What exactly did you expect to happen, Lucky?
It is the Options pilots that are getting the Crappy end of this deal. Management is closing down all of our fleets with the exception of the Phoenom and migrating all of the Options customers to the Flexjet brand. So the Flexjet brand is growing, while the Options brand is shrinking mainly due to the migration of the Options owners to a Flexjet aircraft, as they sign new contracts. We are effectively one company now, yet it is our pilots that will get to warm a seat at the bottom of your seniority list until a JCBA. Do you really think it would be fair to let management kill off one side of the house and grow the other side, while permanently stuffing us to the bottom of your seniority list? Get real. The Options pilots have been eating a big $h!t sandwich ever since DAC bought Flexjet, and it looks like that will continue until a JCBA. However, it is worth it to have a JCBA, or we would all be begging for scraps at managements table, trying to get into the FOK club. Imagine the opposite was happening for you and then tell me the union is doing the wrong thing.
It?s unfortunate the you feel you?re the only ones losing in this deal. I honestly don?t know why you?re surprised.
After looking at the aircraft list it?s obvious how much trouble FLOPS was in before the DAC purchase of FJ. You guys were mostly a small jet operator with marginal management. After only a short time of being managed by the folks at CGF the fact that you were still in business at all is amazing. KR isn?t parking aircraft at FLOPS just because of the IBT, and not because they?re making too much money. He?s getting rid of them because they?re old, worn out, and not what the market wants. Old XTs and 750s aren?t bringing in new customers so they have to go, that?s what is driving the owner migration to FJ. Small jets are low margin operators, the market segment is saturated with people looking to own a jet but pay for it by charter. It looks like FLOPs was in for a huge dose of pain regardless of what happened with FJ.
When OneSky bought FJ, they gained instant access to a large number of high margin, old airplanes that are in demand and a list of people that were willing to pay for them. Our operation was efficiently run and made money in the last downturn and was in fact making record profit at the time of he sale. Then without warning, and for external reasons. we were sold. Our outlook was good as we had already been suffering the pain of losing our small jets as the LR40/45 fleets were downsized but the 300 fleet was growing. The LR85 failure would have been a hit, but the CL30 would have probably taken it?s place as new 350s became available.
All that aside, what did I expect? During the organizing drive the union was sold as a fair way to keep KR in check and maintain most of what we had at FJ. We knew there would be some losses in seniority but were told we would pretty much be left in tact. However, the last 2 bits of work from the union have been anything but fair. After the shameless SLI we were told not to worry because the fence agreement would protect our jobs. We are again disappointed. IF a CBA is ever reached, the fence agreement is over. The only protection the majority of the FJ crews will have will have to come from the CBA itself. So far the IBT has done everything to promote the FLOPs crews at the expense of the FJ and I don?t expect to change.
I?m very confused about you statement that you?ve been ?getting the crappy end of this deal?. Try adding some facts.
FACT: FJ has worse benefits under DAC than FJ.
FACT: FJ has fewer aircraft now than the date of sale.
FACT: Every aspect of what the FJ operation that defined the company is not GONE.
FACT: FJ & FLOPS have split the 450?s evenly and FLOPs as 50% more seats in the Global.
FACT: FLOPs crew members can transfer over and keep their FLOPS number waiting on the CBA so they can assume the FJ seats.
FACT: At the signing of the the JCBA FLOPs will hold all but about 100 of the PIC seats in the company.
It?s the thinking that the FLOPs guys deserve everything FJ has because KR has been making their lives terrible for so long is the problem. Just as no one on your side cares about how the FJ operation was run, we don?t care about how long you?ve been feeling unloved. That was the old company, this is now OneSky. There?s plenty of hurt to go around for all of us! You shouldn?t get any credit for time served.
What did expect? I expected to be treated as an equal.
The SLI committee has said they were bullied into the agreement. Sign this one or else the next will be worse, that?s not equal.
The fence agreement didn?t recognize the FJ pilots rights to anything, or the equity in sharing the PIC seats after the CBA.
I?m sure the contract will sell out the few remaining things the FJ pilots have now in favor of FLOPs getting a nickel more in pay.
Bottom line, you worked at a marginally run company for too long and now see FJ as your lifeboat and are willing to push us overboard to save yourself.
