Do you think there will be a JCBA before then and that is why?...I hope so

Hey Contrail-- my intention wasnt to be vague but only address the item being discussed about hiring off the street at cal by 2012 end.

im calling BS on that

people in groundschool stated that the hiring peopl ehave stated that there will be no hiring before summer 2012 and that there will be hiring off the street by end 2012-- i say how can that be? so in four months they are going to hire a TON? going thru the remaining 800ish furloughees , the miul guys returning ( if they want to) and the other guys that have already bypassed ( if they want to come back)

the numbers just dont add up.

something is brewing however with the special mec meeting and the end of the year with certain items of TPA expiring and all the gossip of 737 in ord and den and airbi in IAH and the parking of up to 15 757s

so im just thinking from numerical logic-- i just dont see it--- and no i dont see a jcba until at least after summer 2012 and if not by then prob not until 2013---- ual will never be allowed to strike period so no leverage there-- onyl leverage we have is to cost the company $ thru cxed flights, lengthy delays, and other methods of CHAOS------ cal captains picking up open time sure as balls aint helping either.

SKIPPY

All new aircraft are for replacement. Expect 737-500's, 767-200's, old 757-200's, and maybe other aircraft to get parked as new 737's and 787's arrive. Expansion is being done at the regional level. If we lose scope, then there will be no hiring for a long, long, long time. As it is now, there will be no hiring for a long time. I was displaced (moved backwards for the last two bids).

When I was there for orientation last month we were told that the plan was to not park anything in 2012 and the board had approved money to update United 757's. They have now called over half of the United pilots and they haven't filled the 178 slots yet. They said classes will stop in late Spring and resume in September. This is assuming that there are no vacancies on the presumed January bid. This also is not making and adjustments for retirements next year. The question is when do both United and Continental start ramping up for retirements. Are 64 year olds going to start using sick time? How long to train the trainers, Continental is somewhat staffed for training but United isn't. The United recalls are going to be leaving Continental creating vacancies from both the top and the bottom of the list at the same time, something almost unprecedented at a legacy airline. With the addition of 737's and 787's, Continental could easily burn thru the remaining 1437 furloughees and have to hire off the street. I read on the United forum today that a 6/2000 hire got the call today. It will be interesting to see what the TPA announcement is. If ALPA doesn't provide relief, the company is screwed. Just my two cents.

L-Cal has been in crisis mode when it comes to hiring since 9/11. Maximum productivity is the name of the game. Ual/Cal will not hire until absolutely necessary.

I have no inside, outside or sideways info on hiring, so this is just me farting out loud...

The company is making tons of money right now flying FULL airplanes. I've never seen load factors like this in my career. Parking anything makes no sense.

The company is making tons of money right now gouging pax for bag fees, transfers, cocktails, etc etc. Our yield is apparently top of the heap. Parking anything makes no sense.

Even if only a third of the age 64 guys have elective surgery, extended flu, whooping cough, swollen adenoids, etc, that's a ton of flying to cover. And, with the retirements on the near horizon, a ton of training to prepare for. Just imagine if one third turned out to be one half or more.

I don't trust CAL management one inch. I think they are out to teach the UAL guys a thing or two about "culture". I don't think they will have as much success as they are planning on and I think it will backfire big time if they get too creative with the guppies in UAL bases and busses in IAH. I KNOW the UAL guys will be pi$$ed, will the CAL guys?
WOE unto the company if that occurs.

If it does backfire, somebody, somewhere (the UAL board or Chase) will apply pressure to El Hefe to make some peace and get the airline moving forward. Every day they sharpen their arrows to shoot at labor, Delta moves forward and AMR retools to do the same. If AMR and USAir get together they will have significant presence in the NE and to/from EU. That's a lot of money back and forth across the Atlantic that UAL cannot afford to cede to anyone. They need us and they will need more of us. The focus of the airline has and will continue to be international, high yield traffic. They have said the same for years. 50 more RJs won't move ONE 777 anywhere! Fuel is slowly killing the 50 seat RJ. They are going away if oil stays near $100/bbl. We must hold the line on scope!

I think that we're going to get a contract sooner rather than later. I think it will happen in 2012. Even if a new contract has zero work rule improvements over UALs, it will still require more bodies on the CAL side. And if it has any improvements at all, it will require more pilots on the UAL side as well. New rest regs are anyone's guess.

******But I think it will take the spineless and the clueless to wake the F up and grow a pair, and ALL to start loading the damn wagon. The sooner we get unified and get their attention the sooner the whole operation starts moving forward, dragging El Hefe with us. Of course, he'll take all the credit in the end.

Half a bottle of Red and three Old Fashioned's went into this, so it's probably flawed. Flame away.

oldmako, excellent thoughts.

X2 on that.

SP

Oldmako - great thoughts, I'll have what your drinking. just thinking of "Lord Jeffy" squirming and wringing his hands over needing us brought a smile to my face

No. Generally, they are flying as much for the company as for the money. Taking sick days maintains the dollars but doesn't help the company. Some will take a 1000-hour sick bank into retirement.