Asa Strike Vote!

[propjockey]

Texx, it wasn't necessary to be rude. You'd think it was a prerequisite for posting on this board. Sheesh! I admitted before commenting that my knowledge of the NMB/striking was limited, but it isn't necessary to attempt to paint me as a moron. I have been a member of the Teamsters before, so I am not completely without knowledge of the subject.

Opinion: (which obviously may be wrong), if ASA pilots were to go on strike, ASA would cease to exist as an airline.

Fact: The industry would likely be better off with one fewer regional carrier.

Now, at the risk of painting myself as a moron...

jehtplane, I've been meaning to ask -- what is that thing in your avatar?

 

[OCP]

For all you out there that thing ASA pilot are asking for an industry leading contract are way off base. You think we are looking for huge pay raise? Look again.
What we at ASA are looking for is the industry standard at just about everywhere. We are basicly asking for almost exactly what Skywest already has, minus the single pay rate.
I personally don't think now is the time to strike. I don't doubt that Skywest needs too look at why ASA sucks so bad at everything. However NOW is the time to start taking things into our own hand, EVEN if it F's with the overnight. Something broke? Something missing? Write it up. New stations to conserve fuel by not running the APU? Sart it anyway. 4 Deg descents? How about 2 deg? Talk to those who were there dealing with the company in 98. Listen to what they had to do. And it took them over 3 years too.

 

[Texx]

Texx, it wasn't necessary to be rude. You'd think it was a prerequisite for posting on this board. Sheesh! I admitted before commenting that my knowledge of the NMB/striking was limited, but it isn't necessary to attempt to paint me as a moron. I have been a member of the Teamsters before, so I am not completely without knowledge of the subject.

Opinion: (which obviously may be wrong), if ASA pilots were to go on strike, ASA would cease to exist as an airline.

Fact: The industry would likely be better off with one fewer regional carrier.

Now, at the risk of painting myself as a moron...

jehtplane, I've been meaning to ask -- what is that thing in your avatar?

Me rude? You'll know it when it happens jr.

 

[ASA_Aviator]

I agree with those that think patience is in order. After all, it has just been a few months since the purchase. It takes time for the results of the buyout to filter down.

I am very interested to see what changes come our way, and I think many will be for the best. Sure, there are things that need to be fixed, but striking so soon after a change in ownership does absolutely no good. If you want to be out of a job, strike.

Don't get me wrong, action may need to be taken in the future, but those with level heads will prevail. Let's all wait and see what changes happen, and wait to see how the new management deals with the challenges presented to them.


A

 

[JassBuff]

I agree With everyone else. I think ASA is Crazy for pickiting in this economy. Here people are losing jobs and ASA is asking for a pay raise you should just be happy you have a job. Some people are so greedy.

 

[anon]

It's fairly simple, guys. Stay safe.

Fly exactly by the book. Don't bust any regs, don't do anything stupid. Simply fly exactly by the book.

Write the times exactly as they are, verify with FCC if you think the times may be misrepresented. If they were, write up a RIF and request a reply.

If it's broke, write it up. If it's not broke, don't.

If you're fatigued or sick, call in as per the FAR's. If the company tries to discipline you for complying with the FAR's call the CP and then the FAA.

Everyone stay careful out there.

 

[Oakum_Boy]

I agree With everyone else. I think ASA is Crazy for pickiting in this economy. Here people are losing jobs and ASA is asking for a pay raise you should just be happy you have a job. Some people are so greedy.

Don't pretend to know what you're talking about. I work for compensation. Nothing else.

 

[Tim47SIP]

ASA FA's?

I love my job, I tapped 4 FA's in the past week.

Hey! When you get some femail FA's, let us know! Then we will be a little more interested.imp:

 

[skystud25]

Any villages our there missing an idiot?

skydud: YOU of all people should be on our side! If things go well for us it is only going to help you!! Obviously you have been too blind to realize what is happening here....not that it is your fault and all....oh wait....50-99 seat pay one rate, YEAH, IT IS YOUR FAULT!!
Jack Ass go back to sleep and SHUT IT!
MELIT: Go back to your boardroom and hold hands with your mgmnt PUKES! You are the very essence that is eating away at this industry! DckWeed!
Crashpad: I would, and I have been here 8 years. We have to make a stand or end up taking the sandpaper fisted treatment daily! Oh wait, that is already happening.
We should all look at the Delta Pilots. They are about to stand up and say ENOUGH is ENOUGH! All ALPA brothers should stand up and just SHUT this country down for a couple of days and see what happens NEXT!!:uzi:

Tomct- You're very naive if you think a big new contract for ASA will help SKW pilots get a better contract. It will simply send more flying and A/C our way vis a vis the bean counters. We're separate and will remain so for years if not indefinitely, and our involvement with ALPA is nowhere near certain. I'm told our contract with Delta dictates that we (SKW Inc.) remain the second lowest in terms of cost in 5 years or the contract can be terminated. With Mesa and Comair floating around in the Delta system, where will that leave SKW and ASA? That's right, you'll be hearing sound bites of us talking up our wonderful 06' agreements, similar to the ones you hear about Comair's "industry leading pay" right now as they fall deeper into the abyss. That's reality. Unless we are ALL united under one banner (a pipe dream), the lowest of the bottom feeders will continue to redefine the bottom line.

 

[79%N1]

Look, we dont at ASA thnk we are going to get industry leading anything. We just want to get the industry standard QOL issues in our long expired contract! We need to get our scheduling system brought up to what every other carrier seems to have. We have no reserve system, and we have ZERO control over our lives and schedules. We have to fight for at least some CONTROL, as our crack mgmnt staff refuses to give us any! How many of you have basically no control but the whim of some scheduler to control your life? How many other regionals have no seniority reserve system? We know the pay rates wont improve much, despite cost of living increasing, because of the state of the airline industry. We know the crappy rates everyone else has, either because they agreed to them (Mesa, CHQ) or they are forced on them (Comair).
But we need to demand the company give us some control. Why cant open time, or swaps/drops be computerized like it seems everyone else has?
No, we must submit, only during certain hours to find our request denied for "coverage"! I dont want to price my company out of existence, therefor pricing myself out of a job........But I do want more control over my life, and a fair way to call reserve pilots. I want an ASAP program, and the vague language in my contract that allows the company to reinturprate my contract to their whims cleaned up, and I want the company to negotiate with my CNC fairly!

 

[outtahere]

You know the first few posters on here are unbelieveable. I came from an airline that cared nothing for its employee's, maint. was terrible, schedules were attrocious, now I work for ASA and I love my job. However, I also believe ASA would be a better airline if the employees were treated fairly. One thing I can say about that "other" airline is the pilot group was incredibly unified, even though we had no union. ASA; its no wonder we are treated with no respect by management, we can't even treat each other with respect. For those of you on this board who claim to be SENIOR, what good does that do you at a company like ASA. You will be Junior Manned, you will be drafted to go fly as a first officer even though you haven't been in the right seat for over ten years, your pay will be audited every month, and they will take money away. You will be given airport reserve, even though we don't have airport reserve in our contract. Perhaps you have been here for twenty years, and you know what it is alot better now than when you were flying a Bandit, but that was then. OUR contract is over six years old, it is being reinterpreted at will, are you so afraid of management that you refuse to stand up for yourself. Our management is like the bully in middle school, until you stood up and kicked his a$$, he tormented you daily. Now I do not want lose my job, but I am not willing to stand by and be abused. We have a fifteen year agreement with Delta for fying, it is performance based, Skywest is paid fee per departure. If our cost goes up, all that happens is Skywest's profit margin shrinks a little. Delta is not going to dump us because our costs go up. However if we go on strike, Skywest is penalized for the lack of departures, costing them alot more than what we are asking for in a new contract. Who has more to lose, you making sh!ty wages on an even crappier schedule, or Skywest who just invested $425 million into us. Use the tools that you have. A strike vote is a tool that is used to tell management enough is enough. Coex took a strike vote after a year and a half of negotiations, we have been doing this for three years. How much longer do we stand around and do nothing?

 

[601Pilot]

Don't talk about it, do it! Don't lower the BAR you chest thumper!

I'm trying to do it, you jacka$$!

 

["GO AROUND"]

I agree With everyone else. I think ASA is Crazy for pickiting in this economy. Here people are losing jobs and ASA is asking for a pay raise you should just be happy you have a job. Some people are so greedy.

Whose asking for a pay raise? Profit sharing sounds good right now with major improvments in QOL. The company wants to take things back and little or no limitations on everything else. Not greedy, just not wiling to lower the bar from it's current location.

 

[asacap]

I expect a pay raise, retro pay, and QOL stuff. Otherwise I vote to strike. It's that simple. Just because the industry stinks right now we are supposed roll over? Forget that. Hopefully we can raise the bar and get others to do the same.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Yes - ASA pilots are not treated as well as they were under this contract when it was agreed to - examples:

• No picking up trips with higher block times if they result in any additional time off. If you want to trade a 6 hour 3 day for a 7 hour two day, they now will not let you do it. It is the Company's goal to have everyone as close to 10 days off a month as they can get them.
• Continued flying after 3 continuous duty overnights. After flying nights for three days, they can put you on a 3 day trip that starts 10, or 11, hours after your last nap. Duty out at o7oo, see you back at the airport at 17oo for a 3 day.

No only do we need a new contract, we need a contract as good as the one we thought we had in 1999. I'm not talking money, I'm talking QOL and I'll walk over QOL.

 

["GO AROUND"]

There's money to be made if you get the QOL stuff that is needed. Talked to a SKW guy the other day and his profit sharing checks amounted to about a $5 an hr pay raise if you worked it out. Don't know how true that is but that's a nice raise.

I'll be on the next train out if we don't get QOL improvements. As someone else said on this board, ASA is not a bad place to work, but it could be so much better.

My .02, I'm tired of guys bashing the MEC, union and CNC guy's. If you're not part of the solution you are part of the problem. All this has probably been said before, but if you think you can do better then take part in the election or support a change to someone who you think is better or S.T.F.U. Someone who is volunteering to try and make pilots lives better and giving up their time in the process. I'm not saying that you don't have the right to complain, but that's all you hear with noone stepping up with anything else.

There, I will get off my soap box.

Flame on..........

 

[atrdriver]

It's amazing that all the people who DON'T work at ASA at experts on what we want in our contract. We are not looking at making more money here. Most of the items that we have proposed would SAVE the company money in the long term because it would be MORE EFFICIENT. But the company won't even talk to us about those issues. WE HAVEN'T EVEN EXCHANED PROPOSALS ON COMPENSATION. Right before negotiations broke off the company was arguing over ALPA's proposal to have a pilot classified as a "reserve" pilot or a "lineholder", depending on what they were able to hold in the month in question. MANAGEMENT WOULDN'T ALLOW THOSE SIMPLE CLASSIFICATIONS. If you are not here, and don't know what we are dealing with, maybe you should either educate yourself before chiming in, or simply stay out of the discussion. I would be happy with our current payrates, given a better QOL. But I am NOT happy with the current situation, and a lot of other ASA pilots are starting to see the light.

 

[79%N1]

Yes - ASA pilots are not treated as well as they were under this contract when it was agreed to - examples:

• No picking up trips with higher block times if they result in any additional time off. If you want to trade a 6 hour 3 day for a 7 hour two day, they now will not let you do it. It is the Company's goal to have everyone as close to 10 days off a month as they can get them.
• Continued flying after 3 continuous duty overnights. After flying nights for three days, they can put you on a 3 day trip that starts 10, or 11, hours after your last nap. Duty out at o7oo, see you back at the airport at 17oo for a 3 day.

No only do we need a new contract, we need a contract as good as the one we thought we had in 1999. I'm not talking money, I'm talking QOL and I'll walk over QOL.

Thats exactly what Im saying.......and I'm with you. I think the group at ASA knows were not upping our hourly rates much, but many are ready to walk over these QOL issues! This company is full of control freak managers who dont realize that letting up a little control over stupid stuff will add up to a happier pilot group, which will then work with them to save $$ other ways.

 

[sweptback]

• Continued flying after 3 continuous duty overnights. After flying nights for three days, they can put you on a 3 day trip that starts 10, or 11, hours after your last nap. Duty out at o7oo, see you back at the airport at 17oo for a 3 day.

Actually you need 11 hours in domicile for a scheduled assignment, but between two CDOs you only need 9. Still, that extra hour in your example is not going to make any difference, and yes it sucks. I've had to do it before... one of those "legal but not necessarily the safest" ideas.

It's funny how the Company makes a big deal about how you should be coming to work expecting to work 14 hours straight for a CDO, yet pulls stuff like this without any regard to sleep cycles. It's just whatever works in their favor, I guess.

 

[dash8driver64]

Given the crap market out there, its not likely that we're gonna get much of a pay raise. not that we are asking for it. Those of us that want retro pay may also be dissapointed. SKW has only owned this hornets nest for a short while and i fear that they are thinking "well that was your old owners problem not ours"i'd be happy with the QOL stuff, pay bump and trip and duty rigs. The way scheduling runs things now we would get 50% pay raise with rigs. At least they would have to think about how they build lines and divey out assignments.
if we had rigs, i would have made 112 hrs of pay in Sept.

 

[Tomct]

skydud: It is thinking like your's that led to you flying all a/c for the same hrly rate! once again, you know nothing of what you are talking about! According to most of YOUR senior guys over at flight safety, they seem to think that both companies will be merged within 2 years or less! Take that for what it is worth.
On a second note, according to a guy I know at Comair, they are going to tell the judge to stick it in the arse for the same pay rate crap! They know they are probably going to get screwed anyway, so they have nothing to lose! Atleast they sound like they are going to make another stand, while idiots like you continue to fly for the same rate.
Third note...Big D pilots are probably going to go on strike as well to say ENOUGH!
Again, all of you guys that think we are going for the "Super" contract are way out of the loop, but I want QOL and a bump on the raise with 100% retro! That is not asking very much of a company that has been making a killing for the last 3 1/2 years, yet telling us they are not doing very well. BS
Go Back to your Kool-Aid Stand!
Jack Ass

 

[ifly4food]

I'm amazed at how many posts have come out against a strike vote here.

ASA management (Brian Lebrecque) publicly admitted that they read and post to this forum. Sounds like many members of ASA management have arrived and want to scare us. Let's give them a warm welcome.

Anybody who hangs out in our crew lounge knows that a vast majority of the ASA pilots are ready, willing, and able to strike. Before long, management will believe it.

 

[No Delay]

Next time management ask if we want to see the books...tell them yes! Then I will show them my checkbook so they can see how much I make. I bet my financials are worse than theirs.

Next time management says times are tough because fuel is so high...tell them "Yes, we know! It is costing us a fortune to get to and from work!"

No FLEX - Captains descretion
No single engine taxi
Early flaps - be sure you are stablizied in time

Come on guys...lets get together! United we stand, divided we fall!

 

[atrdriver]

Single Engine Taxi?? What's that??

 

["GO AROUND"]

I'm amazed at how many posts have come out against a strike vote here.

ASA management (Brian Lebrecque) publicly admitted that they read and post to this forum. Sounds like many members of ASA management have arrived and want to scare us. Let's give them a warm welcome.

Anybody who hangs out in our crew lounge knows that a vast majority of the ASA pilots are ready, willing, and able to strike. Before long, management will believe it.

Our managment knows how to read? Our managment couldn't find their a$$ in the dark with both hands and a flashlight!

Hey Brian, did you sleep through your business degree at Georgia State? Still trying to figure out if you even remember you have one. Cause I and the rest of us don't think so.

Business 101: The performance of your company is directly affected by the morale of your employee's. The latter is below ground and the first is soon to follow.

Patience and optimism is gone.

 

[OARfan]

I agree with what most people on the last page are saying. I'll strike and not think twice about it. Finally some people are talking like they have a set! JassBuff...Don't come to ASA

 

[ASA_Aviator]

I'm amazed at how many posts have come out against a strike vote here.

ASA management (Brian Lebrecque) publicly admitted that they read and post to this forum. Sounds like many members of ASA management have arrived and want to scare us. Let's give them a warm welcome.

Anybody who hangs out in our crew lounge knows that a vast majority of the ASA pilots are ready, willing, and able to strike. Before long, management will believe it.

Well, I'm against a strike, and I'm not in management. I've made my position well known that I'm against a strike because we would just be shooting our own foot. ASA is in a pretty good position in this industry. Just look around at some of our competitors, and that is apparent. Why would we want to jeopardize that by hurting our own company?Sure, there are things I want for QOL that we'll probably never get (commuting policy), but overall I'm excited to see what the future brings us. People at Comair wish they were here with our opportunities, that's for sure.Those of you suggesting we increase the costs of operation by doing two engine taxis and non-flex takeoffs need to take a deep breath and think about what that will do for you. After all, if the bottom line of the company is even tighter, do you think they will be willing to offer more to us? The way for us to make money is to make our customers happy, be efficient, and be the best airline we can be. If we do that, our bottom line and our QOL will improve. This isn't rocket science folks.A

 

[701EV]

Strike Vote

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

701EV

 

[~~~^~~~]

Deleted

 

[~~~^~~~]

I'm amazed at how many posts have come out against a strike vote here.

Flippin new hires, but hey, I was the same way when I was making $12,200 a year. It takes about 2,000 hours to realize that this is a profession, not a hobby. By the way, welcome over to the dark side.