ALPA files suit against NWA for bonus program!

[Rekks Inbound]

Just doing our part here at AWAC, good luck with this NWA guys!

Peace.

Rekks

 

[Occam's Razor]

Sounds like they are getting seriously POed. NWA ALPA has also served company notice that it is exercising it's right to terminate computer bidding (PBS) and go back to paper (line) bidding.

I saw that. Another case of an action that might not have legs...but I appreciate the move. CB is codified in the contract. The establishing LOA "expired" 9-months after we started using the system. That was several years ago. It could be tough to prove the system hasn't worked properly.

That will cripple staffing going into the busy summer months. Occam would have a better feel, but rumor has it that the DC-9 program has gotten in a jam, also due to staffing, and throughput is way, way down.

Dunno about the pipeline, but I do know staffing is tight right now on the DC-9. I won't discuss the peripheral data on the cause of that on this Forum.

Good thing the MEC got management to let them cash out another %20 of the claim sale before they sent that letter. Additionally, the company has also filed its reorg plan, putting its cards (and financials) on the table.

That was a good move! Good to see. The $$ will be nice!

All in all, a very well played 'Hail Mary' by NWAALPA. Let the company dig a hole with the staffing, talked them into a early payout, let them show their cards, and then kick 'em where it hurts.

Ha! "Hail Mary". I love it! That's the perfect term for it.

NWA will, of course, tell us to pound sand on the move to kill CB, so that'll end up as a grievance. It'll get stalled until we're safely past ReOrg.

I'm interested in seeing the Disclosure Statement(s). I'm sure they include a dumptruck full of cash and stock for our Esteemed Management Saviors, which will touch-off another round of screaming and kicking from the ranks. But I wanna see where the Preferred shares in the new corp go. Those percentages could indicate the long-term plan for either standing alone, or General Lee having to yank gear for me.

Time for a beer!

 

[GogglesPisano]

What's the latest with recalls? Any chances of new hires by '08? If so, what will be the junior seats?

 

[Occam's Razor]

Recalls?

On-going. There is some sort of announcement from the Staffing Geniuses coming out on Tuesday. It's supposed to be the definitive "how goes it" on recalls.

 

[HelloNewman]

Sounds to me like the NWA ALPA guys are trying to get a greater long term benefit from manegement IE reduction in healthcare payout, insurance, etc. rather than a 1 time, short term gain. If that's the case then I say it's an excellent use of ALPA dues money, and not a waste at all.

HN, you think WAY too short term!

Peace.

Rekks

The union and its members agreed to the current terms correct? If so then there is no way to change what was agreed to until the contract is amendable. Unless of course management is willing to re open the contract, lol not gonna happen. Until then darn right you must think in the short term. When you agree to certain terms you think in the long term. Now is the time to think in the short term. Take the money and run and do not waste dues money/ resources to getting rid of free money. LOL oh the irony it would be if ALPA demanded the pilots paid back those bonuses. I would laugh my tail off!!!

Sorry ERJPusher but you are a liar. There are no 90 seaters at SkyWest. In fact there are no 90 seaters anywhere. The maxed out seating capacity is 86 seats. At SkyWest we have the 70/76 seater. Nice try on your propoganda though. BTW we make more money to fly the 70/76 seater. You should at least use facts when trying to attack another group. We here at SkyWest are not interested in holding the line, simply doing whats best for us. Peace

 

[Beetle007]

EXACTLY!!!

Oh yeah, another thing that unions help with: Not flying 90 seat airplanes for the same pay as your 50 seat airplanes. Thanks for helping the rest of the industry hold the line.

Have you seen the DC-9 replacement payscales? Not Compass, but the "100 seaters to be flown at mainline"? I don't think mainline will get them, but on paper it is pretty low.

 

[ERJpusher]

Sorry ERJPusher but you are a liar. There are no 90 seaters at SkyWest. In fact there are no 90 seaters anywhere. The maxed out seating capacity is 86 seats. At SkyWest we have the 70/76 seater. Nice try on your propoganda though. BTW we make more money to fly the 70/76 seater. You should at least use facts when trying to attack another group. We here at SkyWest are not interested in holding the line, simply doing whats best for us. Peace

I wrote exactly what I intended to write. Big game of semantics with you, apparently. I'll go ahead and call it a CRJ "705" if it makes you feel better. It's kind of like taking 50 seats out of an A320 and calling it an A318, though. Same size airframe, less seats. Why don't we just pull 100 seats out an A320 and call it an ARJ? Then some company can pay $60
an hour to fly that.

I really don't care if your company has a union or not, but believe it or not, they are a necessary evil in this industry. Without one, you make yourself an easy target.

I do take offense to your blatant disrespect for the unionized workers and the already-abused pilots at NWA. Do you really think that ALPA is doing this because they are opposed to a bonus check? They are trying to set a precedent for later talks. If they willingly accept this substandard offer with no protest, then later on, during negotiations, the company will fire back, "Well, that amount was good enough for you back in 2007, why isn't it good enough now?" Since ALPA is filing a formal complaint, they will honestly be able to state that the offer was never acceptable, which it is not in light of everything.

This is why you have unions, to cover the "big picture" stuff.

Also, unions will represent the wants and needs of the entire pilot group in negotiations, until an "agreement" is reached. This is so that you aren't "given" a 1% pay raise after years of talks, even though your company is making more money than it knows what to do with.

I still can't figure out why you are even in this discussion since you don't have a dog in the fight. It seems that you logged onto this thread just to take shots at these people. Almost like a company suddenly attacking its own non-union workers.

 

[Cobraair75drvr]

Occam,

For us slow pilots please explain what you mean about where the pref. shares go as far as our future.

 

[mdanno808]

Ya because turning down free money and wasting resources on getting them to stop giving the NWA pilots free money is really a good idea!! What are you going to do ask to give any free money that pilots got back? LOL if that is the case then ALPA really is as dumb as it seems.
Yes they are doing everything they can to keep a union away which is a good thing. So they give billions in concessions and now they turn down free money. Ya that really makes sense lol. BTW Thank you for your help. We are glad to take any help we can get at avoiding paying union dues.

You have no clue do you? You think the dinky x-mas bonus check outweighs the principal that ALPA is fighting for? ALPA is fighting for the most it can get out of management. They are trying to set a precedent of holding a company to the terms of the "good faith" collective bargaining that just occured. This is what ALPA is supposed to do. ALPA is not perfect, and leaves a ton to be desired, but they are necessary. They do what they can, and in a lot of circumstances, they are the only people who will fight for you and your job. The fact that you can't recognize this goes to show how much (or little) experience you have in this industry.

 

[Sedona16]

The union and its members agreed to the current terms correct? If so then there is no way to change what was agreed to until the contract is amendable. Unless of course management is willing to re open the contract, lol not gonna happen. Until then darn right you must think in the short term. When you agree to certain terms you think in the long term. Now is the time to think in the short term. Take the money and run and do not waste dues money/ resources to getting rid of free money. LOL oh the irony it would be if ALPA demanded the pilots paid back those bonuses. I would laugh my tail off!!!

Sorry ERJPusher but you are a liar. There are no 90 seaters at SkyWest. In fact there are no 90 seaters anywhere. The maxed out seating capacity is 86 seats. At SkyWest we have the 70/76 seater. Nice try on your propoganda though. BTW we make more money to fly the 70/76 seater. You should at least use facts when trying to attack another group. We here at SkyWest are not interested in holding the line, simply doing whats best for us. Peace

This guy is a tool. He has no idea what hes talking about so dont listen to him.