Alaska TA passes

[tico]

Anyone have a guess how long the furloughed pilots will be on the street?

[FONT=&quot]MEC Update[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]www.ALAPilots.com[/FONT]​

Tuesday, June 2, 2009​

Fellow pilots,

Management today presented your MEC with a letter stating they anticipate they will need to furlough up to 80 additional pilots by October 1 in response to a number of factors negatively affecting our company’s financial performance. In the letter they went on to say that in addition to the 9% block hour reduction in 2009, they intend to reduce total hours by an additional 3% in 2010. That letter is attached to this message.

Upon receiving the notice, your MEC officers, Negotiating Committee and Membership Committee chairman immediately met with Vice President of Flight Ops Gary Beck, Managing Director of Labor Relations Elizabeth Ryan and members of Alaska’s Crew Planning department to review staffing data reflecting not only the net reduction in planned flying for 2009 and 2010, but also the impact of a significantly downsized instructor pilot force related to the completion of our transition training to a single-type fleet.

While it is highly likely that a significant number of the planned staffing reductions will need to be made through involuntary furloughs and downgrades, the new contract mandates that three programs designed to mitigate furloughs—a voluntary Furlough Program, a (voluntary) Reduced Bid Block Program and a (voluntary) Reduced Reserve Schedule Program—will be triggered. Additionally, the new contract requires the discussion of other furlough mitigation programs during a 30-day window, which begins on the day of notification to the Association of the anticipated need to furlough. These discussions began this afternoon with your Negotiating Committee and representatives from the company meeting to explore any additional opportunities to mitigate furloughs.

We realize that there will be pilots who are convinced that management’s announcement is the result of staffing efficiencies obtained through new work rules. Our answer now regarding pilot staffing is the same as it was when we addressed these questions at our road shows: Any planned adjustments in staffing will be the result of net changes to block hours. This is especially the case now, as we are still in the implementation phase of the new contract, and it is impossible for management to base staffing needs on anything other than current manning formulas. It also should be noted that our flight attendants also will be experiencing another round of furloughs this fall.

We remain committed to representing every member of this pilot group at this stressful and challenging time. We will continue to keep you up to date as programs are implemented and new information is available.

 

[Old School 737]

We are shrinking are way to profitability!!

 

[whymeworry?]

You guys voted in a contract that will NOT bring back your hostages? Where's the sense in that?

For an airline that is so tough at the hiring/ recruitment process, you guys sure demonstrated a lack of ignorance with respect to your situational awareness for staffing growth.

Thanks for lowering the bar for the rest of us.

AK= Weak Pilot Group

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

You guys voted in a contract that will NOT bring back your hostages? Where's the sense in that?

For an airline that is so tough at the hiring/ recruitment process, you guys sure demonstrated a lack of ignorance with respect to your situational awareness for staffing growth.

Thanks for lowering the bar for the rest of us.

AK= Weak Pilot Group

And I thought they were being stupid and here you are complimenting them.

 

[Singlecoil]

You guys voted in a contract that will NOT bring back your hostages? Where's the sense in that?

For an airline that is so tough at the hiring/ recruitment process, you guys sure demonstrated a lack of ignorance with respect to your situational awareness for staffing growth.

Thanks for lowering the bar for the rest of us.

AK= Weak Pilot Group

Aside from the typo, this is completely true. The same group that was happy to keep the bar low for years under binding arbitration is still keeping it low. Management was smart to hire former Braniff, Eastern, and Continental pilots, many of whom had been on strike before. I have a feeling that many of these folks called their status reps and told them that they would not strike so they had better settle.