USAir Furlough Recall: My Decision

[FLYLOW22]

Uh, let's see.

There were...

4 A320 F/O (for life) positions
5 737 F/O (for life) positions

 

[FurloughedAgain]

9 total positions for the class? I dont get it.

 

[Boeing747Driver]

Maybe only 9 of 300 showed. LOL

 

[FLYLOW22]

Maybe only 9 of 300 showed. LOL

4 walked out.

 

[Captzaahlie]

Hey Furloughed Again,
Thanks for a great post!
I want to thank you for helping put me more at ease with a very recent decision that I made. I think you hit the nail right on the head, Family is everything, everything else just supports the family......
Good luck and don't look back!

 

[FurloughedAgain]

Glad you were able to come to a decision that works for you. Love your icon by the way!

I try to keep mine away from airplanes, personally. <grin> Maybe if I hang out with doctors, lawyers, or politicians he'll have different career goals when he grows up.

"Daddy, I want to be a CEO!"

Unfortunately every time he sees an airplane he looks up and waves his hands and makes an airplane noise. Must be in the genes. (sigh)

 

[Swaayze]

Just put a dog shock collar on him (set it on the lowest setting!) and zap him a little whenever he looks at an airplane with admiration. That'll take care of it.






I keed, I keed. Mostly.

 

[FurloughedAgain]

I don't know. I sure enjoyed the time I spent with my father when he was giving me flight instruction. I might like to do that someday.

Maybe I can convince him that it's a good hobby, just a lousy career... any chance of that?

 

[Captzaahlie]

I don't know. I sure enjoyed the time I spent with my father when he was giving me flight instruction. I might like to do that someday.

Maybe I can convince him that it's a good hobby, just a lousy career... any chance of that?

Nope, he'll catch the bug like the rest of us!

It could be worse tough.......

 

[MK82Man]

Fly Low -- with 4 walkers and only 9 keepers, I'm guessing it was another class that will produce less than 50% of what management needed. Class or 18 to 20 should have been the plan. If six didn't show, and 4 walked out the door, when is the next class scheduled? I'm guessing some of those folks who we are hiring in November are going to get Mainline equipment and not all will be slammed into the 190. Keep us updated if all 9 stay to the end of this week. It's going to be really interesting to see how HR will work to compete for new blood - CAL, UA, DL, and US all trying for the same dude. We might get some young RJ FOs, but how long will they stay if this pilot labor mess doesn't get setteled?

 

[LearLove]

I'm guessing some of those folks who we are hiring in November are going to get Mainline equipment and not all will be slammed into the 190.

the 190 is mainline equipment (all-be-it the pay needs to go up) - we don't need anymore flying contracted out.

 

[WickedPissa]

What are you talking about? You can't use you're career expectations from 1999 for a merger in 2006. When the merger was announced you where furloghed while I was looking at a 5-6 year upgrade. This is what drives us on the West nuts. Absolutely no concept of reality on the East side.

Maybe no concept of reality on either side. Why don't both sides grow nad$ and demand more $ than either side makes. Both sides are measly. Just my opinion, I could be wrong... no I'm right.
Should be "your". Maybe "you're" drunk.

 

[CWI]

What's the purpose of showing up just to walk out?

 

[LittleDeuce]

Recall

What's the purpose of showing up just to walk out?

The issue has to do with the "catch up" retirement contribution. As part of a previous agreement, furloughed pilots hired before 1998 are awarded $1,200 a year for every year of active service.
If the pilot is under 50 years old, he/she must return for a least 1 day to be eligible for the money. That is why people are showing up to claim their money.
The obvious question is why would you be required to show up as opposed to handling the transaction on paper. I don't know the answer. I believe it's an IRS rule.

 

[Lampshade]

I thought the furloughed guys got a letter saying it could be done without accepting a class date?

 

[5150]

I thought the furloughed guys got a letter saying it could be done without accepting a class date?

Only if you are 50 or older.

 

[FurloughedAgain]

By the way. Thanks to Captain Bular for sending one last certified form letter twisting the knife by saying, "As of September 17th your name has been removed from the US Airways seniority list."

Sheesh.

 

[LittleDeuce]

By the way. Thanks to Captain Bular for sending one last certified form letter twisting the knife by saying, "As of September 17th your name has been removed from the US Airways seniority list."

Sheesh.

BTW. It's also listed on the APL as resigned. That's what you did. Right?

 

[lineflyer1]

What are you talking about? You can't use you're career expectations from 1999 for a merger in 2006. When the merger was announced you where furloghed while I was looking at a 5-6 year upgrade. This is what drives us on the West nuts. Absolutely no concept of reality on the East side.

Thats why merging using career expectations is screwed up. In this industry no one can accurately predict where they will be in 3 years, let alone 20 years.

Date of hire is the only way to go!

 

[Swaayze]

By the way. Thanks to Captain Bular for sending one last certified form letter twisting the knife by saying, "As of September 17th your name has been removed from the US Airways seniority list."

Sheesh.

Yeah, I liked that touch too. I wasn't home and got the slip for a certified from USAirways. Began wondering: are they offering me one last shot to try and get as many folks back as possible? Half-joked to the wife that maybe they were sending me the wings they took back when I was furloughed (kinda wish they had). But no, just another waste of money by good 'ol USAir, as if I didn't know that I'd resigned already. <Sigh>

 

[TWA Dude]

Thats why merging using career expectations is screwed up. In this industry no one can accurately predict where they will be in 3 years, let alone 20 years.

It's not really a far-reaching prediction but a simple look on a specific day as to what fleet plans are. Nicolau didn't try to guess the state of the industry, just what kind of progress each side's pilots could expect. He actually rejected both side's ideas about what the future held.

Date of hire is the only way to go!

Even though it may create a huge windfall for one group? Step outside the situation for a second and think about what sounds more fair: a process whereby both sides negotiate as equals and barring an agreement a neutral tries to be fair to both sides --or-- a one-size-fits-all integration method that fails to account for the vagaries of each individual merger?

The only people chanting "DOH" are the ones who stand to benefit the most from it. Shocking.

 

[MK82Man]

Swaaze -- please don't tell me the old US Air really took your wings away when they furloughed you? Callous indeed. What purpose did that serve? Were you a US Air pilot or not? Who gives a rat's arse if you are going out on furlough? What did they hope to gain by taking your wings? Save $5 on metal to give to someone else? That place was/is a hole and that kind of East attitude reflects why we are having so much trouble in the merger. I'm sorry they took your wings and I'm sorry you guys got the final letter. I'm sure they sent the letter for legal reasons but I hope they wished your luck in future endeavors and thanked your for your service to our airline for the years you worked for us.

 

[On Your Six]

Yeah, I liked that touch too. I wasn't home and got the slip for a certified from USAirways. Began wondering: are they offering me one last shot to try and get as many folks back as possible? Half-joked to the wife that maybe they were sending me the wings they took back when I was furloughed (kinda wish they had). But no, just another waste of money by good 'ol USAir, as if I didn't know that I'd resigned already. <Sigh>

Well, that should at least validate the decision you made. USAirways (at least the East) continues to show its classy side. You should feel good about moving on from that craphole/merger mess...

 

[FurloughedAgain]

I remember going to the PIT chief pilot's office on my last day to turn in my manuals, ID, and parking permit. The chief pilots were not accepting "visits" from those who were to be furloughed and the manuals were being piled unceremoniously on the conference table in the office.

The pile was enormous...literally hundreds of manuals.

I escaped with my wings somehow. They sit in a box in my closet with the remainder of my US Airways memorabilia. I keep saying one day i'll create a shadowbox or some similar display, but I never have.

Heck, I keep saying i'll frame my "congratulations! You're hired" letter, but I haven't done that either.

Still, would be nice to have some formal remembrance of that period of my life, even if it only was a hair more than three years.

 

[sayagain?]

I remebr that day also. I turned all my things in and asked if the base CP needed to or wanted to talk with me. Was told no. I could see him in his office reading a newspaper. Lost what little respect I had for AAA that day.

 

[stb]

....Heck, I keep saying i'll frame my "congratulations! You're hired" letter, but I haven't done that either.

I put the hired letter in a scrapbook and I plan to put my last call to USAirways in also.

I actually laughed when on the line, a captain told me to keep your logbook updated here at USAir.
It was 9+ years of no hiring, 120 new hirers a month, 450+ new airplanes on order, massive retirements in 10 years, you'll be a captain in 5 years... blah,blah blah.

When Piedmont and USAir merged, there was a "5 in 5" which almost put USAir out of business. How many times did the new hirers hear that in ground school?That merger was childsplay compared to the AW and USAirways.

For those America West pilots, the bu11 chit will not stop if or when the list is merged.

 

[FLYLOW22]

BTW. It's also listed on the APL as resigned. That's what you did. Right?

I think what FA is saying here is that Ed Bular forgot to include in the final letter something no so antiseptic as "your name has been removed from the list" as a final goodbye.

US wasn't nearly as direct with the language when we were all furloughed. I believe I remember the wordage was something like "The effects of 9/11 on our business have forever impacted US Airways. Your job has been impacted".

I remember thinking, "What the hell does impacted mean??". 1,800 of us found out soon enough.

The point... It's not WHAT you say but HOW you say it. This is one of the finer points that US Airways has never been able to comprehend much less demonstrate.

A simple, "Thank you for your time here. Sorry we suck so badly" would dhave been fine. The point would have been driven home but in a more positive way.

 

[FLYLOW22]

Half-joked to the wife that maybe they were sending me the wings they took back when I was furloughed (kinda wish they had). <Sigh>

Haha. I earned those wings. They stayed right here. I sent my FOM back though. Never earned the FOM... I don't think I deserved the FOM either!!

 

[FLYLOW22]

I'm sure they sent the letter for legal reasons but I hope they wished your luck in future endeavors and thanked your for your service to our airline for the years you worked for us.

Ed did wish all the best and "lot's of love" but absolutely no thanks was extended.

Whatever... doesn't really matter anymore. It just would have shown the same amount of class in saying goodbye as Inez extended to us when US said hello.

 

[Swaayze]

Dead serious. They wanted the wings and hat brass turned in, so I did. I don't really care, but it was kinda ridiculous. I assumed it had something to do with their security concerns at the time, it was still Oct '01 after all.