Skywest talking pilot pay raise

[thebest]

Just a reminder, has Skywest seen any cost of living raise over the last 5 years?
If not then they are allready operating at a 8-10% pay cut. (Asume about 2% COL increases.) I was just reading (sorry can't find source) COL is expected to jump almost 4% in the next year due to the record level increased energy cost. Just think.... They'll need at least a 14% raise just to realign to what they made 6 years ago....... WOW. I hope I'm wrong here.

Compared to United, Delta, AA, etc....Skywest didn't take a 50ish% pay cut! Accordiing to your figures United., Delta..etc... (ALPA carrier's) need a 64ish% pay raise to realign what they made. Another reason to vote in alpa? THEBEST

goblue!

 

[rickair7777]

You putz and biatches, listen up.....

The only, and i repeat ONLY, reason that your management is talking to you about a raise is to get the newbies to think that management cares. Skywest is supposedly hiring alot of new guys and guys are there and happy to just be in a snj (shiny new jet).

If management really cared for you guys, they would have made a deal awhile ago and not, as stated earlier, when your union drive started.

Repeat after me, management will disappear when your union drive fails. As a newbie will say "I am just glad to be here."

peace and QX wants a raise also.

The "newbies" actually get the shiny little turboprop. Most everybody going to the jet came from a jet at another airline...usually where alpa had f&cked everything up. So no they don't have SJS, but they do have a ready-formed opinion of alpa...

 

[Turkey Shoot]

Yeah..JA just can't wait to screw his pilot group like when 9/11 came and his non union, unprotected pilots were furloughed....oh, wait a minute...that was every OTHER airline except his.

Once again, ASA did NOT furlough any pilots after 9/11.

Bud, you've been into the SW Kool aid a bit much. Take some from both sides and make up your own mind. It's a new market and it's cut throat. Your's will cut too if you aren't a little more cynical about the boss. His first responsibility is to the stockholder, not you.

 

[myflyby]

I've only been at SKW about 5 years and there are 1500 pilots below me. I think knowing most of the company is less than 5 years old, they lack the opportunity to see how management has undercut so many opportunities for us to gain any kind of quality of life. Does anyone remember how the last time there was a serious vote on something, management conveniently shut down the voting hours early when it was turning against them and claimed they didn't know what happened?
Yeah, it's pretty good to work here, but they only care about making more money, don't be naive and think they give a crap about their employees anymore. Oh wait, that's every airline company nowadays.

 

[Plug]

Yeah..and just think...we get ALPA in here and we'll just be swimming in the greenbacks with protected jobs like TWA, Eastern, United, ASA, Delta, etc, etc.......and all those other protected union jobs singing Kum Ba Ya with management because we're all so happy and proud to have a union on property that doesn't do a G$# D#%^ thing for you.

Yeah..JA just can't wait to screw his pilot group like when 9/11 came and his non union, unprotected pilots were furloughed....oh, wait a minute...that was every OTHER airline except his.

The ALPA kool aid is just as warm and fuzzy aint it?

Some of you Skywest pilots live in la-la land. Your payrates, work rules, and other "goodies" were given to you on the backs of the very carriers you listed above, and then some. You sit there and poo-poo those carriers but you have that employee handbook because of them. JA's plan is working because all he has to do is bring you guys up to where the bar has been set and no union will be voted in.

 

[Dubya]

Some of you Skywest pilots live in la-la land. Your payrates, work rules, and other "goodies" were given to you on the backs of the very carriers you listed above, and then some. You sit there and poo-poo those carriers but you have that employee handbook because of them. JA's plan is working because all he has to do is bring you guys up to where the bar has been set and no union will be voted in.

Just so we're clear on comprehension...nowhere in my post did I "poo-poo" any of those carriers. I am simply pointing out that ALPA..in all it's glory, spouted by countless individuals on this very board,..did not save their jobs, did not better their situation, did not make their carrier stronger. I am all for improvements and taking a stand...but ALPA is not the answer. Improving relations between management and employees is the answer.

W

 

[ilkwamh2]

ALPA isn't going to help or hurt the airline, it's all about supply and demand and how management runs the company. As along as there are people willing to work for low wages and bad work rules, why should we get paid more? Until there are not enough pilots to go around or people are not willing to work for $20/hr, then it's time to pay the pilots more. As of today, there are enough people willing to come to SkyWest for $19.02/hr and there are enough people willing to goto Mesa to get treated like crap(sleep on airplanes), so things are the way they are. Do you really think if 5th year pay was $20/hr, we'd all still be working here? Of course not, we'd be at Home Depot selling lumber. Then, there would be a shortage of pilots, thus wages have to rise, which means airlines raise ticket prices...etc. My point is, pilots are stupid, they are uneducated and need to take a lesson on Econ 101. I would love to make $10 extra an hour, but unless every one of you out there also asks for $10 extra, it's not going to happen. It's like if I sell tomatoes for $2 a pound, and you sell for $1.50, no one is going to buy from me.

 

[ASApuppy]

Hey all,

You guys need to dive a little deeper into history of whats going on. Yes, most carries have taken paycuts in recent years. But, you are overlooking the facts of how they got the great raises to begin with. ALPA got the Delta pilots some $345/hr "in good times" to fly the 777.

Look back in history at what happened at Eagle 10 years ago. They use to be several subsidiaries that were pitted against each other. Whenever a one's contract was being negiotated, management pulled aircraft and transferred them to another. Sound familer? Guess what, ALPA merged them together. It sure wasn't managements plan or idea. Welcome to present day. Truely, you Skywest pilots hold a lot of power with your union vote. Enough to scare the hell out of Jerry. But think how much more power we would have as a unified workforce. Lets cross the bridge of seniority integration later. Right now, we need to concentrate on making it happen in the first place. We can't let management prevail in keeping us divided.

 

[pgcfii2002]

Another reason for low 1st year wages originates from the fact a regional spends a nice amount of $$$ on training. They obviously want to recoup that investment and would frown on you washing out, or leaving shortly after IOE.

Essentially you are all paying for your training the first year, only to have wages rise the 2nd year.

 

[ilkwamh2]

If we wanted to be a powerful unified force, ALPA needs to have 1 seniority list for all ALPA carriers. Having different lists at different ALPA carriers is ineffective.

 

[SkyNation]

Some of you Skywest pilots live in la-la land. Your payrates, work rules, and other "goodies" were given to you on the backs of the very carriers you listed above, and then some. You sit there and poo-poo those carriers but you have that employee handbook because of them. JA's plan is working because all he has to do is bring you guys up to where the bar has been set and no union will be voted in.

and if a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his ass a hopin'!

so what? so, out of gratitude we should vote in a union? JA has been successful not because of luck or any other excuse. he has understood that he needs to walk to fine line between keeping his people happy and delivering a cost efficient, quality product. he understands that happy employees=a succesful company. he changes and adjusts according to the market, and that includes attracting and retaining good people. it only makes sense that he wants to offer a prospective pilot the best package he can while remaining competitive.

this argument is used over and over again, but I think incorrectly. if I understand it correctly, ALPA gets somebody 'A' and JA mathces with 'A' for SW pilots. then ALPA gets a group 'B' and JA matches. well, if that were true, we'd always be lagging, one step behind. last I checked, we make as much or more than others, have competitive work rules, QOL, etc.

the attempt to 'sell' ALPA to this pilot group will go a lot better when we can look at another and say 'gee, they have it better than us thanks to ALPA. maybe we should have it too.'

to date, many of us (and many former ALPA), see it quite the opposite.


FLAME AWAY!!!

 

[www.]

Just so we're clear on comprehension...nowhere in my post did I "poo-poo" any of those carriers. I am simply pointing out that ALPA..in all it's glory, spouted by countless individuals on this very board,..did not save their jobs, did not better their situation, did not make their carrier stronger. I am all for improvements and taking a stand...but ALPA is not the answer. Improving relations between management and employees is the answer.

W

In this world you get it in writing. Not on a hand shake.

When was the last time JA sat down and talked about the 70 rates that were agreed to over 3 years ago? That was an 18 month deal with no ending wasn't it. Binding arbitration would have been a good idea.

 

[www.]

Some of you Skywest pilots live in la-la land. Your payrates, work rules, and other "goodies" were given to you on the backs of the very carriers you listed above, and then some. You sit there and poo-poo those carriers but you have that employee handbook because of them. JA's plan is working because all he has to do is bring you guys up to where the bar has been set and no union will be voted in.

I got 2 words for you boy, "Tea Bag!"

Good to see ya.

 

[www.]

... he has understood that he needs to walk to fine line between keeping his people happy and delivering a cost efficient, quality product. he understands that happy employees=a succesful company. he changes and adjusts according to the market, and that includes attracting and retaining good people. it only makes sense that he wants to offer a prospective pilot the best package he can while remaining competitive.

this argument is used over and over again, but I think incorrectly. if I understand it correctly, ALPA gets somebody 'A' and JA mathces with 'A' for SW pilots. then ALPA gets a group 'B' and JA matches. well, if that were true, we'd always be lagging, one step behind. last I checked, we make as much or more than others, have competitive work rules, QOL, etc.

To try and make JA sound like Herb or Gordon is a joke. He plays the same game that DAL has played for years with the non - union employees. No majic there. Just ask all those from DAL that had everything taken away over night. JA has said he can do the same with you too.

 

[CFIT]

To try and make JA sound like Herb or Gordon is a joke. He plays the same game that DAL has played for years with the non - union employees. No majic there. Just ask all those from DAL that had everything taken away over night. JA has said he can do the same with you too.

You're correct, DAL did take wages away from their non union groups when it was required, but they did take away from DALPA as well, it just took longer. All the things DALPA said would never happen, scope, wages, retirement, blah-blah-blah, all happened. Having ALPA in here is just going to make this place a living hell for 5 years until a contract gets worked out, if not longer. We can keep progressing torwards better in constant steps or we can try WW III to place an agreement with mighty ALPA helping us. From what has happened at ASA and what is probably going to happen at Comair, I feel it's best stay with what we have. A three year FO showed me his to date pay stub, albiet he works hard, is over 59K.

Ya lets bring in ALPA, watch the roses bloom.

 

[Ponchus pilot]

last I checked, we make as much or more than others, have competitive work rules, QOL, etc.

Really? would you care to note some of your benefits compared to equally sized and operated airlines.

You're correct, DAL did take wages away from their non union groups when it was required, but they did take away from DALPA as well, it just took longer. All the things DALPA said would never happen, scope, wages, retirement, blah-blah-blah, all happened

You should do some research on this before comming out and spitting out bunch of BS. If that was true why did management want to take them to court and void the contract after the second round of concessions. ALPA is made up of pilots and run by pilots. In order to save the company we make concessions but get it back when the company starts making money again. With out a contract one would lose much more, Management can just do what they wants without answering to anyone. I trust my fellow pilots much more than management no matter how great the employee management relation is. To further proof you wrong I will have your statement osted on the major boarsd and have the DAL comment of it.

I will ask the same question of the anti union pilots at Skywest again. I know you guys dont like ALPA. Why not get what you have now with your inhouse group and have it written down in a contract and have an inhouse union? What the fence sitters want to do is to take the U and the I out of union.

 

[SkyNation]

Really? would you care to note some of your benefits compared to equally sized and operated airlines.

Historical block or better
100% deadhead
100%cancellation
...just to name a few. taken as a whole, I believe they compare very well, this has been well documented on this bitchboard. some will disagree, but in the end it's totall gross pay and benefits for me. there is much more to it than payscale


I will ask the same question of the anti union pilots at Skywest again. I know you guys dont like ALPA. Why not get what you have with your in house group and have it written down in a contract and have an inhouse union? What the fence sitters want to do to take the U and the I out of union.

It's been tried, but from what I'm told was poorly organized and underfunded. many of us, including myself, are very open to discussing that idea again.

 

[Ponchus pilot]

Historical block or better
100% deadhead
100%cancellation

And which regionals of similar size do not have what you say you have? I know my airline has it plus much more including pay scale that is higher and I know we arent the only ones. I would like to hear from guys that work at other regionals of similar size and reputation to see what they have.

 

[bmpilot2003]

And which regionals of similar size do not have what you say you have? I know my airline has it plus much more including pay scale that is higher and I know we arent the only ones. I would like to hear from guys that work at other regionals of similar size and reputation to see what they have.

We get crew meals now. Do you get that?

 

[Gr82Aviate]

We get crew meals now. Do you get that?

You can't possibly be serious!?