SkyWest Pilots: At least pretend to care

[SSDD]

Bluto SAPA is ineffective because of its very structure. As long as management is pulling the strings, the final say comes from SGU. Thinking that SAPA can actually do anything for you is like pissing down your own leg, and telling yourself the drought is over...pretty silly. If you think MN is the the first guy to get run out of SAPA because he stood up against management and the rest of the cronies, I've got stories for you.

I've been here a lot of years. I've been through SWEAT, and SEAC, and now SAPA, and let me tell you, plain and simple: Under the current system, if it is not beneficial to the company, Mr. Atkin will not approve it. Brad can agree with you, even Ron Reber used to say from time to time, that something seemed like a good idea, but ultimately it doesn't happen unless the BOD(Mr.Atkin) needs it to happen.

SAPA is a communication tool for the company. They have meetings, management agrees to fine tune problems areas(a good management practice), and they refuse the rest. Then SAPA takes credit for it, and the believers think that they accomplished something.

Having said all that, I still think Skywest is about the best regional to work for. The ownership/mangement group is made out of generally decent people, but at the same time great business men. They are not going to give away the farm, but they are not out to screw you at every turn.

You have to face things and see them for what they are. SAPA can't do $hit for you regardless of who the president is.

 

[Nightrain_080]

uncle rico must go

Bluto SAPA is ineffective because of its very structure. As long as management is pulling the strings, the final say comes from SGU. Thinking that SAPA can actually do anything for you is like pissing down your own leg, and telling yourself the drought is over...pretty silly. If you think MN is the the first guy to get run out of SAPA because he stood up against management and the rest of the cronies, I've got stories for you.

I've been here a lot of years. I've been through SWEAT, and SEAC, and now SAPA, and let me tell you, plain and simple: Under the current system, if it is not beneficial to the company, Mr. Atkin will not approve it. Brad can agree with you, even Ron Reber used to say from time to time, that something seemed like a good idea, but ultimately it doesn't happen unless the BOD(Mr.Atkin) needs it to happen.

SAPA is a communication tool for the company. They have meetings, management agrees to fine tune problems areas(a good management practice), and they refuse the rest. Then SAPA takes credit for it, and the believers think that they accomplished something.

Having said all that, I still think Skywest is about the best regional to work for. The ownership/mangement group is made out of generally decent people, but at the same time great business men. They are not going to give away the farm, but they are not out to screw you at every turn.

You have to face things and see them for what they are. SAPA can't do $hit for you regardless of who the president is.

Agreed.

If Alpa does not pass, SAPHO needs to insist that Uncle Rico, Chip and Jerry are all in on the pay and QOL meetings. Uncle rico has too much of an out when he is the only one there supposedly representing pilots besides Jim B. and Mike E. "no we can't do that, have you looked around at all the other regionals" Full of excuses and starch.
Like one of our true Pilot representatives said about uncle rico, "he doesn't even fart in our general direction."

 

[SSDD]

Who is uncle rico?????????

 

[Nightrain_080]

Who is uncle rico?????????

A 5' tall redneck with a mustache.
No real world management skills just my way or the highway. Free helicopter rides for all.

Bravo Hotel

 

[SSDD]

Got it.

 

[John Pennekamp]

Who is uncle rico?????????

Y'all wanna see my video?

 

[FlySacto]

Y'all wanna see my video?

Sure! My wife found one of mine and I got into a little trouble. At least she's cleaning the house and cooking again! If your's is more incriminating than mine it might do me some good

 

[Bluto]

Just 4 days left, and less than 1/2 the pilot group has voted. Oh well, I can see how this is going to turn out.

 

[SkyNation]

BS is going to win by a landslide, don't you think? what other result were you looking for?

 

[Microclimates]

my .2

I'm personally having a hard time deciding whether to vote at all. Sometimes, not voting is in itself a message. I'm sure that there is a lot of apathy out there, but I also think that there are a few who, like me, are at this point quite disgusted with SAPA.

Who has enough longevity with the company to give me one example of a truly 'shining moment' in SAPA's history? I'm not being sarcastic, I would really like to know.
Ever since I've been here, all I've witnessed is ineffectiveness, and most disturbing, this resigned tone about how, well, 'we tried to do (_____) but management didn't agree...'

that's not what 'give and take' is supposed to be...

Supposedly, SAPA is supposed to be there as an advocate for a pilot who is 'in trouble' with hte company; however, I've heard from numerous sources that they are not always in our corner. well that's certainly not my idea of having an advocate!

Finally, this whole mess that happened these past few, with the backstabbing and maneouvering really ticked me off.

 

[Bluto]

BS is going to win by a landslide, don't you think? what other result were you looking for?

how about better than 50% turnout. It's got nothing to do with BS winning. I think it's pretty much a forgone conclusion that he will. What he won't have, is any support in the form of a strong majority of our pilots voting for him.

To be completely blunt, I'm tired of trying to encourage this pilot group to care. I'd rather focus my energies on going to work somewhere else where the pilot group already cares about their own future.

 

[SkyNation]

they'll care when they look around and see people elsewhere getting a better deal than them (us) at the regional level. for the majority of us, we don't see that, so it's hard to get all in a twist when, overall, we have it pretty good here. of course it's not perfect (where is it?), but taken in total, I believe the lack of 'caring' you describe comes from people being contented. I'm not sure what a 70, 80 or 90 percent turnout what mean anyway? or what it would change?

but, by all means, move on (especially if you're senior to me ;-)

 

[Microclimates]

Considering their past performance, what makes anyone think that SAPA would be any more effective even if they had 90% of the pilots voting?

 

[Nightrain_080]

I voted for Bill. Nothing will change with Sapa. Even Bill has stated that Uncle Rico (BH) is the show stopper. Sapa has no blood. For Sapa to work either they have to lean on Rico to get some other decision makers at the table or assume the position over the barrel we have been in since we voted for one lousy pay rate after the other. If he won't budge then we insist on going higher to put forth a real effort. We all just witnessed what happened when M.N. stood up for the pilots and actually tried to get in the ring with Rico. He was quickly labeled and ousted by the good ole boys network.

Let's just all wait and see when ASA gets their new contract. If Alpa doesn't pass this time at SkyWest then this pilot group deserves to end up underneath mesa and goose jet.

S=spineless
A=apathetic
P=proud
A=a__holes

 

[Morning Wood]

A 5' tall redneck with a mustache.
No real world management skills just my way or the highway. Free helicopter rides for all.

Bravo Hotel

That's some funny sit

 

[Skywest Pylot]

I am not an ALPA cheerleader but I believe it may be the only way to protect what we have left. Why not give us protections provided by the RLA? Now that the O.C. has filed, let's get some dialog going about something that really matters instead of wasting time with the pointless SAPA soap opera.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

The MPL's will be tried at non union carriers like Blue, Skywest and Colgan... there is no opposition to stop them....

 

[JoeMerchant]

The MPL's will be tried at non union carriers like Blue, Skywest and Colgan... there is no opposition to stop them....

Even ALPA isn't opposing it.... they just want it done "right"....

 

[PCL_128]

Even ALPA isn't opposing it.... they just want it done "right"....

Why are you getting all worked up before you even know what "right" means? Again, a simple call to Herndon could answer your questions.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Why are you getting all worked up before you even know what "right" means? Again, a simple call to Herndon could answer your questions.

The current requirements to sit in the right seat of a 121 cockpit are already too low.... This plan should be opposed and the requirements should be INCREASED, not decreased. Yet ANOTHER ALPA failure.....

 

[PCL_128]

The current requirements to sit in the right seat of a 121 cockpit are already too low....

Agreed. Now, how much wanna bet that Captain Rice and the rest of the National leadership agrees also?

This plan should be opposed and the requirements should be INCREASED, not decreased. Yet ANOTHER ALPA failure.....

How can there be a failure when there hasn't even been a proposed change yet? And an even more important question: why do I even waste my time talking with you?

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

The current requirements to sit in the right seat of a 121 cockpit are already too low.... This plan should be opposed and the requirements should be INCREASED, not decreased. Yet ANOTHER ALPA failure.....

jOE... congress creates laws. Not ALPA. Until you get this you will so far behind....

ALPA cannot fail for what it is not repsonsible for. the FAA is responsible for determining 121 requirement.

 

[JoeMerchant]

jOE... congress creates laws. Not ALPA. Until you get this you will so far behind....

ALPA cannot fail for what it is not repsonsible for. the FAA is responsible for determining 121 requirement.

Another cop out response from the Herndon KoolAid drinker....

Why did they support the Age 60 issue for so many years? What about flight time/duty time? What about one level of safety? Those are all FAA responsibilities.

Now with this issue, you say ALPA doesn't have any control? You wonder why ALPA PAC contributions are down?

I guess ALPA is more concerned with the real important stuff like LAHSO and flip flopping on the age 60 rule.

 

[Gandalf]

Vote? Why?

Vote? For what? Definitions:
Represent. Verb. "To act or speak on behalf of somebody or something.
To speak and act for somebody else in an official way."

Representation. Noun. "The fact or right of being represented by somebody, especially of having a member in a legislature with the power to vote or speak for an electorate."

Negotiation. Noun. "The reaching of agreement through discussion and compromise."

So let me get this straight...SAPA negotiated for this last contract with management....hmmm....No increases for the Bro - not that they work the hardest - 9 legs a day, 20 min legs with 18 min turns, a 1% increase on the 50 for 4 YEARS! - .25% a year. A 1% increase on the 70/90 with a block hour override that was WAY overdue - anyone remember the conditions of bringing the 70 on property - Empty Promises!

Oh yeah, where is Zoltar? Have any QOL issues been addressed lately?

WAY TO GO SAPA!!! To negotiate don't you need to start high and COMPROMISE to a middle point? To get a 1% raise for 4 years - what was the high mark that SAPA used to negotiate? 1.1%?

Inflation rises every year!

Inflation. Noun. "An increase in the supply of currency or credit relative to the availability of goods and services, resulting in higher prices."

A relative of mine works in health care industry - standard YEARLY raise 3% (Hey - to keep up with inflation) and above and beyond that for performance.

Check out the salary inflation calculator on inflationdata.com!

Binding. Adjective. "Creating a legal or moral obligation to do something, with no possibility of withdrawal or avoidance."

Hey, thats something we DON"T have. A binding contract, document, something that states that Party A is responsible for this and B for that. Here are the rules that BOTH sides must abide by. Nope - JA and company can make changes to whatever they like and we are along for the ride!

So, I ask again - why should I vote for a system in which I have no REAL representation.

So..I vote.....and candidate X (who REALLY DOES care about me and my needs, who REALLY DOES want to get things done, who REALLY DOES want to see GOOD THINGS for Skywest - because they DO!) goes to the SAPA meetings and voices my concerns, needs, wants and wishes to "the boys".

And.........."they" do what "they" want to do because at the end of the day - "they" can.