Alaska TA is out. Pay Rates.

[Ih8AFYesmen]

Does anyone know why we promote/encourage VSA?

From section 25: Eliminated the requirement for a pilot flying VSA to reach the monthly max before receiving the premium. All VSA flying will pay 150%

Is this a good thing? I don't know all the history behind VSA, but I would feel dirty doing it, even though it's in the contract. I think it's a travesty that we can't even ditch VSA with 60 folks on the street!

No one with a soul "should" fly VSA when we have guys on the street and during contract negotiations, period.

VSA could be a good thing if you need extra cash, assuming everything is going well; ie. no furloughs, we are growing, singing cumbaya with company, etc.

Having said that, you are absoutely right. The NC should have put a clause in the contract to the effect of "no VSA when we have folks on furlough". Just vote "NO"!

 

[Wally]

How to vote

For non-Alaska types, VSA is our version of time and a half.

I think it's good to have options like this. And I don't think you remove a whole provision of a 4-year contract/TA because guys are out on furlough for an undetermined amount of time. That would be short-sighted in my opinion. However, it would have been great to see a restriction put in place that said "no VSA while any pilot is on involuntary furlough." (And for the record, I've never done VSA.)

On the signing bonus, I need more details--"up to $13,500 for most pilots." Also furloughees should get a slice of that upon their return to work.

With regard to the TA at large, I'm not sure how I'll vote. I'll go to a road show and listen before making a final decision.

 

[j41driver]

Are you kidding? Not even close. Our Captains top out at $152/hr.

Don't forget the FO rates...they top out at $79/hr on year 8.

 

[alaskaplt]

What I have been hearing all along from our mec was that this was going to be a better deal for the fo's. A 12 year capt gets around a $18 hr increase while a 7 year fo gets a $15 hr increase. The reason I use the 7 yr fo is because they were the ones that took the 34.3% cut under Kasher. The reason this is f'ed up is because of the less than 12 year capt rates. The industry average difference between a 12yr capt and 7 year capt is between $6 and $7. In this ta it is $18, 3 times the discrepancy of industry average. We do not have any 7 yr capts and won't anytime soon. The less than 12 year capt rates are really nothing more than for basing the fo rates off of them. The way the rates fall off a cliff from 11 years and below is basically fu@#ing the fo's once again. I am going to go to the roadshow before I totally make up my mind on how to vote. However, it is going to be an uphill battle to get me to vote for this!

 

[Dewey Oxberger]

Ouch, those pay rates suck. Not even close to pre-Kasher, and looking at those FO rates I guess CAL isn't the only place with a B scale. Agreeing to these rates isn't going to help our negotiations one bit, but I guess to each and his own.....

 

[Chief Pilot]

It sounds like the signing bonus will be given to retirees and will exclude or be lower for those on MIL Leave, etc. No retiree should see a dime, especially the ones who took the lump sum and punched out "early." This TA is very disappointing. Although I hate comparing apples to oranges, the proposed 12 year Capt. rate is far below the 1 year Capt. rate at SWA. What a crock! This is NOT the best we can get from a company that will post record profits over the next few years and wants to stick us with this for six or more years. NO vote from me.

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

I hear the TA will be mailed in roll-form. On a cardboard tube.

 

[qxpilot]

I'm pretty disappointed so far from what I've seen. And what's with not having a hard number for the signing bonus? Assuming its around the $13k mark, we'll see around half of that after taxes? No thanks. The FO pay needs to be higher in my opinion. There are a few things that are better, but I need to read the fine details in the reserve and scheduling section. As of right now, it's NO for me.

 

[Ih8AFYesmen]

Well, keep on reading. I'm almost done reading the 292 page TURD and nothing in the TA makes up for the $hitty pay and the misley $13k chump change. I would vote for it if it was a 1 year deal; even that would be stretch. Beware of the spin doctors at the road shows. I can't figure out why our MEC/NC is SO excited about this TURD. It neither benefits the captains nor the FOs. I'm searching hard to convince myself for a "yes" vote, but I'd have to sell my soul to Lucifer. I'm tired of getting my a$$ handed to me. Please.... we didn't wait 4 f u c k i n g years for this S H I T!

 

[turbodriver]

You've got your answer, don't you? The Section 23 grievance is dead if this is voted in. No making whole, no back pay and back to work.

.
If that's so, then what'd we get?? IS COBRA reimbursement still going to be under the ALPA assessment? Are we going to get any kind of signing bonus? If it really is 13K then I say no thanks. The furloughees will only get a percentage of that and taxes will eat whatever's left.

And I kept reading that FO pay was going to be pre-Kasher. What the he!! happened to that?!?!

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

.
If that's so, then what'd we get?? IS COBRA reimbursement still going to be under the ALPA assessment? Are we going to get any kind of signing bonus? If it really is 13K then I say no thanks. The furloughees will only get a percentage of that and taxes will eat whatever's left.

And I kept reading that FO pay was going to be pre-Kasher. What the he!! happened to that?!?!

It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal! You stole fizzy lifting drinks. You bumped into the ceiling which now has to be washed and sterilized, so you get *NOTHING*! You lose! Good day sir!

 

[igneousy2]

I am still on the fence on this one.

On the one hand I am very disappointed at the pay rates at year 4. I feel/was expecting the rates at year 4 to at LEAST equal pre-Kasher.

That being said the rates at year 1 are higher than what I was anticipating. There is a big difference between 16%/1.5/1.5/1.5 (what we got) and 5.5/5.5/5.5/5.5 which is how I was expecting our raises to be structured.

The signing bonus is about half what I would have wanted...

In my opinion one of the big devils burried in the details is the fact that we are cutting out all future new hires from having the A-plan option. 30 years from now who is going to be on property to protect whatever benefit I may choose to take from it. Do you think a bunch of non DB'ers are going to give up any negotiating capital to help preserve our future DB benefits. Maybe that's just one more reason to pick option C...which, by the way, has a DC amount that is WAY to low considering the normal replacement for an A plan is about 15% + or - 1 or 2 and since we already HAD a 3% DC this means I would want to see an 17-19% DC for me to accept a soft freeze on my pension.

As far as the new reserve system...Aside from the obvious benefit of 3 hours of pay and an extra day off I don't think I'm liking this long call short call stuff. I wanted our reserve system fixed not gutted. I like the concept of the current system except I don't want to lose my 'R' days so easy, I want the order of assignments less arbitrary, and I want them to PAY if they take me out of my zone to give me an assignment (even with a 12 hour notice). This TA takes away all my R days and doesn't do anything to address the other two problems I mentioned.

This may seem like I should be a clear "no" from my posts, however the things that put me on the fence are...

1. Timing - the economy sucks and we are the first ones out of the gate. The solution is to either sit here and wait with these REALLY crap wages until a couple of other airlines get better rates and the economy improves, increasing our leverage or take this imperfect TA and wait 5-6 years at better wages that won't seem so much better by the time the 4 years are up. Unfortunately we work under the RLA and in spite of the rumors out there, I do not belive that the NMB will release any pilot group to self help while the economy is in the mess that it is in right now.

2. MEC recommendation - I wasn't at these negotiating sessions and I don't know what the exchanges were to get where we are with this TA...and the people that do know, who's pay is also going to be affected by this TA...are saying yes unanimously and haven't been given any reason to doubt their judgment.

Anyway...I guess you can count me as a definite maybe.

 

[Old School 737]

This and the Row44 internet =$$

This is how they are paying for our paltry pay rates!


Prices going up for onboard items

Meals and beverages will cost $1 more starting May 1

April 15, 2009

Customers seated in the main cabin on Alaska Airlines will pay a little more for inflight amenities beginning May 1. Northern Bites meals, Picnic Packs, and wine, beer and spirits will increase $1 to $6 each.

Additionally, the price to rent a digEplayer will increase from $5 to $6 on flights between Seattle and Anchorage, Fairbanks, Chicago, Dallas / Fort Worth and Minneapolis / St. Paul, and from $10 to $12 in other markets.

The move will help cover increasing costs that Alaska is paying to buy and board the items. The new prices put Alaska in line with other carriers.

“Even with this change, our food offerings remain a great value and our prices for beer, wine and spirits are at par or below most other carriers,” said Lisa Luchau, director of onboard food and beverage. “Our meal offerings are high quality and a great value — even at six dollars.”

The only carriers still charging $5 for beverages include Continental, JetBlue and Southwest, according to Luchau. American, Virgin and United charge $6 for beverages while the price on Delta and US Airways is $7. Food on these carriers costs $6 to $10.

Alaska Airlines will continue to provide complimentary water, soda, juice, coffee and tea. Red Bull brand drinks will remain at $3 each. Beverages, meals and digEplayers remain complimentary for first class customers.

 

[Old School 737]

April is National
Alcohol Awareness month
Help is available for employees who feel they may have a problem

After seeing the new pay rates ????
I think we all will have a problem.

 

[heywood jablome]

Imbracable C--

That was a CLASSIC post...Beautiful, Baby!!