AirTran Management Still Demanding Concessions

[T3700]

Fellow pilots,

Your MEC Officers received a full debriefing this morning from members of the Negotiating Committee (NC). We were hopeful that meaningful progress could be made in closing several smaller sections of the contract. Unfortunately, your MEC was disappointed that no sections of the contract were TA’d. Despite our NC’s hard work for many months on drafting a realistic, comprehensive proposal and submitting it weeks in advance, the company submitted a “new” comprehensive proposal of their own that contains concessions in virtually every area of the contract.

In order to give you an idea of the company’s concessionary proposal, here is a sampling of their “wish list”:

* Outsourcing of jet aircraft up to 100 seats
* A renewal of the company’s demands for “core credit” similar to TA1
* Assigning ready reserve to line holders
* Captains forced to fly right seat
* Increased ability for the company to junior assign, reassign, and downline draft
* Up to 30% annual increase in employee health plan co-pays and premiums
* Company contributions to the retirement plan dependent upon prior year’s financial performance
* Contract duration of 5 years

 

[WayBack]

Fellow pilots,

Your MEC Officers received a full debriefing this morning from members of the Negotiating Committee (NC). We were hopeful that meaningful progress could be made in closing several smaller sections of the contract. Unfortunately, your MEC was disappointed that no sections of the contract were TA’d. Despite our NC’s hard work for many months on drafting a realistic, comprehensive proposal and submitting it weeks in advance, the company submitted a “new” comprehensive proposal of their own that contains concessions in virtually every area of the contract.

In order to give you an idea of the company’s concessionary proposal, here is a sampling of their “wish list”:

* Outsourcing of jet aircraft up to 100 seats
* A renewal of the company’s demands for “core credit” similar to TA1
* Assigning ready reserve to line holders
* Captains forced to fly right seat
* Increased ability for the company to junior assign, reassign, and downline draft
* Up to 30% annual increase in employee health plan co-pays and premiums
* Company contributions to the retirement plan dependent upon prior year’s financial performance
* Contract duration of 5 years

Ah yes, more banter by ALPO, only to fold to companies wish list.
Alpa is excellent and helping outsource their own pilots flying. Look at TSA, ExpressJet is doing their flying out of ORD now, while TSA is furloughing more and more guys.
ALPA is good at making ready reserves sound all not that horrible. In some fashion, they will try and tell you that they're a good "trade off" for something else.
Increased Jr. Manning? No problem, just grieve it! That's what the CP and union reps will tell you.
Soon you will realize why it was a waste of time to vote in ALPO.

 

[RIDETHELIGHTING]

Wayback your a dumba$$. mgmt`s been asking for this sh!t for the last five years. If they bring us crap again we will vote it down again.

 

[Kenney G]

Fellow pilots,

Your MEC Officers received a full debriefing this morning from members of the Negotiating Committee (NC). We were hopeful that meaningful progress could be made in closing several smaller sections of the contract. Unfortunately, your MEC was disappointed that no sections of the contract were TA’d. Despite our NC’s hard work for many months on drafting a realistic, comprehensive proposal and submitting it weeks in advance, the company submitted a “new” comprehensive proposal of their own that contains concessions in virtually every area of the contract.

In order to give you an idea of the company’s concessionary proposal, here is a sampling of their “wish list”:

* Outsourcing of jet aircraft up to 100 seats
* A renewal of the company’s demands for “core credit” similar to TA1
* Assigning ready reserve to line holders
* Captains forced to fly right seat
* Increased ability for the company to junior assign, reassign, and downline draft
* Up to 30% annual increase in employee health plan co-pays and premiums
* Company contributions to the retirement plan dependent upon prior year’s financial performance
* Contract duration of 5 years

When are you guys going to wake up and do what is needed. Look how long jet blue took to slow things down, one day! It has been 5 years now? How about not taxing your planes like SWA. Slow yourself down. Nothing illegal about that.

 

[FlyinGuy]

The problem with "slowing down", is that you need everyone to be on board. If the union puts anything out like that, then they could be accused of demanding or requesting an illegal job action. A very tricky place to be, but I think if any pilot group can get together and do a "slow down" it will show management how much we control/save money and time.

 

[Paul R. Smith]

The problem with "slowing down", is that you need everyone to be on board. If the union puts anything out like that, then they could be accused of demanding or requesting an illegal job action. A very tricky place to be, but I think if any pilot group can get together and do a "slow down" it will show management how much we control/save money and time.

Agreed.

 

[COpilot]

backa$$

What does ALPA as your union now; have to do with what the company is asking for?

"folding" to the company demands has nothing to do the ALPA, and everything to do with what the collective group of Airtran pilots choose. Not what DL, CO, UA alpa pilots think. "duh"!

 

[Lear70]

It's a shill game.

The farther apart they can get from us on an agreement, the harder it is to get released into self-help. Management back-pedaling during a period of profitability looks bad to the mediator, but they can always hide behind "trying to keep costs low in a bad economic environment" to draw things out longer.

I'm sure they believe the pilots are motivated and starting to work towards a strike, and they're taking the steps they can to draw it out as long as possible, make it as difficult as possible, and lower expectations as much as possible before they're forced into a corner.

It's just business for them, even though it's OUR livelihoods they're playing with.

 

[Kenney G]

The problem with "slowing down", is that you need everyone to be on board. If the union puts anything out like that, then they could be accused of demanding or requesting an illegal job action. A very tricky place to be, but I think if any pilot group can get together and do a "slow down" it will show management how much we control/save money and time.

Your union cant tell you to slow down. You can do it on your own. Do you really think someone is out there with a radar gun on your taxi speeds? Do you have to start your engines while you push back or do you wait for the tug to disconnect? Do the flight attendants see any seat belt signs that are burnt out? Are you taking a more direct route so you can get off 3 min earlier? Take a stand yourself. Don't do anything fraudulent i.e. break something yourself. Is 5 years long enough to stand up for yourself? I would be if the FO's taxied your planes you might have gotten a contract years ago. Just my own opinion.

 

[XRMEFLYER]

Your union cant tell you to slow down. You can do it on your own. Do you really think someone is out there with a radar gun on your taxi speeds? Do you have to start your engines while you push back or do you wait for the tug to disconnect? Do the flight attendants see any seat belt signs that are burnt out? Are you taking a more direct route so you can get off 3 min earlier? Take a stand yourself. Don't do anything fraudulent i.e. break something yourself. Is 5 years long enough to stand up for yourself? I would be if the FO's taxied your planes you might have gotten a contract years ago. Just my own opinion.

True. Maybe just maybe a few guys will reach down and grab their pitiful excuses they like to call balls and do what needs to be done. I'm not real optimistic though. The guy I flew with last week gives me hope, but there are sadly very few out leading the way. Everyone needs to quit waiting for someone to hold their hand and show them the way.

For the love of god captains, stop waiting for "everyone else" and lead by example.

BTW Those of you who are already... spare me the indignation, clearly I'm not referring to you.