ASA finally Sold....really

[bvt1151]

Be careful ASA. I'd strongly suggest getting your case together to merge the lists. If the Skywest corporation is to grow, its not going to the ASA part, it'll be their own baby. Reference Continental and Eastern. You can be bled dry until there's just enough left to sell you, or more probable, IPO. Don't forget that you're in contract negotiations and Skywest doesn't look to favorably on unions. I'd expect you to be made an example for the Skywest pilot group. "See what we could do to you if you were unionized?"

 

[Bluto]

"See what we could do to you if you were unionized?"

Are you kidding? Do you honestly think they could do something to us then that they can't do to us now? They can do whatever they want, whenever they want with or without our consent or approval. How could it be worse?

 

[ASApilotboy]

Interesting, indeed, this development. Naturally concerned about the pilot community, the good news is that pilots will continue to be paid to fly fairly new aircraft while somebody else puts gas in the tank. The questions which concern me most, however, are these: will the new management team implement quality changes in how the ATL hub operation is conducted? How quickly can the new mgmnt team figure out how to park more flights than concrete allows in ATL? Will there be any more money directed toward the non-pilot support community which accommodates the paying passenger, thus improving the quality of employee attainable on the ramp, gate and Operations? How will the portions of the non-pilot community which have traditionally eyed ASA as an entry position for experience react (i.e.; mechanics who work for $13 hourly waiting for that major job at $43 hourly; dispatchers who work for much less than those who are employed at a major; etc.) And, bottom line, how will the benefits package for non-contract employees (as well as for the pilot community) be modified?
It has been my privilege to be associated with the ASA ATL pilot community in one way or another for parts of the 20th and 21st centuries. I truly believe - honestly - that you will find no better group of people, or aviators, anywhere. 99 percent of them have soldiered on with total professionalism despite the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune which have been directed at them by the mess associated with the contract.
But the real story of ASA - in ATL at least - has been how a company has been able to fly into prosperity with little or no regard for the cost in human terms: lives of people who came to work for peanuts looking to improve their modest backgrounds have been shattered; hundreds (literally) of foreign nationals who came to ATL and shared accommodations while saving what money they could until possible to bring their families to America; people with no propensity for college who learned (on-the-job mostly) what works, and doesn't work, for an efficient operation and who busted their fannies, only to be used up and discarded with health problems, emotional distress, financial disaster; these are the ones who have paid, and will continue to pay the price - in human terms - for the disaster that has been Delta mismanagement.
Pilots, like everyone else, have problems. The pressure from those problems sometimes vent most easily when it seems the support community which parks, downloads, uploads, pushes, fuels, schedules, and dispatches their aircraft is not motivated in the most optimal fashion.
But in the weeks ahead, as SkyWest management seeks to transition (and forget not that the people they will trust to aid in that transition will be current ASA management) the acquisition, let's all be mindful of the non-pilot community and their situations. In some cases, working for ASA in ATL is all these folks have known, or been able to do. For some, success (in whatever limited fashion compared to being a jet driver) at ASA has been the greatest thing they - or anyone in their family - have ever done. That cabin service agent who busts his ass in the C24-28 zone every day washing windshields... that lav driver on the night shift who is virtually the only one who will service lavs anywhere on the property...the occasional rampers who, on 100+ degree days, still run to park you...
The airline will always need pilots. No company will ever pay pilots what they are worth. But at least they will pay pilots a living wage to do what they do.
The non-pilot community at ASA has always labored for little money, but the insurance and travel benefits carried a lot of weight for many low-income folks who otherwise would have little or no chance to provide for their families and to see the world, thus broadening their horizons.
It'll be interesting to see which managers at ASA survive the transition. In fact, all you really have to do to judge the sincerity (and thus, the eventual success) of the new management team, is to watch and see which of the ASA ATL managers are retained, and which ones are discarded. Who gets thrown out and who gets promoted will tell you all you need to know.
It is my greatest hope that everyone will get well with this acquisition. It is my greatest hope that the pilot community will be treated as the single most treasured resource any airline could have. And it is my greatest hope that, concommitant with that first class treatment of pilots, the new management treats the non-pilot community better, also.
Clear-and-a-million and happy landings to one and all.

 

[spinproof]

ASApilotboy



Paragraph breaks are free please use them at will.....

 

[vc10]

How will Skywest prevent Skywest and ASA from being characterized as a single transportation system, subject to having the workforces being considered as one from a union/non union standpoint?

Why wouldn't ALPA immediately seek to have the two carriers viewed as a single transportation system?

Straight from the Acquisition Q&A on skywest.com:

http://www.skywest.com/qa/index.php

The SkyWest, Inc. pay philosophies of being fair to employees while maintaining a competitive cost structure will be applied to both companies, but this does not necessarily mean that all pay scales will be identical. SkyWest, Inc. will be in the unique position of allocating resources, including growth aircraft to the two carriers, so it is imperative that both carriers have competitive cost structures to support future growth opportunities. Each carrier may arrive at competitive costs in different ways.

Seniorities will not be merged since the companies are independent.

There are many questions and issues regarding employee travel privileges and benefits that we will have to work through. This may take some time, and there will not be immediate answers. Our general guiding principle will be to improve wherever possible.

Jerry Atkin will serve as chairman of the board and chief executive officer (CEO) of SkyWest, Inc., SkyWest Airlines and ASA. Brad Rich will serve as chief financial officer (CFO) for SkyWest, Inc., SkyWest Airlines and ASA. Ron Reber will serve as president of SkyWest Airlines, while Bryan LaBrecque will serve as interim president of ASA.

 

[kngarthur]

I believe DL paid $800 million. (Somebody correct me if I am wrong). Not exactly a good return on their investment.

I thought SW paid 400 mil.

 

[Palerider957]

Paragraph breaks are free please use them at will.....

You are an idiot.....

 

[Palerider957]

ASApilot Boy:

Well said, there is much more at steak than just the pilot group. If DAl tanks, then the whole ATL economy stands to take a huge hit.

 

["GO AROUND"]

bvt115,

Do you really think SKW managment wants the headache of trying to merge two companies? I think not. Do you really think SKW could shrink ASA or replace all we do in ATL? We can't cover all the flying we do in ATL ( our inept managment' inability to staff our airline), do you really think SKW could with all the other flying you do? Keep that dream " they'll just grow SKW and not ASA" alive over there in the SKW pilot group, cause you are the olny ones that think it will happen. Furthermore, Delta would have covered their a$$ in the sale agreement to keep anything from disrupting the service ASA provides. SKW managment wants two companies that make money for the shareholders by keeping Delta happy with the flying they do for them and giving them more flying. SKW managment can look favorably on our union or not, but it doesn't change anything from our current situation. Our current managment doesn't look favorably on our union as it is. SKW can choose to work with us to make a better airline or against us and drag the airline further down than it is, and you along with us. My hope is that we can turn a new page and make both companies a better place.

Here I sit, hopefully optimistic yet disillusioned.........

 

[Monster Buck]

First, I want to wish everyone luck in this process. As far as RJ debt is concerned, I am certain that the leases or RJ debt will be assigned to Skywest. Do you think that Delta would continue to guarantee the debt of a non-owned regional? Highly doubt it. Skywest will likely assume any debt or aircraft leases - period.

I agree that the whipsaw negotiating tool will likely be used in the future, unfortunately. For example, if the ASA guys don't agree to Skywest CR7 wages, then all growth will go to the "compliant" Skywest pilot group... And back and forth and back and forth - it's a classic negotiations strategy.

Good luck to everyone involved

Right on the button. Here come the whipsaws. I hope you guys can stick together, and give them hell.