ASA MEC meeting...

["GO AROUND"]

Is the metting the MEC is having today open or closed to the pilot group?

I was talking to a P2P and they were saying that a strike vote was going to be discussed among other things. Pretty pathetic that it has come to this point.

 

[msr]

You must to be stupid if you would support a strike @ ASA giving the current conditions with Delta @ Skywest.

 

[ASApuppy]

Hey the ballgame has completely changed since we have been switched teams.

Lets go over the facts:

It doesn't matter about Delta, we are not on their balance sheet. Yes, it would be death for us if they liqudated, but I don't think anyone sees that in the near future. We are now a PROFITABLE division of Skywest Inc. and have been since day one. Our rates have already been affirmed in courts. Point is, there is still money on the table.

Aside from the 70 rates, Skywest pilots make more than ASA. They have done so while flying for what is now 2 bankrupt carriers. All the while, they have saved up enough money to buy another carrier rather than pass that money on to those who earned it. And you think a strike-vote is not wise? Unreal! Please step away from the Kool-Aid stand.

 

["GO AROUND"]

I guess a poll of the pilots to decide who's in favor or not is the idea.

 

[Willy21]

You must to be stupid if you would support a strike @ ASA giving the current conditions with Delta @ Skywest.

From your view it might be, but some people see the real ASA from the inside. Beside a strike vote does not allow the pilots to walk, it takes somebody that lives in a house in DC, it might be white. Just a guess.

 

[cosmotheassman]

A good company would match payrates when it acquired another company. If skywest doesn't give you at least what they make, (and fast), I would strike. From a certain point of view, it can be considered discrimination if they don't.

 

[Ganja60Heavy]

I heard the meeting is to discuss increasing the wage garnishment from 2% to 4% to meet expenses at ALPA.

 

[601Pilot]

You must to be stupid if you would support a strike @ ASA giving the current conditions with Delta @ Skywest.

It is idiots like this that have us in the situation we are in now. Please grace us with your infinite wisdom, oh great MSR!?!

Strike vote now!

 

["GO AROUND"]

It's poker face time. Who's bluffing? Or is the company even enlightened enough to know how pissed off the pilot group is? They have seemed too stupid to know up until now.
I'm kinda optimistic that Hall replacing Chromer could be a fresh start and that actually doing a cost analisys will mean they will start negotiating with a clue. But not overly optimistic.

 

[Dave Benjamin]

A good company would match payrates when it acquired another company. If skywest doesn't give you at least what they make, (and fast), I would strike. From a certain point of view, it can be considered discrimination if they don't.

How many ASA guys would be in favor of a paycut so they could match SKYW rates on the 70 seater? 50 seat rates are pretty comparable. This is pretty hilarious considering some folks at SKYW wish they had ASA pay for the 70.

 

[PBRstreetgang]

From your view it might be, but some people see the real ASA from the inside. Beside a strike vote does not allow the pilots to walk, it takes somebody that lives in a house in DC, it might be white. Just a guess.

Naaahhhaaa,
A time long ago when the SKYW pilots had a pair the company was stonewalling, the pilots flew the agreement, safety, mx, and FARs were followed to the letter.
Result: company folded like a cheap suit and was back at the table dealing like a Vegas blackjack dealer.
I would not be advocating this since I am an "at will employee" and subject to termination without cause. This was just a note about a time, in history, long ago.
PBR

 

[letthebigdogeat]

Strike vote? Bring it on!

I was talking to a P2P and they were saying that a strike vote was going to be discussed among other things. Pretty pathetic that it has come to this point.

Pathetic - agreed. Let's have the vote...

 

[Jon Rivoli]

A word to the foolish, the wise don't need it. A strike vote would be the equivalent of holding a gun to your own head. An actual strike would be to pull the trigger. I'm not drinking the Kool Aid here, the whole industry has changed. I don't like it any more than you do. It seems that there are a lot of us out there stuck in the mindset that because Daddy made $300K working 12 days a month flying for Delta that is what they expect. Sorry, those days are gone. Most of us just want to earn a good living, support our family and have a decent (or better) quality of life. Job security is a big part of that. ALPA can help with some of it, but if the company you are flying for can't compete, you are in trouble. Expecting someone else to make a sacrifice to protect you quality of life isn't rational. There will always be 22 year old flight instructors willing to "Fly for Food" if it will get them to the next step in thier career. All this nonsense about "Shiney Jet Syndrome" is nothing more than chasing your tail. Believe it or not, they are not the problem. The problem in this industry is on the REVENUE side. My folks just flew from PDX to JFK for $108 each way; last summer they flew round trip PDX-PHX for $150 and had three carriers to choose from. With fares that low, how can anyone make money. We are not in the drivers seat here and truth be told neither are the CEO's; It is the customer who is driving this. What caused it? De-regulation got it started, but de-regulation was intended to benefit the customers, and it has, just ask my parents. It is a new environment out there, many have not adapted and have parished. Striking is old thinking. So you think your CEO is a dumbass and a bastard, striking won't change that and it won't raise ticket prices either.

 

["GO AROUND"]

I didn't say it was going to happen. I would and I think the union wants to see how unified the group is. Ya actually think that a managment biased NMB is going to release us in this day and age? I'm not that ignorant. But it would show the unity among the pilots at ASA.

 

[Sinca3]

Jon-
Striking is the only thing we have to get mgmnt to even try to negotiate in good faith, which by the way they haven't done for the past 3+ yrs!!!
There are many many things that the pilots want and mgmnt could give us but they dont' for no aparent reason other than control. There are things that could benefit the company as a whole but once again mgmt hasn't negotiated in good faith....hell they haven't even negotiated!!! Striking isn't what anyone wants pax, pilots, mgmt. It is all we got to get our company to acknowledge us and get off there fat rich a$$es to negotiate in GOOD FAITH.
Do you even work for ASA?

 

[CFIT]

Ya ASA go on strike, that'll show them.

Strike is the best defense a union has had since the dawn of time.

Management has figured out a unions best defense.


But, go ahead and try anyway........

 

[Jon Rivoli]

Sinca,

No, I work for Skywest. Before I came here I worked for what I would call a "Bad" company and so perhaps my threshold for pain is higher than most. If your management won't negotiate in good faith that's messed up and I really don't know what you can do about it, I've been bent over the proverbial barrel with no KY before. My answer was to leave the company and start over, not easy to do. People think we're nuts at Skywest because we can't seem to organize and bring in a union. The truth is that the guy's running this outfit are about as sharp as they come. They don't give away anything they don't have to and they run things pretty close so there are always 10 or 20% that are pissed, but not enough to upset the apple cart. If eveyone is happy, you're giving away the store. What they usually offer is just enough to satisfy most people, but not all. If you had your own business that is how you would do it to, if you're smart. If negotiations are stalled I'm not suprised, they just bought ASA last month. Call it a cost benefit analisys or whatever, right now I expect that they are trying to get a finger on your pulse. That and I'm pretty sure they want to harmonise things between SKYW and ASA as much as possible because I do believe that they eventually intend to merge the two. Give it a few months and I bet they come up with an offer that is bound to suprise you in one way or another.

 

[Sinca3]

I too came from a "risk your ticket to fly here" airline before ASA. There we were in negotiations and almost had to walk, which I hope we don't have to do here, but that is our only option!!! If mangament were to "play nice" we wouldn't be here talking about this.
I am too burned out to keep hoping and waiting for this managment team to get it's head in the game and lead this company.

 

[scarlet]

A strike VOTE is just a VOTE !!!! It is like playing POKER, or neg. buying a house or car, which most of you suck at!!! You have to play hard ball..

We all know and Mangt. will soon realize the EMPLOYEES control more of the companies money than they do.. What we do at the airport makes alot of difference in the bottom line. The pilots can burn ungodly amounts of $$$$, I heard F/As pouring drinks down the drains at other carriers, making pot and pots of coffee and poring down the drains, throwing everything in the trash to be repelshed at the next stop. HEY the passengers wanted alot of coffee and coke today. SO WE have to educate Mgmt. because they don't get it, because they have never worked over there, that WE control the airline and WE are the airline NOT THEM!!!

 

["GO AROUND"]

I keep hearing from the CP's that there should be some good announcments being made soon. I'm still waiting and what managment thinks is a good announcment usually sucks to a pilot.

Still hopefully optimistic, but fading every day.