ASA VP FLT OPs tries to scare the pilots

[FL990]

It's about picking your battles. You may win the fight and get your pay increases on the CR7, but JA will win the war in the end. You have a higher rate with no a/c to fly when he shifts CR7 flying to SKW. This is not the last contract negotiation we will endure. At the end of five years we start all over again and if industry will support it a bump in pay will occur.

Pick your battles and get it done...

Its not just about the decrease on the 700 but about the 200 as well. We cannot accept a contract that has no cost of living increase for anyone. That in and of itself is concessionary. It is unacceptable. NO ONE INCLUDING ALPA EXPECTS A HUGE RAISE...WHAT YOU SAW IN THE ALPA CHART ABOUT PAY IS THERE TO GIVE ROOM FOR NEGOTIATION. THE REASON NEGOTIATIONS STOPPED IS BECAUSE THE COMPANY DIDN'T BACK OFF OF THERE MULTIPLE CONCESSIONARY PROPOSAL.

Remember, they did not just want one cut, but two separate cuts from 700 pilots. They did not back down from that at all. Also, there was no increase for any FO's and 13 % initial decrease for 700 FO's (that means you 79%) This is to motivate you to hose yourself in the future for possible growth. Afterall, no one can live for very long on this FO pay, and that is the idea...Its not that they can't afford to pay you, its that they don't want you to get comfortable, so they can leverage growth, JUST LIKE THEY ARE DOING NOW!!!!

 

[SuperKooter]

Tell me, what airline has shut down as a direct result of pilot costs?

Mesaba is looking that way so is comair.

 

[COOPERVANE]

I believe the current environment that we are all stuck in is management's fault. For years they used bluffs and dangled carrots to try and get what they wanted during every contract negotiations at MOST airlines. They moaned doom and gloom to get what they wanted. They said the paycut was temporary when it never was meant to be (SKW) They said they needed concessions for growth, which never came (CMR) Based on past performance THEY ARE LYING, LYING, LYING,

However, I am afraid it IS possible that Tutt's letter has a ring of truth to it. In the current environment Delta DOES require us to be within a certain cost stucture or someone else gets the flying.

However, because of past dishonesty and LACK of credibility from MGMT during past negotiations, 99.9% of the pilot group say "It's all smoke and mirrors" and "its just to dangle growth for concessions" when it is possible that it is not.

It is all ASA Management's fault. G.O. workers, get YOUR resume ready

 

[COOPERVANE]

By the way, I am voting YES on the strike vote, and I still enjoy having D'anjello on my ignore list.

 

[dardar]

Not that I'm in favor of a pay cut or anything, but you guys really need to rethink the whole "most profitable airline" thing. That really doesn't say a whole lot. If you're going to make an argument, do it with numbers. Management will understand that more.

 

[JustaNumber]

So the big question is, is this a bluff or not? Will Skywest Inc. actually shrink ASA to punish us for not being competitive enough?

I personally can't believe that Skywest had previously made a firm decision (with a big announcement) on sending the 900's to ASA based on their assumption that the pilots would have agreed to a concessionary contract by now, and we would all be happy campers flying for less money as of August 1st. They knew that a concessionary contract was far from being signed, but they bet the farm anyway, and arranged for a huge delivery of a new type of aircraft? I know the people in charge around here are not too brilliant as managers, but that would have been a collossally stupid business decision.

If somehow this actually isn't a bluff, an even bigger question is, how can we stop management from doing this to us again and again in the future? ("Everybody needs to take a 20% paycut this time, or else we take xxx more airplanes away and give them to Skywest.")

I think our primary contract negotiating goal needs to be scope. And at this point, I'm thinking the best scope includes merging at least the ASA/Skywest seniority lists. Anyone else with me? Any better ideas?

 

[FL990]

Not that I'm in favor of a pay cut or anything, but you guys really need to rethink the whole "most profitable airline" thing. That really doesn't say a whole lot. If you're going to make an argument, do it with numbers. Management will understand that more.

I AGREE

13.1% profit margins...$85MIL+ profits

 

[FL990]

However, I am afraid it IS possible that Tutt's letter has a ring of truth to it. In the current environment Delta DOES require us to be within a certain cost stucture or someone else gets the flying.

COOPERATIVE,

do you think delta gives a CRAP what ASA's costs are if they are getting a good price?? or to put it another way, when you go to the grocery store, do you care how much kroger paid for the box of cookies??? NOOOOOOO

All you care about is what YOUUUU pay for the cookies!!

Our company has plenty of room to come down on there prices and still be competative. With 13.1% margins (which are over 2% higher than the number 2 airline, which by the way, WASN'T skywest), they can lower prices to remain competative, still be profitable, and still pay there bills (us).

The problem is, when ASA profit margins go down, that means there bonuses go down, and why would management want to give up there money when they can sucker us into giving up ours?? Because that is exactly the situation...THAT IS REALITY...THE REST IS JUST LIES AND THREATS!!!

 

[ASABound]

Super Cooter

We all know what super cooters feelings are with a name like that. All the junior guys care about is a darn upgrade and to drink the COOL AID. !! Get a life and go work for SKW if you dont want to try to keep /raise the bar!!

 

[IFLYASA]

Way to go you ASA MEC clowns you just cost people their jobs. I hope you are happy. I wish there was a way that some of us pilots with brains could negotiate our own contract and be put on another list were those who actually wanted growth and some chance leaving this dump with pic could do that. If we strike I WILL KEEP FLYING and I don't give 2 craps about you losers and you precious Alpa MEC. I hate them and their Criminal leaders.

"I hope we never cross paths in operations, it could get real ugly"