ASA pilots preparing for possible strike

[mad691]

ASA pilots preparing for possible strike

Monday September 18, 2006
Atlantic Southeast Airlines pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn., set up a strike center at an undisclosed location in Atlanta in apparent frustration over the status of four-year-old contract negotiations.
"ASA management has destroyed pilot morale and goodwill by dragging negotiations through the mud for a fourth year," MEC Chairman David Nieuwenhuis said, noting that talks first began in September 2002. He further charged that SkyWest Inc., which purchased the carrier from Delta Air Lines in September 2005, is "prospering and making plans for the continued growth of the organization" while shirking its responsibility to negotiate with ASA pilots.
The US National Mediation Board has been involved in the discussions between management and ASA pilots since May 2004. Those talks were recessed last May when NMB declared that the parties were too far apart on the open sections of the contract. ASA operates as a Delta Connection carrier. Pilots at SkyWest Airlines, which also operates as Delta Connection, are not members of a national union.

by Sandra Arnoult

 

[TOOL CRIB]

Yeah they had a real good article in the SLC paper too. It actually compared the payrates. Here it is:

ASA pilots union opens strike center
By Paul Beebe
The Salt Lake Tribune
Atlantic southeast airlines Bombardier CRJ700. (Atalantic Southwest Airlines) Atlantic Southeast pilots, who have been flying under a labor contract that expired four years ago, have opened a strike center in hopes of pressuring the company to reach a new agreement that would improve wages and benefits.
The center, announced Friday as opened at an undisclosed location, would serve as a command post if the pilots strike. It marks the latest effort by the pilots union to get stalled negotiations restarted, or persuade the National Mediation Board to offer binding arbitration to the two sides if it concludes further negotiations will be fruitless.
No formal negotiations have been held since May. Meetings on Aug. 30 and 31 called by the board to restart talks collapsed when ASA offered only a token improvement on its contract offer, said Capt. Rich Bernskoetter, an ASA pilot and spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association.
"Our pilots are absolutely at their wits' end," Bernskoetter said Friday. "They've seen all of this far too long. They've heard the company's mantra for the last four years, and they are fed up."
ASA executives did not respond to telephone calls seeking comment Friday.
The airline is a subsidiary of SkyWest Inc., which bought the ASA from Delta Air Lines last year. ASA has 1,700 pilots, including 150 aviators stationed in Salt Lake. It operates as a Delta Connection regional carrier for Delta, with 40 daily departures from its Salt Lake City International Airport hub.
Beginning in November, when negotiators representing the pilots held a vote to express no confidence in management, ALPA has been increasing the pressure on ASA. In May, pilots conducted informational picketing outside the carrier's Atlanta headquarters. In July, the aviators voted to authorize their union leaders to call a strike if negotiations don't produce a new contract.
"You don't open a strike center unless you are preparing for the eventuality of a strike, and that's what we are doing [now]," Bernskoetter said. "I hope it never comes to that. A strike is not imminent, but it certainly is an event that we have to be prepared for."
ALPA's tactics on behalf of ASA pilots are suggestive of those used by ALPA-represented Delta pilots in their fight to blunt pay and benefits cuts that Delta demanded earlier this year. Delta authorized their representatives to call a strike and went so far as to set up a command center. The sides eventually reached an agreement.
The current ASA pilot contract, ratified in 1998, was in force until Sept. 15, 2002. Since then, pilots have been seeking moderate increases in pay, retirement benefits and insurance benefits, union spokesman John Perkinson said.
Perkinson said ASA wants to bring pay rates for flying CRJ-700 regional jets closer to what pilots flying smaller CRJ-200 jets earn. Other pilot compensation would remain essentially unchanged.
ASA captains with 10 years of experience who fly CRJ-700 jets earn $81 an hour, according to willflyforfood.cc, a Web site that tracks pilot pay. CRJ-200 captains with identical flying experience earn $71 an hour.
By contrast, non-union pilots at SkyWest Airlines, ASA's sister carrier, earn $74 an hour for flying either jet type, according to the Web site.
St. George-based SkyWest Inc. bought ASA from Delta one week before Delta filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. SkyWest Airlines and ASA operate as separate subsidiaries.

 

[wheelsup]

I wish the press would stop just quoting hourly rates. I know they do it for the "shock factor" but $71/hr is $64k/yr.

I also wish they would quote the FO's payrates. There would be some "shock factor" in that for sure. 1st year pay is what, $17k/yr @ min guarantee?

 

[ohplease!]

ASA pilots preparing for possible strike

Monday September 18, 2006
Atlantic Southeast Airlines pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn., set up a strike center at an undisclosed location in Atlanta in apparent frustration over the status of four-year-old contract negotiations.

= more $$$ wasted that was already stolen from ASA's pilots.

 

[ASARJMan]

= more $$$ wasted that was already stolen from ASA's pilots.

You are by far the biggest whiny betch POS on flightinfo. You knew ASA was represented by ALPA when you hired on here. You don't like ALPA representing ASA pilots, go apply at SKYW.

VOTED IN FAVOR!

 

[ohplease!]

You are by far the biggest whiny betch POS on flightinfo. You knew ASA was represented by ALPA when you hired on here. You don't like ALPA representing ASA pilots, go apply at SKYW.

VOTED IN FAVOR!

too far into ASA. I'm waiting for JA to invite me over in my current position with current longevity....guess I'll be waiting a while.

you're right, I did know ALPA was here when I hired on and you knew what ASA mgmt and regional airlines were like when you hired on. You and I BOTH did what was in our best interest by accepting the job. Doesn't mean you have to agree with ASA or I have to agree with ALPA.


Funny how my disagreeing with ALPA is whining and your disagreeing with ASA is not. Guess it depends on what side of the fence you're on, huh?

 

[Rekks Inbound]

I don't have a dog in this one, but I'll bet ohplease will be perfectly happy to accept any increases in QOL if ASA ALPA finally gets a new contract.

ohplease, you must be a treat to fly with.uke:

Peace.

Rekks

 

[John Pennekamp]

= more $$$ wasted that was already stolen from ASA's pilots.

No, actually it was opened with a $2 million grant from ALPA national. You know, the union that never does anything for you. Care to retract your asinine statement now?

 

[ASARJMan]

Funny how my disagreeing with ALPA is whining and your disagreeing with ASA is not. Guess it depends on what side of the fence you're on, huh?

Are you saying you're on mgt's side? I hope not. I understand you're disagreement with the union and that's fine. But, it's the company that is stonewalling progress here with JA's blessings. You know, all that you have right now was fought for by our MECs/CNCs and ASA pilots in the previous 3 contracts. Think about that.

VOTED IN FAVOR!

 

[ohplease!]

No, actually it was opened with a $2 million grant from ALPA national. You know, the union that never does anything for you. Care to retract your asinine statement now?

Same difference. Or if you want to split hairs about it,,,= more money wasted that was already stolen from all alpa members.

and no, alpa doesn't do ******************** for me. or you. or anyone at the regionals.