PSA to furlough 49 more FOs / downgrade 33

[McNugget]

8. Network with legacy, FedEx, UPS, and SWA pilots by becoming a caddy or valet car parker at the country club. Wear your regional uniform, and don't worry, they'll be sure to let you know who they are and tell you some great things about themselves.

9. Network with legacy, FedEx, UPS, and SWA pilots by becoming a Pool Boy. You can also gain some extra cash and gifts by servicing their wives while they are away on trips! Giggity!

 

[McNugget]

10. Copper wire broker! Copper is in short supply, and you can make a fortune by brokering copper wire. No need to waste your time and risk your freedom by stealing from construction sites: Just head on over to ATL, CLT, or wherever, and throw some pennies on the floor! The flood-pants wearing, penny pinching legacy pilots will fight over it, and create some nice strands of copper wire for you. Call them off by having a friend positioned near a food stand to call out "Free Samples!"

 

[Tweaker]

Tweaker,

I cant blame you for going for a mainline job. Your rationale is well respected.

On the other side, was it worth the risk? First of all, are you getting furloughed?

There are plenty of guys who you say are "stuck" at the regionals. Many of them are 15+ yr guys and are making over 100k. They may be "stuck", but unless the company goes under, they 1. wont be furloughed. 2. maintain their good schedule. 3. Continue to make excellent money.

I would rather be flying across the country in a 737, but for the job I have now doing the North Carolina express... its all the same, and pays the bills.

The one thing everyone can do is to make that back up plan. To be on the bottom 35% of a seniority list right now is not a good thought to have..

Well as it stands today, furloughs have been announced, but no one has gotten a letter. I expect to be furloughed, but several realities make me less anxious than I might be.
1) I am called EVERY DAY on my days off.
2) I am frequently the only pilot on reserve in my equip/base.
3) We are in negotiations and have a new union. I feel that the furlough announcement is significantly a political one. A game of chicken and an attempt to feel out the enemy's front lines by Dougweiser. Shrewd move and I respect that.
4) We are within a gnat's peniz of the contractual fleet minimums both East and West. This furlough would put that at the threshold.
5) Mid to long term, this pilot group is very "mature" shall we say. Any short term overstaffing situations are just that.

In regard to your other comments justifying remaining in a quality regional, you make great points. In my case, howeverm I don't see PDT as a quality anything, outside of the aircraft, flightcrew and a respectable contract. That same contract is used as toilet paper by management (which I expressed to them face to face). The future is bleak, our fleet was shrunk 60% after the ALG merger, and the pay, while great for the mission, is a dead end, golden handcuffs scenario.

You are right about a back up plan, friend. Mine is the legally binding contractual language that is already written into my contract. I can only hope/wait for the courts or common sense to bear fruit.

Worst case, I will collect unemployment checks, enjoy my little baby girl, jump in headfirst into my new hobby (homebrewing beer), and ride it out.

 

[Tweaker]

Tweaker,

It is my understanding that the "Preferential Hiring" program that you and the others went to US Airways was totally unrelated to the "flow through" that is in our current CBA.

The "Preferential Hiring" is a totally different monster. The "Preferential Hiring" has no basis in our contract. It has no provision for flow-down. My own opinion is that it is/was a program put in place by US Airways management to head off a potential injunction to stop any/all hiring off the street until the current battle over "flow through" was settled.

As 1 who argued and fought (unsuccessfully) to get the ALG/PDT pilots who went to MDA the opportunity to return to PDT I don't know that I think the current pilots have any right to expect to return. Can something be worked out? I don't know, but I am willing to work towards a mutually acceptable solution. However it seems that any solution will hurt someone.

You are right on all counts, NCFlyer.

Any subsequent flow agreement does include those who utilized the preferential hiring program, however.

I am glad that you were on the proper side of the MDA debacle. The PDT leadership was acting out of anger and frustration at the AAA MEC. They were wrong and made us look like arseholes. This led to them being slotted above all CEL Whorely owned pilots.

Between that and $11,000 stock options from management. I would say they were made whole. Of course, they were unemployed for 12 months and had no guarantee they would be captain on PSA RJ's. That is what ultimately happened, as we all know.

Life is a serious of calulated risks. I guess I am personally more willing to roll the dice when the odds are right, rather than stand pat with a poor to marginal hand.

 

[WSurf]

WScum, you are feeling like a femine hygene bag and I know it, but you are too small to show contrition. You try tell us not to post on this thread because we have nothing to do with PSA furloughs. An attempt to redirect, nothing more.

Where did I tell you not to post on the PSA Furloughed thread?

I said the PSA Furloughs have nothing to do with your being furloughed at Mainline.

Please, get over yourself! WScum, now thats orginal. LOL

Good Luck.

 

[WSurf]

I can tell you why I went.

To stay at my previous job does nothing to further my career. Many who have stayed have stayed far too long by their own admission. "If I had only left for UPS/FDX/SWA." I feel bad for them.

So it took you 22 years to figure out you wanted to further your career? Leaving for USP/FDX/SWA is a totally different beast then going to US Airways.

Hell, we got Piedmont Captains that have been here only 6 years and have gone to SouthWest.

Since you love throwing insults my way here's one for you, "maybe going to US Airways with the pref. hiring was your only option cause no other airline wanted you."

Good Day!

 

[Captzaahlie]

Tweaker,

It is my understanding that the "Preferential Hiring" program that you and the others went to US Airways was totally unrelated to the "flow through" that is in our current CBA.

The "Preferential Hiring" is a totally different monster. The "Preferential Hiring" has no basis in our contract. It has no provision for flow-down. My own opinion is that it is/was a program put in place by US Airways management to head off a potential injunction to stop any/all hiring off the street until the current battle over "flow through" was settled.

As 1 who argued and fought (unsuccessfully) to get the ALG/PDT pilots who went to MDA the opportunity to return to PDT I don't know that I think the current pilots have any right to expect to return. Can something be worked out? I don't know, but I am willing to work towards a mutually acceptable solution. However it seems that any solution will hurt someone.

I agree, I think they (Pref interviewing & flow thru) are two unrelated things as well. But remember in Farrows first letter he said that that anything the union got approved would be grandfathered to those that already left... so in a sense Farrow himself tied the two concepts together. But that is a stretch... not any where near as big a stretch as trying to overthrow this Nicoli (sp?)award though!!! ). Now if Farrow & the union choose to let us back it might add some weight to a future "real" flow thru program, showing pilot movement in both directions.
That might be something for you PDT guys to think about. Thats the only thing that I can see that might be a bonus for the PDT pilots group. Hey if something happens great if not, I'm not going to personally loose any tears either. DO I THINK ANY OF THE 15 OF US WHO LEFT HAVE SOME KIND OF RIGHT TO RETURN? F&(k NO! We are big boys and knew things could slide either way. Last fall it looked like it had some good potential and believe it or not I'd do it all over again right now. I know a few of the 15 that really would like to get back just because they live in a base or such, and it would help with their family situations tremendously. So I hope something springs for them. I'm not sure that I'd want to commute from the West back to the East (for PDT) once we sell our place.
I think I'd like to work in a hobby shop that deals with lots of RC aircraft and tow and instruct in full scale gliders on the weekends, relax and wait for the recall....... then again if SWA notices my brand new 73 type before the recall........ and I can smooze my way into a successful interview, I'll go back to work sooner.
Good luck to all of us, we are going to need it in this industry!

 

[WSurf]

IGood luck to all of us, we are going to need it in this industry!

You got that right.

 

[Captzaahlie]

So it took you 22 years to figure out you wanted to further your career? Leaving for USP/FDX/SWA is a totally different beast then going to US Airways.

Hell, we got Piedmont Captains that have been here only 6 years and have gone to SouthWest.

Since you love throwing insults my way here's one for you, "maybe going to US Airways with the pref. hiring was your only option cause no other airline wanted you."

Good Day!

Just for the record tweeker was not at PDT for 22 yrs. I was there for 18 & half and tweek was junior to me. (not that I was proud to be there for so long) I had a couple opportunities to leave prior to this pref interview gig, but it's easy to get settled into the higher Capts rates and taking a vacation every 3 months wasn't bad either... I decided about a year and a half ago that I had enough of the horse and pony show, and after the CLT base closure with a 2 leg commute I decide that I'd take my first offer. So for my own personal reasons it took me 17 years to decide to get the he11 out! Will it just be a stepping stone get to a better place that I'll LUV? Or will it be along wait to be recalled? Time will tell but man it is soooo much better on the other side of the fence! You will never know unless you get a taste of it.... being a westy is even better yet, because the America West side of the contract has some great people to fly with and a very laid back culture.... not to mention more pay and more vacation to boot (except for this silly east / west show down, but there are always other things to talk about) Tweek & Smurf you kids should just bury the hatchet, because pushing each others buttons will not do either one of you any good, and it just might ruin it for others too.....

 

[WSurf]

You are right! And I hope you get some real "LUV" soon!