Hogprint
If you aint Cav...
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2002
- Posts
- 696
A tale of treachery...Staring Ken Ricci
Reprinted with permission from the Original poster...
“I can speak to this first hand. I was with Travel Air back in 2002 when we were merged with Flight Options Inc to form Flight Options LLC.
At the time there was a drive to Unionize RTA but time was running out due to the impending merger. Ken Ricci sent us all a signed letter telling us "No one will lose Seat, Position, or Pay through the merger" in an attempt to assure us we did not need a Union.
During this time I was an Assistant Fleet Manager and Check Airmen in the [Redacted] Fleet. In Feb 02 I went to Indoc and it was reiterated by Ricci in person that no one would lose Seat, Position or Pay. At the end of Indoc the Check Airmen had a very what I would call "Hollow" meeting with Chief Pilot [Redacted]. I went home after that for 7 days preparing for the new 8/7 schedule we would be on.
About my third or fourth day off I received a call from [Redacted] {the Chief Pilot}. He was calling to let me know he had my new seat assignment????? Come again??? Yes new seat assignment, he was calling everyone in turn to reassign them. Ok, I said. I was then informed I could continue in the [Redacted] as an FO. Not Check Airman losing Asst Fleet Mgr, not Captain losing both FMGR and CA. No as an FO losing all three.
Well that's loss of two positions FMGR and CA. It was a loss of seat Captain to FO and a loss of pay about 20k/yr for all three. At that time I was around 85k/yr which was good for Fractionals. So I lost all three just a few short days after Ricci himself signed a letter and made a verbal personal garrantee. I was also offered Captain in the Beechjet fleet or Captain in the King Air fleet we had at the time.
We'll I thought I lost my job that day. I blasted my new Chief Pilot on the phone about their slimy lying B.S.. I told him I dont care so much about seat or position but pay affects my family who I provide for. The discussion was quite heated but then [Redacted] stepped back and said he would see what he could do. Keep in mind its non Union at this point and therefore self negotiated. The next day he called to inform me they were willing to freeze my pay but I had to choose a seat available. I chose the Beechjet Captain seat and picked up two type ratings.
So behind the scene what happened was they re-shuffled the seniority list which took me from around 150 to over 300 out of 1200 total. Pay was now by fleet so senior guys at RTA that were in the King Air jumped to the Hawker compounded by the fact that Ricci made the first 100+ senority numbers FlOps guys even though they didnt have the years on us.
I struggled there for a year while the company fired guys one by one from the former RTA fleet over various reasons some if which ended up in Law Suits. Almost one year to date I left as I felt my number was up and I had an opportunity to fly a GIII for a Pt91 op.
Ricci systematically continued to shrink the company selling assets and misappropriating 77 million in company operating capital that came over from RTA. Pilot numbers went from 1300 to a low of around 350. Now he has acquired Flex and the scenario starts all over.
They CANNOT afford to get rid of the Union!!!!!!!
Sorry so long winded but 16 years later I still have a bitter taste from that experience.”
End of Story
History has a way of repeating itself, especially when the same players are involved...
Reprinted with permission from the Original poster...
“I can speak to this first hand. I was with Travel Air back in 2002 when we were merged with Flight Options Inc to form Flight Options LLC.
At the time there was a drive to Unionize RTA but time was running out due to the impending merger. Ken Ricci sent us all a signed letter telling us "No one will lose Seat, Position, or Pay through the merger" in an attempt to assure us we did not need a Union.
During this time I was an Assistant Fleet Manager and Check Airmen in the [Redacted] Fleet. In Feb 02 I went to Indoc and it was reiterated by Ricci in person that no one would lose Seat, Position or Pay. At the end of Indoc the Check Airmen had a very what I would call "Hollow" meeting with Chief Pilot [Redacted]. I went home after that for 7 days preparing for the new 8/7 schedule we would be on.
About my third or fourth day off I received a call from [Redacted] {the Chief Pilot}. He was calling to let me know he had my new seat assignment????? Come again??? Yes new seat assignment, he was calling everyone in turn to reassign them. Ok, I said. I was then informed I could continue in the [Redacted] as an FO. Not Check Airman losing Asst Fleet Mgr, not Captain losing both FMGR and CA. No as an FO losing all three.
Well that's loss of two positions FMGR and CA. It was a loss of seat Captain to FO and a loss of pay about 20k/yr for all three. At that time I was around 85k/yr which was good for Fractionals. So I lost all three just a few short days after Ricci himself signed a letter and made a verbal personal garrantee. I was also offered Captain in the Beechjet fleet or Captain in the King Air fleet we had at the time.
We'll I thought I lost my job that day. I blasted my new Chief Pilot on the phone about their slimy lying B.S.. I told him I dont care so much about seat or position but pay affects my family who I provide for. The discussion was quite heated but then [Redacted] stepped back and said he would see what he could do. Keep in mind its non Union at this point and therefore self negotiated. The next day he called to inform me they were willing to freeze my pay but I had to choose a seat available. I chose the Beechjet Captain seat and picked up two type ratings.
So behind the scene what happened was they re-shuffled the seniority list which took me from around 150 to over 300 out of 1200 total. Pay was now by fleet so senior guys at RTA that were in the King Air jumped to the Hawker compounded by the fact that Ricci made the first 100+ senority numbers FlOps guys even though they didnt have the years on us.
I struggled there for a year while the company fired guys one by one from the former RTA fleet over various reasons some if which ended up in Law Suits. Almost one year to date I left as I felt my number was up and I had an opportunity to fly a GIII for a Pt91 op.
Ricci systematically continued to shrink the company selling assets and misappropriating 77 million in company operating capital that came over from RTA. Pilot numbers went from 1300 to a low of around 350. Now he has acquired Flex and the scenario starts all over.
They CANNOT afford to get rid of the Union!!!!!!!
Sorry so long winded but 16 years later I still have a bitter taste from that experience.”
End of Story
History has a way of repeating itself, especially when the same players are involved...
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