Of course, we are the last to know, but this is the first time I have heard a number even approaching 500 flights. Randy T. mentioned a number, but it was nowhere near that. He said that there were 39 on active duty, and about 30 in the pool. I'm certain there will be hiring, but I also think it will be later this fall or the first of next year. This July bid (assuming there is one) will have an effective date of Jan 1, so if there ARE new hires on it, they will need to begin class maybe by Oct, considering the holidays.
Bill Ayers told the stockholders he still plans to grow the airline 6.5% next year. One more thing to consider. It is too late to do anything about the summer schedule. If we are short, we are short. Starting a new hire class tomorrow will do nothing to save the summer schedule. But they believe, (or so they keep repeating to every CQ class) that in the fall and winter, we will be about 60 fat, but that number accounts for returnees from active duty, which is looking less likely that it will happen. So, that number will most certainly go down. So, based the extention of duty of those already out, I think we will see classes late in the year.
Of course, if you ask any one of the managers or above, they will all repeat the standard company line of no hiring this year. I guess we will wait and see. My salary and benefits, etc..are also closely tied to the profitability and long term viability of the company. I sure hope whatever they have in mind "upstairs" is for the good of us all, and is not simply a p!ssing contest to see who blinks first. I've been through enough of those in the past 25 years, and when it gets into that kind of deal, no one "wins".
Av8instyle...next time you're in the building, stop by and say hi. I'm in the "bowling alley"...room 230 where the instructors live. We're on the same aircraft, so we may have run into each other. There are only two MD-80 MFISs in there....I'm the one with the initials GE. I think we both may have worked at ERA once upon a time.
