AirTran Pilots Fired!!!!!!!

[On Your Six]

It goes without saying but this is completely ridiculous. Perhaps management forgot that this is a service business and employee morale is critical to service delivery... Aaaah, but they don't care. Sure, the economy is in the tank and oil has never been this high, but TERMINATING pilots (many of whom left solid regional jobs for a chance to be at the bottom of AirTran's list) vs. furloughing them is a hit below the belt.

I am sure you guys are already considering your response, but I know that I would back a commensurate response. This is a back-handed slap to the face! Accepting it would encourage more management actions like this in the future.

Good luck to everyone involved!

 

[Lear70]

Union website was down for a day or two last weekend, it seems to be down again now. I get an occasional ping out of the host server, but it looks like the server itself is offline.

I believe we use a portion of the company's server for the NPA main website and, although I'm told they have NO access to the message board (I'm sure there's several moles in the ranks), I found myself wondering if the message board is on their server and, if so, if the company yanked that access to that portion of it after the pilots have started a rally to reject ANY concessionary deal.

Wouldn't surprise me with everything else the company has pulled.

Interestingly, the NPA main website is still up...

 

[olympus593]

what the deal with TY and Uppercrust? Gay lover gone mad? Who the pitcher and who the catcher?

 

[j41driver]

.....

 

[Clyde Frog]

Im very surprised it took this long to get this group riled up.

We've been getting pissed on for years, if you don't know what I'm talking about, you haven't been paying attention.

Management at this place are bullies and the only thing that gets a bullies attention is a quick roundhouse to the jaw. Stand up to him and he'll stop picking on you.

I hope we're all on the same page.

 

[SFR]

The 177 don't need recall rights. I don't think a recall will ever happen anyways. Unfortunately, this is probably the beginning of the end for the torch jet.

 

[j41driver]

Torch jet. Classy....

 

[Lear70]

Torch jet. Classy....

Beat me to it...

People, you DO understand that you can make your point WITHOUT the totally-classless reference to a tragedy the flight crew had NO control over that resulted in the DEATH of every soul on board,,,

Even if you want to bash AirTran which, it seems, even the employees are beginning to do (and I agree, that's not a good sign for long-term airline viability, although I wouldn't write the airline's obit JUST yet),

Have a little more respect for those who have "gone West" ahead of us.

 

[belchfire]

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?

Boycotts can be very effective, however the management of the company has to know that it is happening, know why it is happening and it has to be done by a large enough percentage of the consumers to put a real dent in the bottom line.

Like when the NAACP tells Wal Mart, Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie to stop selling Maurice's BBQ Sauce or none of the African-Americans will be patronizing your establishment...

Of course there are times that managements should tell would-be boycotters to urinate up a rope! Besides, I can still get my BBQ sauce from other sources...so now it's me that doesn't go to walmart, but my one man boycot doesn't carry much clout.

 

[Kharma Police]

Unfortunately, this is probably the beginning of the end for the torch jet.

Are you referring to the Concorde crash that the French say your airline caused?

 

[carl p]

The 177 don't need recall rights. I don't think a recall will ever happen anyways. Unfortunately, this is probably the beginning of the end for the torch jet.

Grow up. Families were destroyed, lives were lost and you make stupid jokes.

 

[Uppercrust]

Not cool to refer to Airtran as Torchjet. Although, don't hesistate to use the Valuejet phrase or even Criter. Those two are safe and funny. Referencing the Everglade crash is not cool.

Back on topic, those 177 individuals fired will probably move on to greener pastures as a result of this and in some ways should consider themselves lucky. Heck, it might even be a resume booster to be fired by Valuejet.:laugh: :laugh:

I do beg to ask one question, why did you guys have an agreement like you do with the Training Center guys getting forloughed? What a stupid rule for both parties and why can't you guys compromise on it so the 177 can be forloughed instead of fired?

Good luck to everyone at Valuejet, even Ty Boy.:laugh: :laugh:

 

[Lear70]

*sigh* Is it really that hard to read the entire thread? This has been covered about half a dozen times...

I do beg to ask one question, why did you guys have an agreement like you do with the Training Center guys getting forloughed? What a stupid rule for both parties and why can't you guys compromise on it so the 177 can be forloughed instead of fired?

Again, for those who are evidently learning-challenged:

1. The whole point of having retired NSL instructors in the training department is that they needed qualified people to instruct and didn't have enough pilots available to both teach AND fly the line. It was designed to be a TEMPORARY fix to a problem.

2. The point of making the rule to remove them wasn't "stupid", it was specifically to allow pilots to go back to those positions if there were a surplus of pilots, thus avoiding or mitigating the number of furloughs from line pilots required. Those positions WERE line pilots positions, were temporarily allowed to be outsourced to retirees, with the understanding that line pilots would go back instead of furloughing them.

3. You don't negotiate with terrorists. The company is using terrorist tactics by holding a group "hostage" for something they want in the contract. We give in, they do it again. And again. And again.

Until an LOA is drafted that takes away their ability to use probationary pilot firings as a negotiating tool, gives a timeline to return regular line pilots to the training department as it SHOULD be, and puts the REQUIREMENT for the company to offer Leaves of Absence and Early Retirements, without penalty, BEFORE they furlough, in order to reduce the number of pilots they need to furlough, NOTHING should be signed.

Yes, it's unfortunate for the bottom 177. I, more than anyone, understand what it's like to fight an immoral and unethical management team. But place the blame where it belongs: square on the head of management, in refusing to give basic protections which are in EVERYONE'S best interest... that is, of course, unless the company likes having a "gun" to point to the head of the pilot group every time they need a contract concession; then it's no longer in "everone's" best interest to find a solution to this problem, just the pilots.

 

[pilotpm]

Back on topic, those 177 individuals fired will probably move on to greener pastures as a result of this and in some ways should consider themselves lucky. Heck, it might even be a resume booster to be fired by Valuejet.:laugh: :laugh:

Sorry my friend but as an ex ATAer STILL looking for work, them pastures are pretty bare and brown right now.

 

[plunger]

The company should at least give these guys the option of turning a letter of resignation. What a bunch of crap.

 

[ReverseSensing]

The company should at least give these guys the option of turning a letter of resignation. What a bunch of crap.

That might be helpful if they were being terminated for cause, but they're not, so I really don't think resignation versus termination will matter to future employers. Besides, if you resign, you can rarely collect unemployment benefits.

I agree that what Airtran management is doing is despicable.

 

[Jetjockey]

Is this really going to happen? From the outside, it looks like a huge management threat. I'd bet 177 pilots, a union with the right lawyers, and a class action lawsuit (wrongful terminations) will get everyone their jobs back.

Good luck to all involved.

 

[timmay]

The company should at least give these guys the option of turning a letter of resignation. What a bunch of crap.

Why would anyone want to do that? If you quit you have no right to unemployment benefits. By getting terminated at least they can milk some money out of the company.

 

[QOL_is_great:)]

Training classes should be fun!

I'd like to be a fly on the wall during training classes and/or the sim now til September.
Like to see how some of these old "scabbie scabbers" handle themselves with pilots staying or better yet, pilots having the letter to leave.
I'd make life rough for them. Complain every time the instructor does something out of the ROE for training. File complaints using words of hostile work environment if one yells or even raises their voice. This is where the ladies of the group really have a hand up on Dept. of Labor.

 

[meanstreak]

I'd like to be a fly on the wall during training classes and/or the sim now til September.
Like to see how some of these old "scabbie scabbers" handle themselves with pilots staying or better yet, pilots having the letter to leave.
I'd make life rough for them. Complain every time the instructor does something out of the ROE for training. File complaints using words of hostile work environment if one yells or even raises their voice. This is where the ladies of the group really have a hand up on Dept. of Labor.

I know it sucks being threatened by management about being fired vs furloughed. We all know that. Lets just see what happens with negotiations. I seriously doubt any instructors are going to start screwing with guys. I've been on both planes and have met most instructors in the training department and most of them are stand up guys just trying to make a living.

Calling these guys names on a message board is pretty childishly. I actually don't mind checkrides with some of the 737 instructors, it's no BS or tricks and your done in a couple hours instead of 4. I've heard of some guys who try to throw tricks at you but it's far and few between.