Alaska ANYONE

[tico]

Please explain where/how/when the screwing took place. Was something sold to you that you all signed off on and it turned out not to be the case?

I know paycuts suck...but furloughes suck even harder. No flame bait here - just trying to get a feel for what happened.

Baja.

In short.... A profitable airline with just under one billion dollars in the bank, a monoply on several large markets and a very dedicated work force began the systematic dismantling of their company. They fired their cabin cleaners, their rampers, their gse mechanics and a large number of their aircraft mechanics. They went to an arbitrator and convinced him that it was rational to reduce the wages and benefits of their pilots to the tune of 42,000.00 dollars a year each. They short staffed their csa's so badly that they managed to drive off all of the senior( read high paid and experienced) staff. In short there is no one left at Alaska that gives a rats azz about the company or it's success. The company is now divided between those of us who were able to watch the intentional destruction of lots of hard work and everyone that has come after.... So to answer your question. No a pay raise will not bring back what they had.... It is gone forever....They spent all of their good will with every single remaining work group......It may be a step beyond Mesa or ASA or Skywest or some corporate gig but it is only one step and if you choose to come to work here than treat it as such...just a step on the way to a real flying job.....And before you come back with how the other airlines have it worse...they are Bankrupt, and as such should be furloughing and taking large concessions...We are as profitable as Southwest etc....

 

[ferlo]

We're as profitable as SWA with 1/4 the aircraft and pilots. That's called "profit margin".

 

[AK737FO]

The other side of the coin.

I would disagree with Tico on a few items. There are about 10,000 employees at Alaska, with a little over 1500 pilots. Out of those 1500 there are guys who are way left and guys who are way right - we have guys who slogged through the jungles behind a sniper scope or an M60 and we have guys who wear pink polo's with their collar turned up. The company has tried very hard to have a diverse work group. I believe they have accomplished that - but I do not think that diversity means jack squat when it comes to a successful work group or company. Anyhow - to say something like this -

"In short there is no one left at Alaska that gives a rats azz about the company or it's success."

- could not be further from the truth. Yes there are those who don't care, but they are actually a minority who would like to think of themselves as the majority.

I would disagree with this statement as well-

"a pay raise will not bring back what they had.... It is gone forever...."

If the company were to give us Kasher plus - here you go boys - take it all! We are sorry for what we did to you back there, hope you can get your house, wife and kids back - just to salve the wound a bit more how bout a $50K signing bonus on top of that?
Guess what - everyone would forget in the blink of an eye what happened. Whores with short memorys - that's all we are. I don't care if you are a pilot at Alaska, a fireman in Nebraska, or a pipe fitter in Texas - if you put enough money on the table you will get a stable and loyal work force.

Granted - there will always be a few, a small group of unhappy people, who will complain about anything. Give them a Billion Bucks and they wouldn't be happy. Give them 25 days off a month and they wouldn't be happy. These folks are best just left alone to stew in their own juices. They choose to live life in such a manner.

We know that the company is going to come after the pension. I believe that will be their #1 priority. We know that they will try to keep wages down, but we also know that they realize our F/O's (future captains) are slowly starving to death. It has got to be fixed -they know that - and it will be.
UPS, FedEx and SWA - these are the only US airlines that I know of that pay significantly more that Alaska. Some of the numbers I have seen recently show that a career at UPS could be worth over a million dollars more than at Alaska. So - if that is your priority the decision on where to work is pretty easy. If you end up choosing to work here - then I say "Welcome Aboard".

 

[av8instyle]

Pay will make it better. I agree with AK737FO. If I got my paycheck back I would be 110% on board. I need money and time off. I'm a happy camper with those things. But right now I need money more than time off, thanks to the Kastration.

 

[BORAT]

It's true every company has got their own problems. What gets me is at one time I was proud to work for Alaska Airlines but that pride started to fade in 2000 following the preventable crash of flight 261. If someone (aka the Director of Flight Operations) had been doing his job everyone would still be with us today. When you look at managements doings since 2000, its hard to take pride in the company and the job.

 

[fly-n-fish]

Going to Baja,
Paycuts suck, yes. They suck even more when you have to sell your house, send your kids to a different school, your spouse leaves you, work a second job, etc. Yes, these things happen when furloughs happen. But Alaska FOs have experienced all of this here as a result of the cost cutting measures discussed by others here on the forum. At least in our part of the world pilots used to take some pride in saying that one was an "Alaska Airlines pilot." Given the environment we fly in, that meant something. The current cost cutting measures and other "kick 'em when they're down" antics by Alaska management have rendered item #1 in US Flyer's post irrellevent. Most are now just "pilots for Alaska Airlines." There is a significant difference between the two. Alaska spirit can be revived, but it's going to take some money and some time to do it. And I am not talking about money in exchange for additional draconian work rule concessions. Is Alaska management interested in addressing the issues necessary to fix the problems discussed here as we enter contract negotiations? I think not. The ONLY thing they care about is stock price. Just my 2 cents worth after many years on reserve here in Alaska's World.

 

[lumax]

The one item that is important to management is to make sure that we are no more than the 6th highest paid for similar equipment. I don't like to be pesimistic, but I am sure their openers will be some sort of pay cut since we are no longer #6 in pay. I believe we are somewhere behind SWA, AA, and maybe CAL. Why would they offer a pay raise? Stock is high, yields are high, loads are high, ontime performance is OK, therefore employees (pilots) must be happy and working hard. Why offer a pay raise?
We have to anchor down and be ready to fight this battle.

 

[tico]

I would disagree with Tico on a few items. There are about 10,000 employees at Alaska, with a little over 1500 pilots. Out of those 1500 there are guys who are way left and guys who are way right - we have guys who slogged through the jungles behind a sniper scope or an M60 and we have guys who wear pink polo's with their collar turned up. The company has tried very hard to have a diverse work group. I believe they have accomplished that - but I do not think that diversity means jack squat when it comes to a successful work group or company. Anyhow - to say something like this -

"In short there is no one left at Alaska that gives a rats azz about the company or it's success."

- could not be further from the truth. Yes there are those who don't care, but they are actually a minority who would like to think of themselves as the majority.

I would disagree with this statement as well-

"a pay raise will not bring back what they had.... It is gone forever...."

If the company were to give us Kasher plus - here you go boys - take it all! We are sorry for what we did to you back there, hope you can get your house, wife and kids back - just to salve the wound a bit more how bout a $50K signing bonus on top of that?
Guess what - everyone would forget in the blink of an eye what happened. Whores with short memorys - that's all we are. I don't care if you are a pilot at Alaska, a fireman in Nebraska, or a pipe fitter in Texas - if you put enough money on the table you will get a stable and loyal work force.

Granted - there will always be a few, a small group of unhappy people, who will complain about anything. Give them a Billion Bucks and they wouldn't be happy. Give them 25 days off a month and they wouldn't be happy. These folks are best just left alone to stew in their own juices. They choose to live life in such a manner.

We know that the company is going to come after the pension. I believe that will be their #1 priority. We know that they will try to keep wages down, but we also know that they realize our F/O's (future captains) are slowly starving to death. It has got to be fixed -they know that - and it will be.
UPS, FedEx and SWA - these are the only US airlines that I know of that pay significantly more that Alaska. Some of the numbers I have seen recently show that a career at UPS could be worth over a million dollars more than at Alaska. So - if that is your priority the decision on where to work is pretty easy. If you end up choosing to work here - then I say "Welcome Aboard".

Ah, it is my old friend AK from the real Alaska Airlines in Alaska. I would agree with your evaluation of the pilots that fly for your airline. And if I still flew there I would share your views but (by choice ) I have moved on to Seattle Airlines and I can assure you that I am not a vocal minority. You would only have to come work for us and you to would see it every day by everybody and by no means just the pilots. We are treated poorly and unfortunateley treat each other poorly as well. It is far worse today than it ever was immediately following arbitration. Getting a pay raise will quiet people down but it will never bring them back.......Imagine if you will how well the further pay reduction for captains and pay freeze for copilots attached to the blatant grab at retirement that will slither across the street as an opener will fly......anyway it is always good to argue these points with you. Just keep in mind that you work for a different airline than I do

 

[AKMD80GUY]

When SEA takes over scheduling in ANC and guys are Deadheading to SEA to cover trips for one day and then extended to five days, attitudes will change.

 

[lumax]

When SEA takes over scheduling in ANC and guys are Deadheading to SEA to cover trips for one day and then extended to five days, attitudes will change.

Wait a minute! You mean that is not normal?