ASA Strike Vote Results Here!!!!

[Tomct]

Driver, you should KNOW better!! Company goes LOW and the Union goes HIGH! Then we meet somewhere in the middle. Stop all of your BS and get with the program! Why don't you explain to me WHY we should not get a raise when we are making money? Wait, let me say that again...WE ARE MAKING MONEY!!!! If not a raise NOW, then WHEN?????

 

["GO AROUND"]

I agree Go Around, but ALPA is asking for far more than this.

Yes and for the last 2 weeks they have been metting with the company and talking supposals in order to get this done. You think that ALPA is the one that stopped negotiating and it is the company that has all the proposals in their hands not ALPA. ALPA did not stomp their foot and say take these last proposals or else, the company did. The CNC and the negotiations still have a lot of space for movement on both sides and that is what both sides have been feeling out for the last two weeks.

The company finally backed us into this corner and wanted to see the unity of the pilot group and try to sell us on their demands with their meetings. The pilot group gave them their resounding answer of "WE DON"T BELIEVE YOU!" and it became apparent that they didin't believe what they couldn't prove either.

The pilots have given them their answer. We support our union and will not settle for a crap contract. They partly got this message from the meetings and now it is their move to get this going again and done.

 

[atlcrjdriver]

The company finally backed us into this corner and wanted to see the unity of the pilot group and try to sell us on their demands with their meetings. The pilot group gave them their resounding answer of "WE DON"T BELIEVE YOU!" and it became apparent that they didin't believe what they couldn't prove either.

Go Around, Don't read to much into the ballot results. I and many other pilots are not saying that we don't believe what mgmnt is saying. We voted yes because if we didn't the union what have literally no power as we go into the "end game". The possibility of turning into a present day Mesa would not work at all. I voted yes to give the union some power to push issues like scope trip/duty rigs and merger protection. As long as pay is in line with industry, I will be happy with that.

 

[sweptback]

Pilots' vote puts airline on notice
Atlantic Southeast: Nearly four years of fruitless negotiations have put aviators on the verge of a strike
By Paul Beebe
The Salt Lake Tribune

Pilots of Atlantic Southeast Airlines, the subsidiary of SkyWest Inc., have voted overwhelmingly to authorize their union leaders to call a strike if long-stalled negotiations fail to produce a labor contract.
The Air Line Pilots Association said 92 percent of the pilots who voted to support the measure. ALPA represents 1,700 ASA aviators.
"Our pilots have been in contract negotiations for nearly four years, despite the fact that our company continues to post profits and issues nothing but good news to the financial world," Capt. David Nieuwenhuis, chairman of ASA's executive council, said Tuesday.
Sam Watts, vice president of people at Atlanta-based ASA, acknowledged it is unusual for negotiations to go on so long. But the company, which flies as a Delta Connection feeder carrier for Delta Air Lines, must have a labor agreement that permits it to stay aloft in the unstable airline industry, he said.
"The company continues to work with ALPA's leadership to reach an agreement that will provide fair compensation, along with other changes . . . that address issues important to ASA pilots and provide a competitive cost structure to the company," Watts said.
Although the two sides haven't negotiated since May and no talks are scheduled, a strike is not imminent. Before that could happen, the National Mediation Board would have to declare a stalemate and call for a 30-day cooling off period, ALPA spokesman John Perkinson said.
He said pilots are seeking "moderate" increases in pay, retirement benefits and insurance benefits, while ASA "basically wants to maintain the status quo, and is actually looking for reductions in CRJ-700 [aircraft] pay rates," Perkinson said.
A reduction would move CRJ-700 pilot pay closer to what pilots who fly smaller CRJ-200 jets earn, Perkinson said.
St. George-based SkyWest bought ASA from Delta in September, shortly before Delta filed for bankruptcy. The ownership change has improved the negotiating environment, but hasn't led to a breakthrough, Perkinson said.
"Certainly, for a long period, when ASA was a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta, negotiations just stagnated. Management just dragged their feet. They are now coming to the table. They are prepared. They are engaged, but we still are not making the progress that we would like to be making," he said.
ASA earned an operating profit of 13.1 percent during the last quarter of 2005, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. The company does not report net income.
The regional airline flies to 154 airports in 41 states, including Salt Lake City International Airport; Washington, D.C.; Canada; Mexico and the Caribbean.
ASA's hubs are in Salt Lake City, Atlanta and Cincinnati.
www.sltrib.com

 

[sweptback]

ASA pilots put strike on table

By RUSSELL GRANTHAM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/12/06 Pilots at Delta Air Lines' main regional carrier in Atlanta have voted to authorize a strike after almost four years of fruitless contract talks.
More than 90 percent of Atlantic Southeast Airlines' pilots who voted agreed to authorize a strike if talks fail, said the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents ASA's 1,700 pilots. About 85 percent of pilots cast ballots, the union said.
The vote does not mean a strike is imminent, however. The National Mediation Board would first have to declare an impasse and then, at least 30 days later, release the union from further negotiations.
The union said a mediator recessed talks two months ago because the two sides were too far apart on pay and other issues. But negotiators have made some progress on scheduling and other issues, said union spokesman Rick Bernskoetter.
Still, union officials said the vote is a sign of growing frustration.
"ASA management has strung out these negotiations for far too long," said David Nieuwenhuis, chairman of the ALPA unit at ASA. "With this strike authorization vote, our pilots are sending a clear message that we've had it with this nonsense. When the appropriate time comes, we're ready to take the next step."
The company and union have been in off-and-on talks since September 2002.
An ASA vice president, Sam Watts, said the carrier is still pursuing a deal that provides both "fair compensation" to pilots and a "competitive" cost structure to the company.
According to Bernskoetter, ASA wants a five-year deal that freezes most pilots' pay and cuts pay for the most senior pilots. He said the union wants "moderate" pay increases.
ASA pilots' pay ranges from about $19,000 a year for starting pilots to more than $100,000 a year for the most senior pilots flying 70-seat regional jets, said Bernskoetter.
Rising labor tension at ASA could be a headache for Delta, which has grown increasingly reliant on the carrier for domestic flying, especially since filing for Chapter 11 last September.
Delta sold ASA last year to Utah-based SkyWest but retained it as a Delta Connection carrier. Under that deal, SkyWest and ASA have the right to operate at least 40 percent of Delta Connection flying and 80 percent of such commuter flying in Atlanta, Cathay Financial analyst Susan Donofrio said in a recent report.
Meanwhile, Delta also faces a strike threat at its Cincinnati-based regional subsidiary, Comair. After failing to get a cost-cutting deal with its flight attendants union, Comair wants bankruptcy court approval to impose pay cuts. The union has vowed to strike if Delta succeeds.

 

[ASADFW7]

I just cannot imagine it took so long to get here.

 

[ASADriver]

Driver, you should KNOW better!! Company goes LOW and the Union goes HIGH! Then we meet somewhere in the middle. Stop all of your BS and get with the program! Why don't you explain to me WHY we should not get a raise when we are making money? Wait, let me say that again...WE ARE MAKING MONEY!!!! If not a raise NOW, then WHEN?????

Ah the old if you don't agree, then you just don't understand negotiations. I've bought a house and cars, I am well aware of how the "game" is played. I'm afraid that SOME here are expecting large pay increases, and that isn't reasonable if we are to remain competitive. If the union is HIGH, and the company is LOW, then why do you only harp on the company? Aren't BOTH sides being unreasonable. Stop with the BS rhetoric.

 

[ASADriver]

Yes and for the last 2 weeks they have been metting with the company and talking supposals in order to get this done. You think that ALPA is the one that stopped negotiating and it is the company that has all the proposals in their hands not ALPA. ALPA did not stomp their foot and say take these last proposals or else, the company did. The CNC and the negotiations still have a lot of space for movement on both sides and that is what both sides have been feeling out for the last two weeks.

The company finally backed us into this corner and wanted to see the unity of the pilot group and try to sell us on their demands with their meetings. The pilot group gave them their resounding answer of "WE DON"T BELIEVE YOU!" and it became apparent that they didin't believe what they couldn't prove either.

The pilots have given them their answer. We support our union and will not settle for a crap contract. They partly got this message from the meetings and now it is their move to get this going again and done.

If that is true, then why are the ALPA updates saying that these aren't "negotiations". I get the feeling I am being mislead by BOTH sides and I'm tired of it. If your negotiating, then say so. The company needs to drop the paycuts for some, give a slight increase in 401k, and some job protection. The union needs to drop the huge payraise and the Bfund. Just get'er done.

 

[USCtrojan]

Management

Ah the old if you don't agree, then you just don't understand negotiations. I've bought a house and cars, I am well aware of how the "game" is played. I'm afraid that SOME here are expecting large pay increases, and that isn't reasonable if we are to remain competitive. If the union is HIGH, and the company is LOW, then why do you only harp on the company? Aren't BOTH sides being unreasonable. Stop with the BS rhetoric.

The company is using Comair's concessionary rates, Chatauqua, and Mesa as comparisons. First of all, Comair's concessionary rates are NOT in effect and most likely never will be. Both Chatauqua and Mesa's contracts become amendable Oct 2007 (for Chautauqua/March for Mesa). Mesa doesn't even operate a CR7 for the Delta Connection, so why they are using them is beyond me. I personally don't think ALPA's current proposal will hold. I also don't think the Company's current proposal will hold. There will be a moderate in the middle somewhere.

The Company is being unreasonable, I feel, simply because they are not willing to move off of their concessionary proposal. (hopefully that changes very soon) In the past the Company stated things like, "Alpa is providing us too many proposals and we don't like any of them..." I've always felt that if you don't like the proposal, come up with one yourself. They finally did roughly a year ago (3 years after we began negotiating.) Things will change quickly here. I can't wait for this godforsaken thing to be done because it's miserable on everybody. That being said, I'm proud of my fellow pilots for not rolling over. We will not, and as long as I've been here, never have. Hopefully, we can be the first in this new economy to reverse the trend. With that, hopefully Skywest gets some of their own people to lead us into tomorrow. I believe ASA is going to be an incredible place to work as soon as we get this thing out of the way.

Trojan

 

[TOOL CRIB]

I believe ASA is going to be an incredible place to work as soon as we get this thing out of the way.

Trojan

Me too! But I also believe the word "incredible" can be construed in many different ways.