I guess most of us don't understand the effects of drugs like you do. Are you saying the employees caused either or both the merged airlines to pass through bankruptcy? As I recall, in both cases the employee groups gave or had things taken away by management groups that filled their pockets at the expense of the employees through the bankruptcy process. In some ways, it was their restructuring plan and their management style all along. NOTHING - repeat NOTHING the employee groups can do when our airlines are managed by POOR MANAGEMENT.

 

Keep living in the past and not accept that we are in a new environment. We have a completely different industry now. The business has evolved and the laws have changed too. They can not make as much money now by doing a car wash bankruptcy as they can by running a profitable enterprise. They are in mode of returning value to shareholders. The only way they can do that is to be profitable. Our backstop is the profit sharring.

So back to what my point was. Do you want the company to use money to fund new flying, or to fund paying guys to go visit TK? Which method do want to use to create more Captain jobs?

 

One man's opinion and take it at that, but the pay difference between IAH 737 and 76T is small to me and quality of life commuting from DFW to EWR is terrible compared to DFW to IAH. I, for one, would vote in favor of IAH especially considering that the 737 fleet is scheduled to grow like crazy over the next few years so movement will be fast where as the opposite is true in the soon to be merged 76T and 756 fleets.

 

The same guys that claim that a "good contract" that protects our interests is "hurting the bottom line" are the same ones that brag about their ADD PAY trips and show the extra cash the company had to pay them.

 

The company isn't going to "fund new flying" with extra cash. The cash right now is more than Smisek ever hoped to see as CEO for CAL and he is giving it all back to buy back shares so that his relative percentage of shares owned increases.

If you think that more profits = more routes and jobs you can forget about it, because it isn't happening.

And to answer your question I want every dollar possible to go to the pilots in some manner and none to management.

 

Thanks for the reply. So far everybody is telling me the opposite. I needed to hear the other side. I'm thinking it might be worth it to hold a line. I've been backsliding at IAH since I got here.

The way I figure it, worst case, I'm stuck for two years. I can always go back or change again later.

The commute might be easier, aside from losing the option to drive. More flights per day and slightly less nonrev demand.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

Do you put the "Rose Colored" glasses on before or after drug consumption? I understand most of what you write is to support your management position, but and without a lot of BS, would you tell us your average profit sharing over the past 5 years. While you'll throwing out number, what do you expect in profit sharing in the next 5 years. You can give dollar amount of as a percentage of annual pay.

 

Again lets start from the top and see if you can follow along. First lets address your claims of supporting management. What my entire point was at the day of my retirement I want to seen my peers gained the most possible money, have had the most time off and the best quality of life possible while securing the future for the next generation to have it better than we did. I work to live. I want peoples work to be the best so they can have a better life. Then and only then will we have succeeded as a union. Its not about me and you. Its about us combined. How do we get the most for US?

So the question is how do we get there? One approach is take ever dollar today and not worry about tomorrow. Sounds like the rational scabs used to cross the line. Forget consequences, take till it hurts. Another approach is take the best possible at the time, but take more often.

Moving on to the point about using decision 83 to set rates. Yet some of the same pilots turn around and state they do not care about productivity. So if we do not care about productivity of our aircraft why not ask for more?

Then we got the pilots that want all the companies money and every other employee to be volunteers. Real union brother there, again I got mine the rest of you go get your own.

Then we have the debate about shifting the pay rates up on the 777 and 744 at the expense of the other fleets. Good deal for those drivers, but bad deal for the rest of the pilot group. Each negotiation is a give and take followed by an allocation. Everyone wants the allocation that suits their interests the best, not necessarily the group as a whole. Those that think a negotiation is just a unlimited pot of gold that we just need go grab, must believe in the leprechaun that guards it.

Something that is still fresh on everyones mind is the combined seniority list. Why do any of you care what seniority number you ended up with if you only care about taking the most possible at any cost? If you really do not care about the success and profitability of the company what do you care about your "the career expectations". Everyone cares about seniority because its the best guide to what our future may hold. Everyone is so optimistic based on that number as to what they will be able to hold in the future. So do not tell me you don't care about the future of this company.

To make it crystal clear I have hated what has happened to labor this past decade. We have seen that at every turn we have been out played by management. It is painfully clear that the strategy we used and continue to use has failed us. Until we wise up and come with a better approach we will end up leaving money, time, and improved quality of life on the table. We have lots of bright minds in our profession that can come up with what that new strategy is. We will make some mistakes along the way, but we can do better.

 

Dfw- Iahau be shorter but it is a terrible commute all weight restricted RJ's at Ewr has a few mainline flights. Most dfw-Iah commuters drive.

 

I'm holding a line in EWR, on the 73, and would definitely tell you to stay Reserve in IAH, even if you have to displace to a Bus. That's what I would certainly do in your shoes.

Sit LC from home and drive the commute when necessary. Oh yeah. Just wait until the first snowstorm in the northeast and you can't just hop in your car and drive it. I would stay IAH based if I were you.