Originally posted by airstang
If you want to get a good feel for the company (AMR Corp.) Just grease up your bung hole, paint your self red, and bend over in front of an angry bull.
Nice.....
The scoop is this....
A lot of guys got hired at the various airlines that were acquired by AMR to make the "Eagle" that exists today (maybe not for long). The most senior guy has 25 years seniority. That seems hard to believe, but remember there were times not so long ago when you couldn't touch a 135 job without some serious experience. (Eagle used to be 135 operation)
The senior guy at Eagle has 32 years, but who's counting. And beside, the rest of your post is fiction so why should this be correct?
So a lot of these guys got hired with the attitude that they would not be there long, so very little concern was given to long term labor agreements... hence the signing of our contract currently 12 years from its "amendable" end.
That pretty much sums it up
This 16 year agreement pretty much froze wages except for standard industry indexed increases based on when certain other carriers increase their pilots' rates.
Yes, but you WILL get a raise.
In addition, a "flow through" provision was supposed to allow 50% of all AA pilot new hires come from top of the Eagle pilot list provided each pilot completes 24 months as RJ Captain.
A rather simplistic (not to mention incorrect) interpretation of the flow-thru agreement.
Due to the timing of the contract and the way AA conducted its hiring, less than 180 Eagle pilots ever "flowed" to AA. Without getting into the boring details, a lot of guys that might have gone elsewhere, stuck it out with the hope of just flowing through. Also the "flow through" was not offered to anyone over 50 and has completely stopped after 9-11. In fact many AA pilots (through a furlough protection agreement) who were furloughed actually flowed BACK to Eagle and are now flying Eagle jets as Captains.
Not quite sure what "timing of the contract and the way AA conducted its hiring" means? AA was hiring 100 pilots a month.
Had the flow-thru continued after 9/11/01, at the same pace. there would be 560 Eagle pilots at AA at the end of 2003. How many of these 560 pilots stood even a remote chance of getting a job at AA without the flow-thru? Don't blame it on timing or AA hiring practices. The only way you can blame this on Eagle is by suggesting that bin-Laden and AMR are somehow in co-hoots.
In fact, there 16 AA pilots that flowed-back to Eagle. Is that many? While no one likes the circumstances that caused them to be here, 16 is hardly many. If asked, I am sure they would rather be back in the cockpit at AA.
The most junior bases are of course anywhere where there are Saabs and where you can imagine not wanting to be in the Winter (Boston, New York, Chicago). You will find mostly senior Captains in the LAX, DFW Bases. While the Most Junior Captains in the system are typically on the Saab, the exception is San Juan. The most junior Captains (I think) are San Juan ATR. I served 7 months on "the Rock" as we called it. I found Puerto Rico to be very inhospitable to my "gringo" self. I could not wait to get back to the Domestic System.
I would take ORD in the winter over DFW in the summer. SJU is what YOU make of it.
So, when you can get that regional job, find a company that does not paint birds on the tail and you'll do alright.
If you or any collegues come here, don't say you weren't warned!
Make sure you warn them about the cheap D-2 charges. And don't forget the insurance. It sure is not fair to pay $10.00 for $150.00 worth of medicine. And that $20.00 co-pay for a Doctor visit is just outrageous.
I have been with Simmons/Eagle since 1983. I am not a pilot, but I work with you guys everyday. There is a reason I am still here. That being, it is a very good place to work. I find it hard to believe that, just because you are a pilot, that it is that much worse.
Corey
