Some Fool at Flex

[Inigo Montoya]

If you worked in any other industry out there they tell you where to live and you either like it or you don't work for them.

Good lord walsh.. maybe I'm a manager at some chain like walmart and I want to transfer to seattle. maybe I am a ramper for UAL and I want to move to vegas.

plenty of other business offer job transfer options. the point is, it should be easy for flex to do it since they airline us to work. Why not airline me out of houston instead of dallas?

 

[Club ORD FO]

\ You all took a job with a company that isn't where you live deal with it, you made that decision.

the "if you dont like it then leave" attitude doesn't work in this industry. If my seniority would transfer over to NJ, united, Fedex, then i'd go. But i have to start at the bottom no matter how much experience I have. That means I am now taking a pay cut to go anywhere. Golden Handcuffs.

I'm better off staying here and working towards improvements then going to the bottom of the list somewhere else. being junior sucks and puts me at risk of being furloughed if there is a downturn in the indusrty.

 

[johnsonrod]

the "if you dont like it then leave" attitude doesn't work in this industry. If my seniority would transfer over to NJ, united, Fedex, then i'd go. But i have to start at the bottom no matter how much experience I have. That means I am now taking a pay cut to go anywhere. Golden Handcuffs.

I'm better off staying here and working towards improvements then going to the bottom of the list somewhere else. being junior sucks and puts me at risk of being furloughed if there is a downturn in the indusrty.

Go to Netjets - you'll be junior there too and the conditions are better. It's easier to move somewhere else when you are junior.

 

[learflyer]

Why is it that pilots think they should be able to live in whatever podunk little waste of space place they want. If you worked in any other industry out there they tell you where to live and you either like it or you don't work for them. Why are most pilots such whiny little bastards. Think about it before you respond, then go ask your neighbor who isn't a pilot if he could work for his current company out of his current office but live on the other side of the country, and have his company be responsible for him getting back and forth to work. You all took a job with a company that isn't where you live deal with it, you made that decision.

that's a good post!

 

[EdAtTheAirport]

I know this guy who wants to be a deep-sea fisherman living in Wichita. He sounds like these whiney little NJ guys.

 

[skydan5]

There is a big picture.

CL,

you knew i was gonna chime in.

Yes, Flexjet DID take away pay, 2001-2003 there was a pay freeze and that is the same thing my friend.

along with the pay freeze, people were fired out of senority, and sales bonuses to the pilots were removed.

Above is the same story i have been telling you for a year now, for some reason you dont wanna listen, and if they did it once, they CAN/WILL do it again if "needed" without a contract.

Those decisions were made by Bombardier Aerospace (the big boss) as a result of the slumping economy, slow new aircraft sales and billions of $ in trade-in aircraft that we took into inventory as a result of buy-back clauses that were signed in to the new aircraft contracts in previous years. Additionally, production slowed down with CRJ's and business aircraft. Thousands were laid off company-wide and all pay raises were frozen for those who were lucky to keep their job.

So.... Flexjet had to make cut backs as well, but not to the extent of the rest of Bombardier.

The raise in May that we were promised, we will get. Unless the US and the world has a catastrophic economic event in the next few months, Bombardier (third largest airplane maker) will not reneg on their promise.

 

[frac pilot]

CL,

you knew i was gonna chime in.

Yes, Flexjet DID take away pay, 2001-2003 there was a pay freeze and that is the same thing my friend.

along with the pay freeze, people were fired out of senority, and sales bonuses to the pilots were removed.

Above is the same story i have been telling you for a year now, for some reason you dont wanna listen, and if they did it once, they CAN/WILL do it again if "needed" without a contract.

Your facts are a little wrong:
Flexjet did not give raises that year but annual increases were not frozen (the range varied depending on years of service).

Pilots were fired out of seniority but most would agree they were a detriment to the company, you are correct though with regards to that statement.

Bonuses have never been removed, we just didn't reach the goal. Fact is, we haven't had a bonus based on sales since 1999. The new bonus program was designed because of this short coming.

 

[Ultra Grump]

I'll take what bones are thrown my way and say thank-you.

It's really sad you have so little self-worth.

 

[haulingthemail]

It's really sad you have so little self-worth.

You are wrong, I knew what the job was when I took it and had no problem with it then. Not like some of you on this post, where you take a job then bitch about it later. You accepted the job then and it was ok, if you didn't like what was offered then, then you should have said no thanks, and let someone else have it. But instead you took a position and now bitch and complain.

 

[theskyking]

You are wrong, I knew what the job was when I took it and had no problem with it then. Not like some of you on this post, where you take a job then bitch about it later. You accepted the job then and it was ok, if you didn't like what was offered then, then you should have said no thanks, and let someone else have it. But instead you took a position and now bitch and complain.

What an absurd post.

First of all, no job ends up being exactly what you thought it would be in the beginning. There are millions of things that happen daily that affect your QOL. How can you know about them all while you are on the outside looking in? It's when you get on the line and have had three 14 hour days with 10 hour turns that you finally start to comprehend what this job entails.

Secondly, we work in a very dynamic industry with countless outside forces dictating how we conduct business. The way the job was done yesterday many not be how the job needs to be done tomorrow.

So your stance on these issues is to let momma (company) make everything better. "I know she loves me, she just increased my allowance."

Here at NJ, the company and 1108 sit down at the table as peers striving for the same goal. Problems are handled and a path is set by both parties. Wow. What a concept? Sure there are plenty of examples of "Unions Gone Bad!" (you can find that in your local adult video store). But we are in a different kind of industry and we are a different kind of union. Stability and sustainability for the company while ensuring growth. Providing a positive work environment for the employees that promotes safety and excellence.

I'll take what I have and you can keep "Thank you, sir. May I have another?"(This statement was posted as an obvious exageration in response to one absurd post. All the other FJ guys, please disregard.)

 

[Inigo Montoya]

You are wrong, I knew what the job was when I took it and had no problem with it then.

SG is that you?

So then I guess you are going to decline the raise right?

 

[EdAtTheAirport]

Montoya, you ever fly a Hawker?

 

[CL300Pilot]

Just out of curiosity, how many grievances do you guys have going at the moment? Just an estimate. The reason I ask is because of a couple of NJA guys saying that they had filed them based on not getting the proper amount of cookies in their meals. And no, I am not making this up. I know you guys have tools just like we do.

 

[LaGarbage Man]

The airlines have only given back when they had to and 99% of the time it was to protect pilots from being furloughed. The latest round with United/USAir/NWA had to give in because the airlines were in Bankruptcy court ( Which all of the had Pro Bussiness/Anti Labor). If the unions did not come to the table then Management could have forced the changes ( Hey alot like Flex) on the pilots. Let me tell you those contracts really sucked.
So by working out new contracts the pilots saved hundreds of jobs but had language that requires the airline to re-open negotiations once the airline hits certain economic thresholds and call all pilots back before they hire off the street(Flex does not have to hire you back)
Now lets talk about safety. Say you are landing at CHS and as you cross the threshold a C-5 powers up and you scrape a wing tip. Flex: Danger of being fired. Union Shop: Union protects your job. So yes the Union can provide alot of security that a non union shop can not.

Actually Mr. Bailey, It was a C-17 doing the run up.
Just bustin a Indy brothers stones. He is right though, send in the card. You can never have to many alternates or to many choices.

 

[bluepost]

There seems to be 5-10 grievances a week now....out of about 2800 pilots. The crew food grievances were from about a year ago before the company fixed the crew food program adding the regional menu to the base menu.

Not to turn this into another pro union tread but this is just one example of how the union works. The contract is exactly that..an agreement agreed to by BOTH sides laying down the rules. If either side breaks the rules there are policies to correct that.

In this case the crew food program was mediocre at best and was fixed because of the grievance process with union/member input and now it is great, for both sides.

Same with pager briefs, rental cars, hotel quality etc.