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AirTran Airways MEC authorizes Strike Vote!

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You can smash on 400Dude all you want but he's got a point.

Valu(e)jet is where the guys that couldn't get hired elsewhere went. I know it's not popular but it's true. There isn't one of you out there, if you're being honest, that can truthfully say that you would have gone to Valujet over American or United or Delta. To some extent Southwest but we weren't exactly a destination location until the late 90's either.

Fire away,
Gup
 
GuppyWN said:
To some extent Southwest but we weren't exactly a destination location until the late 90's either.
Click to expand...
Gup, I would bet guys were leaving Southwest all the way until 2001. Obviously looking back a dumb move.

I even had a buddy of mine that had a Continental and Southwest offer of employment in late 2005 and he chose Continental due to quick upgrade and heavier iron. Time will tell if he ultimately made the right move. I think right now he is wishing he would have went to Southwest.

Would you tell Gary to get his butt down to Orlando and finish the deal so we can paint the 717s orange and canyon blue?
 
I don't disagree with you guys about 400ADude (except for Gup), but that doesn't mean the language can go unchecked. Had to delete one of the responses...

Simply ignore the troll, he'll go away.

And additionally no, I wouldn't say anyone is interested in going to UAL over AAI right now. Sounded like you're referring to hiring back in the mid- to late-90's. That only represents about 25% of the seniority list...
 
GuppyWN said:
You can smash on 400Dude all you want but he's got a point.

Valu(e)jet is where the guys that couldn't get hired elsewhere went. I know it's not popular but it's true. There isn't one of you out there, if you're being honest, that can truthfully say that you would have gone to Valujet over American or United or Delta. To some extent Southwest but we weren't exactly a destination location until the late 90's either.

Fire away,
Gup
Click to expand...

Wasn't it not that long ago (15 years ago) that people that didn't get Hired at Delta, US Airways, United, American Airlines had one other option..... To pay for a type rating and go to SouthWest?? So I wouldn't go there.
 
maxblast72 said:
Would you tell Gary to get his butt down to Orlando and finish the deal so we can paint the 717s orange and canyon blue?
Click to expand...

Be careful what you wish for. Again, the Frontier pilots chose to merge with a commuter instead of SWA. Talk to a Southwest pilot and they will tell you with a straight face that all we would deserve would be a staple. They are at the apex of their growth tethered with a rising cost structure. Just sit back, relax and watch them tumble down the mountain while we continue our climb.
 
GuppyWN said:
You can smash on 400Dude all you want but he's got a point.

Valu(e)jet is where the guys that couldn't get hired elsewhere went. I know it's not popular but it's true. There isn't one of you out there, if you're being honest, that can truthfully say that you would have gone to Valujet over American or United or Delta. To some extent Southwest but we weren't exactly a destination location until the late 90's either.

Fire away,
Gup
Click to expand...
You are wrong! Many of the pilots hired at AirTran in the last 7 years were furloughed from American, United, US Airways, and ATA. Many of the guys that crossed the picket line at Eastern are long gone. There are a few but not as many as you may be thinking.

By the way, the majority of the pilots on the seniority list never worked for Valujet. There are a lot of angry AirTran pilots that are ready to fight for a fair contract. Don't underestimate this group. It's a scrapy and tough group and a good group of guys and gals to fly with.

Since May 1, 2009 this group has made many strides toward a fair contract. We have endured a great deal in our transition from the NPA to ALPA. There are some tough days ahead, but I believe this group united will be successful. So lets leave Valujet in the past. This is AirTran and we are hoping to raise the bar for our profession in scope, compensation, and quality of life.
 
You guys need reading lessons.

My post specifically says VALUJET. That would imply VALUJET era hiring when "everybody else" was hiring as well.

Since 9/11 AIRTRAN has added the majority of its pilots. Even the average level thinker knows that United, Delta, American, USAir and Northwest have added few jobs - or worse yet reduce pilot jobs.

So to come full circle - anybody hired at VALUJET in the boomdays had a higher than average possibility of being unemployable or unattractive elsewhere.

The AIRTRAN pilot group is sick and tired of being jerked around and rightly so. I just hope you outnumber the VALUJET pilot group and those who think like that.

Gup
 
You know the really sad part, if Southwest bought AirTran, and I got stapled to the list as an FO, I would get a pay raise. And I'm a nine year captain.
 
XGmaninGA said:
You know the really sad part, if Southwest bought AirTran, and I got stapled to the list as an FO, I would get a pay raise. And I'm a nine year captain.
Click to expand...
Don't worry, you won't get stapled.

1. It's illegal to do that now.

2. The ATN pilot group would never stand for it. SWA/ATN would be a merger of two successful and financially sound carriers. That is a far cry from what happened to ATA who was on their last breath and about to be liquidated.
 
GuppyWN said:
You guys need reading lessons.

The AIRTRAN pilot group is sick and tired of being jerked around and rightly so. I just hope you outnumber the VALUJET pilot group and those who think like that.

Gup
Click to expand...
Gup,

The number of ValuJet guys still here is so small that they don't even show up as a blip on the radar.

This airline is AirTran Airways. Total number of pilots is approx. 1700. No longer are there any ties whatsoever to those dead and buried carcasses formerly called ValuJet and Eastern.
 
GuppyWN said:
I just hope you outnumber the VALUJET pilot group and those who think like that.

Gup
Click to expand...
Gup, here are some numbers for you.

Airtran Airways has 1624 pilots on the seniority list (Jan 1, 2010 list). Of those pilots, only 133 pilots were hired prior to July 10, 1997, the day of the Airtran-ValuJet merger announcement. Also, out of the 1624 pilots, 1125 were hired since 9/11.

Now the million dollar question is how the senior guys have impacted the mindset of the newhires over the last 10-12 years. The strike vote and other pilot actions of the next few months will determine the answer to that question.
 
Don't worry, you won't get stapled.

1. It's illegal to do that now.
Click to expand...

It's not "illegal" to staple. It's only prohibited if the ones being stapled don't want it. It has to be fair and equitable. It depends on what you think fair and equitable means. I doubt any Capt at AAI would want to pull gear at Southwest, even at a payraise and substantial QOL improvement.
 

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