ASA Says Pilots' Demands Are Lofty

[Flyer1015]

ASA Says Pilots' Demands Are Lofty

http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/343421/asa_says_pilots_demands_are_lofty/index.html?source=r_technology

By Paul Beebe, The Salt Lake Tribune

Dec. 28--As contract talks between Atlantic Southeast Airlines and its pilots resume today, the company is taking some responsibility for three years of fruitless negotiations, but says pilots need to scale back their "expensive" proposals before a new pact is possible.

In a letter to pilots last week, ASA President Bryan LaBrecque said the pilots union is seeking contract provisions the airline can't afford since it was bought by SkyWest Inc. and is no longer part of bankrupt Delta Air Lines. He didn't provide details.

"With the Delta bankruptcy and our sale to SkyWest, the entire premise for our business shifted," said LaBrecque, who became president and chief operating officer after St. George-based SkyWest bought ASA in September.

"We no longer enjoy the benefits of being owned by Delta when we could expect to continue our Delta Connection business and continue growing just because of that relationship."

When SkyWest bought ASA, Delta insisted on a different Delta Connection agreement that included non-negotiable cost restrictions that could lead Delta to cancel the agreement if they aren't met, LaBrecque said.

"Agreeing to a pilot contract that doesn't fit inside that financial framework or allow us to reach operational targets would quickly leave us uncompetitive with an uncertain future."

ASA and its 1,700 pilots have been in negotiations since September 2002, when the pilots' contract became amendable. In November, frustrated negotiators for the Air Line Pilots Association voted to express no confidence in the senior managers of the Atlanta-based airline.

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So there you have it, it's all the pilots' fault !

 

[wms]

Say SKW/ASA doesn't fit DAL's cost box. How does DAL replace 1200 daily departures (according to the SKW,inc web site)? And tell me, how is it bad for ASA that we were sold by a BK company run by poor mgmt to a good company run by good people? I'm just hoping JA to lives up to his good reputation.

 

[atlcrashpad]

Maybe JA will dump BL in the river along with that Bull Sh*t offer. I'd like to see what SKYW pilots have now and how old their agreement is. From what I've heard on the VARS, I don't like at all. Salaries being cut is not the save all answer to the companies problems. If BL thinks the pilot are hard to deal with now, just wait.

 

[gkrangers]

Are the pilots asking for more, or just wanting to keep what they currently have with no concessions?

 

[skystud25]

JA told the pilots in a differences class a friend of mine was in awhile back that in 5 years SKW had to be at least the second lowest paid code-share partner DL had or the long-term agreement SKW and Delta made as part of the ASA sale would potentially be voided. With Mesa in Delta's bed, that doesn't leave much wiggle room. With Comair probably accepting a contract that is potentially less lucrative than SKW's, and if all this is true, you can see their reluctance to offer the SKW pilots any more than 1.2% or ASA anything more that isn't no-cost. No flame, that's just what I heard.

 

[gkrangers]

So if it comes down to Mesa and CMR..SKW and ASA will have to get lower than CMR ?

Holy crap.

 

["GO AROUND"]

Correct me if I'm remembering wrong but CMR's proposal was SKW + 1%. We are already lower than SKW and CMR on the 50 and lower on the 70 than CMR. I have heard a few of us at ASA say that keeping the pay we have + profit sharing + cost of living bumps would be ok, but our QOL improvements have to improve. Not gonna budge on those. The company can bitch all they want that its costly but that's crap. It's that they don't want to give up the control they have over our lives and the ability to fix the screw ups and inefficiencies that our company creates. I am blaming the top on down for the problems of inefficiency not just scheduling and planning. We have a 3 day trip that is blocked to just over 3 hours of flying and the rest sitting and being unproductive and inefficient. Yet they always have the "it's Delta's fault for changing the schedules" excuse. I'm tired of the excuses. Like my dad always said "excuses are like A$$holes, everyone's got one and they all stink".

They expect us to change and accept what they propose so they don't have to change. I'm not willing to be the end all be all to their problems.

 

[Crash Pad]

Ok here is the piece I have never understood about Unions. How can the ASA pilot group look around and see: ACA, Air Wisconsin, Comair, and now Coex all get great contracts and then get replaced and think it wont happen to them?
1. They can't replace the departures. Yes they can. Almost overnight with all the excess DCI capacity.
2. We deserve a fair contract. Why? Because it has been four years since the last one? Because you've negotiated for a while? Because "you've waited long enough"... ASA is not special and if you make yourself special with say an industry leading contract they will take you to the woodshed.
3. Stop Drinking the management Kool-aid. Here is the track record I've seen from Unions. Delta, United, NWA Mechanic, ACA, AirWis, CoEX... All used the same argument to get a great contract which management said was too expensive. In all those cases management turned out to be correct and the pilots have suffered in the long term. CAL had a crap contract but hey guess who is hiring?
If someone can resonably answer those questions I'll get off the Kool-Aid and come on board for the big win.
If I were negotiating I would take an exact replica of the Skywest contract and make it my proposal. I know the 70 guys will take a 2 dollar pay cut. The vast majority of the company is on the 50... they get a pay raise... plus profit sharing. If you are so confident that the company is making billions then your profit sharing check should be fat.

 

[Crash Pad]

If anyone brings up Horizon I will vomit. Nice contract with a 7-8 year upgrade. Guess what if you upgrade in 5 years you will make more than horizon. I've heard of 15 year captains on reserve... Sweet and by sweet I mean totally awesome! If only I could get lucky enough to work in those conditions.

 

[FL990]

Ok here is the piece I have never understood about Unions. How can the ASA pilot group look around and see: ACA, Air Wisconsin, Comair, and now Coex all get great contracts and then get replaced and think it wont happen to them?
1. They can't replace the departures. Yes they can. Almost overnight with all the excess DCI capacity.
2. We deserve a fair contract. Why? Because it has been four years since the last one? Because you've negotiated for a while? Because "you've waited long enough"... ASA is not special and if you make yourself special with say an industry leading contract they will take you to the woodshed.
3. Stop Drinking the management Kool-aid. Here is the track record I've seen from Unions. Delta, United, NWA Mechanic, ACA, AirWis, CoEX... All used the same argument to get a great contract which management said was too expensive. In all those cases management turned out to be correct and the pilots have suffered in the long term. CAL had a crap contract but hey guess who is hiring?
If someone can resonably answer those questions I'll get off the Kool-Aid and come on board for the big win.
If I were negotiating I would take an exact replica of the Skywest contract and make it my proposal. I know the 70 guys will take a 2 dollar pay cut. The vast majority of the company is on the 50... they get a pay raise... plus profit sharing. If you are so confident that the company is making billions then your profit sharing check should be fat.

OK, look at what you are saying. you have just named a large number of airlines here. Most of us can find other jobs and i think that we have to look at it and say "is it worth it anymore." We can't live on this pay and everytime we accept another concession and do this job for less than adaquate compesation, we are replacing the very jobs that we are slaving for. WE HAVE TO STOP DOING THIS!! What are YOUR plans. To stay here get your time and then move to a major. There won't be any "major" jobs if we keep trying to undercut each other. WE WILL BE THOSE JOBS. The income that I make now is easily replaced with most jobs.

If management is telling the truth and they can't afford to pay us liveable wages to do this job, then these companies don't deserve to be in business. SHUT'M down and move on.

I can't believe I am saying this. I would have never thought that 3 or 4 years ago but I am tired of the whipsaw and race to the bottom.