Avantair pay cut vacay elimination

[Praetorian]

Ran into one of your guys in the hotel lobby the other day. He said your mangt. is asking you to vote on 3 choices for a pay cut and are eliminating your vacation. Whats the word on all this?

 

[jonjuan]

Something's going on. It's been 4 months since the last "quarterly" earnings announcement. Quite a bit of management turnover and management pay reductions that was purposely released by the company and reported on financial sites.

 

[RoughAir]

All pilot pay was cut about 10-15% except for the year one hires. Other employees also taking pay cuts. No new hiring.

Ex: Year 4 PIC under old scale was $66000/yr New pay: $60998
Year 4 SIC under old scale was $46000/yr New pay: $41750
Year 8 PIC under old scale was $98000/yr New pay: $79662

Per diem cut in half from $2.00 to $1.00 per hour.

One week vacation per year.

New pay scale in effect for 5 years.

Board of Directors compensation package reduced. President Steve Santo takes cut. COO resigned Aug 31. CFO resigned several months ago.

FY 2012 annual report due out this month. Standby....

 

[brokeflyer]

so the boss takes a 13% cut....which is nothing to a $525,000 yr salary. but makes a 8 yr PIC take 20% cut from 98,000? idiots

Sounds like you need a union over there.

 

[RoughAir]

There was a union effort going on there about a year ago, but fizzled out.

 

[gunfyter]

Well ... union probably couldn't stop something like this... and then just would have been blamed....

 

[OPECJet]

One week of vacation? Ouch!

 

[DUATS]

Stock price is sitting at about 65 cents a share. Ran an ad for pilots last week that said, "Need resumes this week". I'm picturing Leo and Kate leaning over the front of a Piaggio......

 

[Praetorian]

Well ... union probably couldn't stop something like this... and then just would have been blamed....

Your right. But it's interesting this happened not long after the threat of the union went away. Shows how hollow typical management promises during a union campaign are.

 

[BE40Driver]

Your one to talk Praetorian with your union company doing down grades with pay cuts. The company wanted to freeze pay for down grades, but your union said NO take a pay cut. NICE!

 

[Dilligaff]

They published a new lower pay scale. All current pilots will be frozen at their current pay rates until the new scale catches up to their salary. At that point annual raises will resume. For some junior pilots it's only a one year freeze (first year FO's will not see a freeze - just a smaller raise next year). For some of the older pilots it can mean a 3 or 4 year freeze.

 

[The Kman]

Avaintair must be talking to DPJ management.
Vacation. GONE
Sick Time. GONE
Pay Raises. GONE
Attrition. Through the roof!
It's never the fault of bad decisions by management. It's those greedy pilots that keep the customers happy. That will fix the problem.

 

[jehtplane]

Avaintair must be talking to DPJ management.
Vacation. GONE
Sick Time. GONE
Pay Raises. GONE
Attrition. Through the roof!
It's never the fault of bad decisions by management. It's those greedy pilots that keep the customers happy. That will fix the problem.

Or Citationair, all of this is very familiar, good luck guys

 

[Dilligaff]

Also, vacation hasn't been eliminated - it was reduced to one week per year. Sick time hasn't been touched as far as I know. Lots of people updating their logbooks and resumes.

 

[Skippy]

Pathetic.

 

[FRACTRASH]

What the Hell happened? I thought you guys were doing good taking more planes and hiring pilots. It goes to show everyone is struggling to survive this market.

 

[rajflyboy]

Hey?

Don't those Italian things break a lot?

 

[Capt. JD]

Hey?

Don't those Italian things break a lot?

Would a Ferrari break down allot if it was used as a NYC taxi cab??

 

[Capt. JD]

Hiring

Also, vacation hasn't been eliminated - it was reduced to one week per year. Sick time hasn't been touched as far as I know. Lots of people updating their logbooks and resumes.

To go where?!

 

[brokeflyer]

To go where?!

Netjets you idiot!!!

lol

 

[G4dude]

Your right. But it's interesting this happened not long after the threat of the union went away. Shows how hollow typical management promises during a union campaign are.

With the stock price in the tank, I am guessing a Union drive right now would not be a good idea.

 

[fob727]

With the stock price in the tank, I am guessing a Union drive right now would not be a good idea.

Seriously?

 

[Praetorian]

With the stock price in the tank, I am guessing a Union drive right now would not be a good idea.

I think any time a group of pilots decide - for whatever reason - to cast off the humiliation of at-will employment, it's a good idea for them and for the profession in general.

The only question is, given this groups extreme timidity in the past, do they have the stones to stand up for themselves?

We shall all see.

 

[dime line]

With the stock price in the tank, I am guessing a Union drive right now would not be a good idea.

So G4 who are you gonna blame, the pilots or management for the low stock price.

 

[Freight Dawg]

I see that the fractional industry has taken a hit full circle. Its to bad, I hope the next for years is better.

 

[gret]

I think any time a group of pilots decide - for whatever reason - to cast off the humiliation of at-will employment, it's a good idea for them and for the profession in general.

The only question is, given this groups extreme timidity in the past, do they have the stones to stand up for themselves?

We shall all see.

I don’t know partner…I’ve never met anybody that feels humiliated working “at-will”…people who are worth their salt wouldn’t have it any other way. Most are pretty proud of themselves and the success they’ve achieved in life…they value their independence. This gung ho attitude is what America is all about...men who have hearts of oak and dicks of steel and make it on their own

 

[fob727]

I don’t know partner…I’ve never met anybody that feels humiliated working “at-will”…people who are worth their salt wouldn’t have it any other way. Most are pretty proud of themselves and the success they’ve achieved in life…they value their independence. This gung ho attitude is what America is all about...men who have hearts of oak and dicks of steel and make it on their own

Are you running for office or something??? The union people I've been associated with feel the same.

 

[gret]

Yeah..I'm running for office.

 

[G4dude]

So G4 who are you gonna blame, the pilots or management for the low stock price.

You have asked a good question. My answer is: the economy is to blame. The pilots seem to be a good bunch, and management appears to be pretty good. My conversations with pilots on the ramp haven't indicated discomfort with how things at Avantair are run.

 

[G4dude]

I think any time a group of pilots decide - for whatever reason - to cast off the humiliation of at-will employment, it's a good idea for them and for the profession in general.

The only question is, given this groups extreme timidity in the past, do they have the stones to stand up for themselves?

We shall all see.

Humiliation? I am proud to work "at will." And I expect my employer to employ me "at will." If I don't like them I can leave "at will." If my employer doesn't like me, they can fire me "at will." Sounds like a fair exchange to me. I work for whomever I want and they employ whomever they want.
Union organizing during a perilous time for a company, especially during a protracted flat economy, doesn't take "stones" but rather "cluelessness", it seems to me. Sounds like a good way to lose one's job.