr, the just bypassed or about to upgrade and a lot are looking at this contract to whether to move or not. Lots of younger guys say they like the quality of life here and don't want to leave either, but their also looking with one eye at what the big legacys are making. Crap, deltas average profit sharing check was worth four months of pay for a FO here and they didnt have to do anything to get it. I'm under no illusions that we'll ever make more than a legacy pilot will but right now weve got two pilots working for what one pilot does at the legacys. That ain't right. there is a chance to get big pay, true retirement, ltd, scope, and keep our work rules, but we have to be very explicit with what we want. As the email from the union says, managment cant come out and say, "we can't afford it' when this place is making record profits. Profits they ain't sharing in. Yet.

 

Aw, now you're just flirting.

 

I'm not at spirit. I hope you guys do well. Don't let them touch your work rules.

 

Appreciate it. Every contract that gets signed that has increases in it is a win for all pilots, but your right we can't let them change or touch the work rules. the work rules we have in place makes spirit one of the best places to work in the airlines.

 

Well, you know, it's that time of the contract, we just need capscott to chime and it'll be like 09-10 all over, except we are the minority now.

 

I appreciate that the negotiating committee is pushing for a quick signing. Time is always a factor.
Without being pessimistic, but rather realistic, I must ask:
If we cannot achieve the best possible gains now, then when do we expect to accomplish that?
During future negotiations, most, if not all, of the growth will be behind us.
The possibility of a merger, more likely than now.
The financial environment uncertain, and unlikely friendlier than the current one. Oil and interest rates will only go up.
If management is too busy to get involved into a drawn out process, that is to our advantage, why give it up?

We need to address some deficiencies now.
SCOPE/merger protection: without it our job will never be the same.
Retirement/Insurance: As an addition to pay increases.
Scheduling:
Restrictions on relief lines, or wave goodbye to conflicts.
Staffing formula for determining min reserve, or lose control over green days.
Increase daily min to force crew planning into building more efficient pairings.

Depending on company controlled factors for pay, is futile.
JAs, 150% day off pay, transition conflicts, are ALL controlled by management.

I hope to see some passionate negotiating, not a rollover...

 

Survey complete
I made sure to make note of my desire to see some bolstered merger/scope language
It seemed like the survey was trying to divide my choices into an either or for pay rate gains vs retirement and profit sharing. I guess Id like to see both without being unrealistic. Hopefully its not an "either you can have a nice pay rate, or retirement and profit sharing" I guess we'll see.

Go fill our your survey!