AirTran Pilots Fired!!!!!!!

[Fly4$]

For those that are still wondering what "terminated" means... If it were my job on the line, I would have been on the phone with AT clarifying the lingo, rather than getting my info from an airline forum. Somebody overthere must have the info, right??

 

[~~~^~~~]

Guys - FWIW

In my little Company I asked my fellow partners to boycott AirTran. Most of our employees are general aviation pilots and follow the industry. They agreed and for now on, our firm will divert our $50,000 or so we were paying AirTran annually.

It isn't much, but I just hate to reward management teams that pull garbage like this with our business.

 

[Fly-n-hi]

What a absolute bunch of jerks!!!!
How can these retread instructors even be so selfish to keep these positions!!!!!!!!!( If you research most of these individuals history, it makes perfect sense)

Well if you had to pay for 3 ex-wives, 4 kids from the ex-wives, a boat, 2 houses, a Tahoe, and a Z06 youd want to keep your job, too.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Cuz that's what he does. With. Everything.

Mostly yes... however, I am discussing the DLR vs SH VH frontman issue on another thread...

I simply choose to discuss limited topics: mostly sociopolitical issues....

The reason why I discuss ALPA so much is because that is the name of our self representation and democratic rule. It is the democracy of Air Line Pilots. We can rid ourselves of ALPA, NPA, IPA, IBT, SWAPA, CAPA, APA et al, and call our self representation whatever we want... hence "self rule". That is the beauty of it... we can do whatever we want... we just have to be smart about it....

Just because we have been Americans for our entire lives doesn't mean we are effective democratic citizens. The label doesn't mean good practice...

The time, energy, patience and realism that it takes to be a democratically effective member of a pilot union seems to be too much for too many. For whatever reason....

Thus, many if not most pilots reject democracy (in their careers and public life) simply because they are not good at it... and of course... their reasoning is NOT because they're poor union members, its because they are not satisfied with the performance of 'their' leaders.

Ironically they didn't bother to vote for those who are doing a poor job. Whether that perception of a poor job is real or not. One could argue since most are poor members they don't have a way to measure performance...

So instead of being effecting members of democracy, most pilots will operate on a "fly my trip and go home" only to deal with each "crisis" uneducated, unprepared and at the whim of others who control their fate. Of course they are opinionated, but they are not not in control of what they could control had they invested in democracy.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Rez, why spin this into an ALPA thing?!?

Because it appears the student counsel is not effective?

 

[JoeMerchant]

Because it appears the student counsel is not effective?

....and ALPA is?

 

[IdRtherBsailing]

Could someone please post a WARN notice letter sent from another airline (Midwest, CAL, etc.)? I'm curious to compare the wording from theirs to ours.
Thanks & good luck to us all.

I would scan mine and post it but its framed next to my award for "Excellence".

 

[§kyye Candy]

Well if you had to pay for 3 ex-wives, 4 kids from the ex-wives, a boat, 2 houses, a Tahoe, and a Z06 youd want to keep your job, too.

That's about it, too. Selfish f****s. This industry turns my stomach anymore. Really.

If someone has been working at a flying job in the industry for 25+ years, through "The Glory Years," the Tahoe should easily be paid for in cash. If not, the boat should never have been purchased to begin with. Multiple ex-wives are a personal issue that shouldn't be factored into the conversation.

So sad. Sorry for all of the AT pilots out there having to deal with this, and all others who have lost their jobs. This is a travesty. Unfortunately, however, as long as management is allowed their bonuses and golden parachutes without any consequences, this will continue. I agree with others who have posted that it's time to make some paramount changes in this industry - starting from the bottom up.

 

[Lear70]

I would scan mine and post it but its framed next to my award for "Excellence".

ROFLMFAO!!!

That's the post of the month, right there...

The funny part is, my termination letter is in a "keepsakes" folder, right beside my "attaboy" letter from Tom Lewis just 2 months prior.

I was an AirTran cheerleader, much like most of the rest of our pilots, up until Christmas/New Year's 2006/2007 when they started screwing with people.

It's an absolute travesty how much good will they have squandered in this pilot group.

 

[Flybywire44]

For those that are still wondering what "terminated" means... If it were my job on the line, I would have been on the phone with AT clarifying the lingo, rather than getting my info from an airline forum. Somebody overthere must have the info, right??

How is boycotting a faltering operation going to help the pilots there keep their jobs? Would that not only make more of them lose out?

 

[DH106]

This Happened To Me At Midwest, Too

This is nothing new. In 2001, Ken Kruger, director of operations at Midwest (you know, Midwest Express), fired our entire newhire class. ALPA stepped in and said, "no, you're going to put them on furlough status." I guess ALPA used some strong language, and Midwest then put us on furlough status. Regardless, Ken Kruger is a terrible person, and so is his boss, CEO Tim Hoeksema. If I ever meet them face to face again, I'll tell them what awful people they are.

 

[Colonel Savage]

...up until Christmas/New Year's 2006/2007 when they started screwing with people...It's an absolute travesty how much good will they have squandered in this pilot group.

Did this coincide with the arrival of a new investor, prehaps a private equity or capital investment firm?

 

[ron burgundy]

It says "(permanent)" in the actual notice? That is very strange language.

Nothing strange about the wording in our contract when it comes to getting rid of retirees before they touch line pilots. Strange is, how it's working out, or not working out is more like it.

 

[B727Driver]

Lear70...the infamous "Coach". What a winner he is along with his scab friends from Value-whore. The AirTran guys and gals, great group and wish them the best during this time.

Just wondering, did any of the furloughed USAirways or UAL leave AirTran and go back before this recent round of cuts at the legacy carriers?

 

[Colonel Savage]

...Just wondering, did any of the furloughed USAirways or UAL leave AirTran and go back before this recent round of cuts at the legacy carriers?

Why do you want to know?

 

[Ualexpress]

Just wondering, did any of the furloughed USAirways or UAL leave AirTran and go back before this recent round of cuts at the legacy carriers?

Yes for UAL, not sure about USAirways. I know of several USAir that didn't go back. There were also many UAL guys that didn't go back, especially those that had upgraded or were close to upgrading at AirTran. Those from United that went back were usually guys who had been at AirTran for less than a couple of years and had several years of seniority to go back to at United.

 

[B727Driver]

Thanks UALexpress. Good luck to all.

 

[BOOZENEWS]

This whole debacle ought to make it very clear that Obama is the best choice for president. At least compared to Mccain. At the very least he will appoint labor friendly judges and NMB members.

To those of you who believe he won't care I have to disagree. If you look at his voting record he has voted pro union every time. He also was a co-sponser of the "Protecting Employees And Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act Of 2007".

Also, assuming that the dems maintain control of both the house and senate w/Obama as POTUS, I see a golden opportunity to enact landmark legislation that would drastically ease the grip of the RLA on pilots of even eliminate it totally.


I sure as hell hope ALPA has they're ducks lined up as there is a good chance of having the dems in control the WH, House & Senate for at least 2 yrs.

Now that mgmt has declared war on you, why don't you organize a grassroots fly safe campagne. This has got to be as effective as a strike if done correctly, right? With the internet it can't be all that hard to organize, can it?

 

[another cfii]

It's interesting to note that the 177 furlough notices are pilots with a hire date of July, which is still a probie right now, but in Sept, they will be voting member of the NPA. Does the contract say anything different for probie put on furlough vs the rest of the pilot group?

Good luck to all, i learned a lot during my time there.

 

[stall022]

It's interesting to note that the 177 furlough notices are pilots with a hire date of July, which is still a probie right now, but in Sept, they will be voting member of the NPA. Does the contract say anything different for probie put on furlough vs the rest of the pilot group?

Good luck to all, i learned a lot during my time there.

the first one on the list is a 9/10/07 hire and the last is a 4/07/08 hire.