Sky West 1Q Earnings

[Tomct]

Newman, I'm sorry but you are embarrassing the rest of us SkyWest and ex-SkyWest pilots. You, sir, are pathetic!! How long have you been at SkyWest? How much of the degradation have you observed? What has happened to what used to be the best regional airline to work for? Ask pilot recruiting how many new applicants they're getting? Ask the Director of Training how well the new applicants are doing in training? Ask any check airman they're opinion on the quality of the new pilots? SkyWest Airlines has worked itself into a spiral and is rapidly spinning out of control. I'm glad that I've bailed. My hope is the Jerry will see the light and turn SkyWest around. My hope was that Jerry would embrace the ASA portion of the company and work both companies together, whether it be through merger or just treat both sides fairly and continue as it was. ASA was/is a great airline and SkyWest, Inc. has slowly been dismantling it for no reason other than to piss off the pilots. Pilots will either stand together or die together. Do you want to be flying in the left seat of an airbus at $60/hour? Have some pride in your profession and yourself? I guess in your opinion you're only worth the $34/hour you're getting paid. Good for you!!!

Well Said! Congrats on moving on!

 

[capt. megadeth]

Not to the hard working EMB pilots who are flying more broken equipment than the freightdawgs.

No kidding!

I know Bro pilots that are getting their payraise in other ways......

Fly slooooow! Go 5 minutes over block every leg.....and BONUS......ya get more PIC time too!

 

[capt. megadeth]

- How about being represented by someone so that you can feel you have someone on your side? How about not being threatened by JG from day 1 because your name is foreign and you don't belong to the same religion as him.
- How about a training captain yelling to your face, screaming profanities and the CP not doing anything about this?
- How about a mormon being protected despite having some shady history of criminal records?
- How about a mormon getting a tap on the shoulder because he was showing his schlang to the hotel bar employees, but a pilot given a first strike because he called the CP about this matter?
- How about feeling defenseless, not having a voice in the airline because whoever you are going to go to will side with JG.


Do you think a representation would help in these cases?

How about this one?

Pay protection for Bro guys senior to DEN Bro guys that got their seat lock lifted to go to the jet.

 

[BigLebowski]

Of course it's true certain aspects of out contract allow them flexibility due to lack of language to prevent that.

But, that's A LOT different then having NO say about anything. If things go south, they cannot "adjust" our pay, cannot do anything they choose with schedules and are required to respect the concept of seniority, just as some examples.

Without certain protections (or the only weapon to back them up), you're at managements TOTAL mercy. We gave up our right to strike in exchange for certain protections including guranteed yearly raises, merger protection and successorship among others.

You guys might be able to ASK for those, but if they don't want to give them up, AGAIN.....................what will you do ?

So what are you going to do when AMR like CAL decides your too expensive and starts to outsource "your" flying?

Wait wait wait...mighty ALPA would never allow that, you're protected. Wait, what are you going to do if American files bankruptcy? They need to sell off Eagle for money and all the sudden you can't get any codeshares? Wait wait wait...ALPA would never let that happen.

 

[eaglefly]

So what are you going to do when AMR like CAL decides your too expensive and starts to outsource "your" flying?

Wait wait wait...mighty ALPA would never allow that, you're protected. Wait, what are you going to do if American files bankruptcy? They need to sell off Eagle for money and all the sudden you can't get any codeshares? Wait wait wait...ALPA would never let that happen.

You're right.

I WAS going to call our MEC tommorrow and encourage them to :

1. Decertify ALPA

2. Cancel or contract (and the protections it provides).

3. Ask AMR if we could return to the bargaining table to renegotiate (no, BEG) to save our jobs at any expense.

BUT, I decided instead to request a merger with Skywest and SAVE all our jobs by capitalizing on our seniorty and YOUR superior contract at the same time.

I'll cut you some slack and even do some of the walkarounds on our first trip !

Again, what could you do about it ?

 

[BigLebowski]

You're right.

I WAS going to call our MEC tommorrow and encourage them to :

1. Decertify ALPA

2. Cancel or contract (and the protections it provides).

3. Ask AMR if we could return to the bargaining table to renegotiate (no, BEG) to save our jobs at any expense.

BUT, I decided instead to request a merger with Skywest and SAVE all our jobs by capitalizing on our seniorty and YOUR superior contract at the same time.

I'll cut you some slack and even do some of the walkarounds on our first trip !

Again, what could you do about it ?

This whole response is completely out of nowhere...you answered none of the questions. What could ALPA do if AMR decided to do that when the contract was up...nothing!!!

you really are swigging on that ALPA kool-aid.

BTW what protection does your "contract" provide. Because my buddies at DAL and UAL can tell you all about how that protection helped them with their retirement and everything else they lossed.

 

[SkyNation]

Your management has been more benevolent than most, but what will happen when the music stops? There were times when the pilots at ASA, Comair, PSA, PDT, AWAC, TSA, etc. were all feeling pretty good about their lot. Things can change pretty quick, especially when you are employed at will.

Now is the time to be thinking about it.

and now that the 'music has stopped' for these carriers, what the hell can ALPA do about it?! nothing! I worked for one of them, I know how it goes. ALPA is just another way of bargaining. If in the end we get a better overall deal, why would we change? Ask pilots at ASA, Comair, PSA, et al how ALPA has 'protected them' from the bad things that have happened to them.

Truth is, bad things happen everywhere, ALPA or not.

 

[eaglefly]

This whole response is completely out of nowhere...you answered none of the questions. What could ALPA do if AMR decided to do that when the contract was up...nothing!!!

you really are swigging on that ALPA kool-aid.

BTW what protection does your "contract" provide. Because my buddies at DAL and UAL can tell you all about how that protection helped them with their retirement and everything else they lossed.

Apples and Oranges.................from a pear.

Apples :

Our contract doesn't change when its "up" (if you knew anything about contracts, you'd know THAT), it becomes amendable. It doesn't change until a new ratified agreement replaces it. Anything the pilots here would vote FOR would have language equal or better in Scope/Merger Protection/Successorship.

Right now, we supposedly cost $80 million/year more than Republic due to the seniority of our pilots. AMR would like to boot us out, but they can't and if they could, they would have.

The Connection flying out of STL was greived and lost. BUT, that was actually good. No, we didn't capture THAT flying, but the arbitrator ruled that we were not entitled to it BECAUSE we had never done it. By using that as the basis for his ruling, he set precedent that we DO have rights to the flying WE currently do. Our hubs at DFW and ORD are maxed out on places to go, so we cannot be moved aside at their will there, as we already go to just about everywhere an RJ can go. Our ops at LGA, BOS, MIA, LAX and SJU could offer someone a new route here and there but NOT enough to make it worthwhile for AMR or eat to much off our plate. 3000 pilots and 300+ aircraft and if we fly it, it's ours until a contractual change that agrees to change it. Figure two years of stalling in our next negotiations (not amnedment round coming) in 2013 and that leaves about 7 years before possible trouble anyway.

Oranges :

Your buddies at DAL and UAL were victims of the BK process. IF (EXTREMELY unlikely unless more aviation terrorism) AMR enters BK, THEN of course ALL bets are off. I'm not too worried about THAT anytime soon. Now they're no worse off than you, because you're negotiating leverage is actually LESS than theirs.

Again (ugh), IF you don't get what you want, what are you gonna do ?

 

[MELIT]

Apples and Oranges.................from a pear.

Apples :

Our contract doesn't change when its "up" (if you knew anything about contracts, you'd know THAT), it becomes amendable. It doesn't change until a new ratified agreement replaces it. Anything the pilots here would vote FOR would have language equal or better in Scope/Merger Protection/Successorship.

Right now, we supposedly cost $80 million/year more than Republic due to the seniority of our pilots. AMR would like to boot us out, but they can't and if they could, they would have.

The Connection flying out of STL was greived and lost. BUT, that was actually good. No, we didn't capture THAT flying, but the arbitrator ruled that we were not entitled to it BECAUSE we had never done it. By using that as the basis for his ruling, he set precedent that we DO have rights to the flying WE currently do. Our hubs at DFW and ORD are maxed out on places to go, so we cannot be moved aside at their will there, as we already go to just about everywhere an RJ can go. Our ops at LGA, BOS, MIA, LAX and SJU could offer someone a new route here and there but NOT enough to make it worthwhile for AMR or eat to much off our plate. 3000 pilots and 300+ aircraft and if we fly it, it's ours until a contractual change that agrees to change it. Figure two years of stalling in our next negotiations (not amnedment round coming) in 2013 and that leaves about 7 years before possible trouble anyway.

Oranges :

Your buddies at DAL and UAL were victims of the BK process. IF (EXTREMELY unlikely unless more aviation terrorism) AMR enters BK, THEN of course ALL bets are off. I'm not too worried about THAT anytime soon. Now they're no worse off than you, because you're negotiating leverage is actually LESS than theirs.

Again (ugh), IF you don't get what you want, what are you gonna do ?

Moorons! All of you! Great thread! Dumba$$es.

 

[SkyNation]

Again (ugh), IF you don't get what you want, what are you gonna do ?

this suggests that the only way to get what you want is via ALPA, suggesting that those represented by ALPA always 'get what they want.'

 

[BoilerUP]

this suggests that the only way to get what you want is via ALPA, suggesting that those represented by ALPA always 'get what they want.'

No, it suggests that one has at least some form of recourse via collective bargaining...and none if they do not.

 

[eaglefly]

this suggests that the only way to get what you want is via ALPA, suggesting that those represented by ALPA always 'get what they want.'

Not saying that at all.

For the record, ALPA sucks.

 

[eaglefly]

No, it suggests that one has at least some form of recourse via collective bargaining...and none if they do not.

Exactly.

 

[MELIT]

No, it suggests that one has at least some form of recourse via collective bargaining...and none if they do not.

Are you in love with Keifer?

 

[eaglefly]

Moorons! All of you! Great thread! Dumba$$es.

Only a moron would spell "moron" mooron.

 

[SkyNation]

thanks for the clarification.

 

[twott driver]

This message is hidden because MELIT is on your ignore list

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Moorons! All of you! Great thread! Dumba$$es.

Moorons???????? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I sure hope the rest of the SKW mechanics are smarter than you. Oh the irony of you calling somebody a "mooron".

Nice job MELIT, keep up the work. Reading these threads is always entertaining with "moorons" such as yourself. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Oh my.

 

[nightfr8er]

SkyNation: I would very much like SkyWest to be successful and be part of a team that provides an excellent and efficient product for our customers, making us the number one regional lift provider and thus maximizing the value of this company to our shareholders......

Sour grapes - yes. It is strange when a company sets out on a course to destroy its most profitable division. I respect Mr. Atkin (for his power if nothing else) but even from your side of the line, isn't it curious to watch an airline being disembowled when it makes money?

Funny - not really - that this is exactly how a lot of Comair pilots feel. Delta has ruined the company - from a 24.5% profit margin in 2001 to bankrupt in 2005! What a turnaround. They have made Comair unprofitable - all in the name of "competing for the lowest cost regional lift." Why share the revenue with an outside company - or 6, particualrly one that loaned US Airways $125 million to stay in business, thereby directly subsidising their larger competitor in the Northeast - when you could keep it all inhouse. And keep all of the profits inhouse? Why? Because you hate the pilot unions and just want to break them out of spite - no matter what the business decisions.

They already lost over $650 million on one strike that last 89 days, why not go for another?

 

[No.W.]

Skywest flight operations management needs to be replaced. There are no ifs ands or buts. ALPA cannot do this. I would vote yes for ALPA, but I have no delusions, they cannot force a replacement of management. The morale at SkyWest suffers because flight ops management is greedy and interested in profit at any cost(pun intended). Ultimately, I believe, this will bring SkyWest down. ALPA or not. (yes, I work at SkyWest)

 

[Gr82Aviate]

This whole response is completely out of nowhere...you answered none of the questions. What could ALPA do if AMR decided to do that when the contract was up...nothing!!!

you really are swigging on that ALPA kool-aid.

BTW what protection does your "contract" provide. Because my buddies at DAL and UAL can tell you all about how that protection helped them with their retirement and everything else they lossed.

They "lossed"?????

 

[BigLebowski]

Yes they lossed.

Eaglefly without typing forever I can sum up your whole post rather quickly. You seem to be under the impression that the only way you can lose things or have stuff replaced is if you don't have ALPA.

"Your" flying can be contracted out when your contract with American comes up. Just ask XJet.

 

[eaglefly]

Yes they lossed.

Eaglefly without typing forever I can sum up your whole post rather quickly. You seem to be under the impression that the only way you can lose things or have stuff replaced is if you don't have ALPA.

"Your" flying can be contracted out when your contract with American comes up. Just ask XJet.

Do some research..............we don't have a "contract" with American.

Their parent company AMR (that owns them) owns us.

If we're sold, our contract goes with us. We haven't been sold both for this reason AND the fact that we're useful for tax and money shell game purposes. We do have rights to flying we do now. AMR would have great difficulty convincing arbitrators of a tale of woe with their profits and staggering management bonuses.

Our CBA goes thru one more "amendement round" next year where only certain things (aside from pay) can possibly change. Then it's 2013 before it can change overall.

Education is a wonderful thing...............but only if taken advantage of.

Educate yourself.

We are A LOT different position than you guys. For all intents and purposes, you'll be sitting across the bargaining table with a cup in your hands. It might help if one of your "negotiators" could play a fiddle by the door with his case open for spare change.

You have no cards.

 

[SkyNation]

We are A LOT different position than you guys.

got that right. I don't know of anyone who'd trade what we have for what y'all do, either.

 

[BigLebowski]

eaglefly...so you never have to worry at eagle. riight. So What if AMR decides to sell you? What will you do then with all your bargaining power???

Wait I know, because you and your mec has so much say...the next flyi?

C'mon, let's be realistic...none of us have any say in anything union or non-union. We're less than pawns in a game of chess when it comes to dealing with management and their decisions.

 

[eaglefly]

got that right. I don't know of anyone who'd trade what we have for what y'all do, either.

For 50 seats..............$125K/year, 100%match on 401(k), currently $382,000 for yours truly and better than average scheduling. Yes, upgrades take longer, but that's reality.

5 years before we get down to business (good or bad).

You can have what you got, thank you.

 

[eaglefly]

eaglefly...so you never have to worry at eagle. riight. So What if AMR decides to sell you? What will you do then with all your bargaining power???

Wait I know, because you and your mec has so much say...the next flyi?

C'mon, let's be realistic...none of us have any say in anything union or non-union. We're less than pawns in a game of chess when it comes to dealing with management and their decisions.

You're either too stoned or Walter dropped a bowling ball on your head, dude.

AMR could "sell" us tomorrow (they won't because if they could, they woud've, a'la CAL). That doesn't change our contract.

Just cause YOU guys have "no say", you've convinced yourself no one else does either. As such, your world is "darker than a black steers toucas on a moonless prarie night".

Wake up and pay your rent, dude.

 

[SkyNation]

For 50 seats..............$125K/year, 100%match on 401(k), currently $382,000 for yours truly and better than average scheduling. Yes, upgrades take longer, but that's reality.

5 years before we get down to business (good or bad).

You can have what you got, thank you.

I'm glad you're happy there. I always say that I hope people are happy where they are, and if they're not they should go elsewhere. Many, including many former Eagle, have come here. It is very rare for SkyWesters to leave for another regional.

Out of curiousity, how many years have you been at Eagle? what is your credit/days off per month? using your top pay per hour for the 50 from Airlinepilotcentral.com, you'd have to credit over 1300 hours per year to make 125K (unless you're counting all other sources such as 401k match, bonus, etc-are you?), is the 100% match unlimited, or is it up to a certain percentage of your pay? 1200 hours or so credit is not uncommon here. (we get 100% match as well, but only up to 2, 4 or 6% of salary based on longevity)

 

[BigLebowski]

You're either too stoned or Walter dropped a bowling ball on your head, dude.

AMR could "sell" us tomorrow (they won't because if they could, they woud've, a'la CAL). That doesn't change our contract.

Just cause YOU guys have "no say", you've convinced yourself no one else does either. As such, your world is "darker than a black steers toucas on a moonless prarie night".

Wake up and pay your rent, dude.

Again, please tell me how you have a say in what the company does? If you did then why did UAL, DAL and many others lose just about everything. Oh, I forgot about TWA, Comair, hmmm gee are there any others? Where is this power that ALPA has over us?

Can you splain' it, cause obviously I'm too dumb to understand it or Walter did drop a ball on my head.

 

[Gr82Aviate]

Yes they lossed.

Eaglefly without typing forever I can sum up your whole post rather quickly. You seem to be under the impression that the only way you can lose things or have stuff replaced is if you don't have ALPA.

"Your" flying can be contracted out when your contract with American comes up. Just ask XJet.

Umm, yeah...too dumb, perhaps? The word you're looking for is "LOST".