Joey Bagodonutz said:
I find it interesting that none of the usair pilots seem to realize that without this merger they are ALL out of work.
Again, the US pilots have been hearing this for ohhhhh about the past 15 years. Your going out of bussines, your time is short, etc etc. The demise of US has been speculated for years. Amazing, it's been going and going. At the same time AWA own leader has stated, that by the end of the year AWA would have a liquidity problem and possible Chp11. And who knows, it may have been talk, it may not of. People must remember the leaders start talking in the press what they want the press and such to believe. If you remember correctly back in 2001 our own esteemed leader said that US would fold up and be gone if UAL merger wasn't approved. Shortly after that it was, US with it's transformation will be a strong stand alone carrier.
Don't expect any thanks with the attitudes being show here. This transaction is a combination. This transaction has been said to be needed by both parties.
there hasn't been any talks from the US side that any AWA pilot should hit the street. The only talk has been pointing the fact that there will be ALOT of retirements on our side with ALOT of movement upwards. US is currently running 200-400 pilots short. Again all the US pilots are saying is, Let US reap the rewards of what WE are bringing into the combination. Basically the retirements of our guys.
There could easily be an integration system wide, with fences between east and west, with a seperate integration in the east / west division. Problem with this??? The pilots themselves. as has been shown (the majority of the problem within this industry) is the "I have mine attitude" As prev. poster said, while we argue who gets which carrot, the regionals are getting the biggest carrot with the 90 seaters. The regionals are more than happy to fly the 90 seaters and continue to get more flying, larger airplanes at rates way below what a 737/ dc9 driver should be paid. Everyone turns around and blames ALPA. Well hate to say it but the pilots themselves are ALPA. So look in the mirror for someone to blame. It is sickening to continue to see the pervasive attitude of I got mine throughout the industry. I've heard guys talk about, "There needs to be something done" a national work stoppage etc etc, but then asked how did you get to the right seat of a jet with 800 hours, it's well I paid $30k for some advanced training at an airline, and then I agreed to fly this jet for $20.00/hr. Well why did you accept that. I need the experience, I'll do what it takes to get to the larger airlines. And i"m upset because now I sit here with 1200 hours, promised to upgrade in 6 months to a year, and this place sucks. The nature of the industy has sickeningly changed, and the entitlement attitudes suck. BUT that's also a nature of what society of where we live in has changed too. The answer to change this is above my pay grade, and it isn't a slam against the regional guys, as if you refused the job, there'd be 20 more behind you that would fly it for half the cost. It's a slam against Everyone. Guess this turned into a rant, but guess I have been flying with too many new F/O's that have exhibited this attitude, and yet don't know the history of the industry.
Anyways the bottom line is, all the US guys have been talking is for this thing to be done within ALPA merger policy. (no windfalls, career expectations relative seniority etc etc) Which hmmmm....would include taking into account all the retirements that are to occur, Why should the bottom 5% AWA pilot gain from this, and get zoomed up the seniority list? a bottom 5% US pilot has been hanging on looking at, in 10 years I'll go up to the top 5%. That's ALOT of movement. Where would the bottom 5% AWA be in 10 years within his seniority list? in the top 5% or somewhere in the middle 50%??? So why don't we look at integrating consistent on where you would be on the seniority list in 5, 10, 15, 20 years? Speculate all you want where US would be in 5-10 years, as well as speculate where AWA would be. YOU DON"T KNOW. and have NOTHING to base your conjectures off of besides quotes from guys that are standing to make millions if this deal goes through.
As for Xanderman, Well MDA is NOT a j4j position. It's a division of mainline. They are shown as active pilots by alpa. They pay AAA dues/assesments/ vote on AAA dealings and can even run for AAA alpa positions. Name one furloughee that is allowed to do that. Ask the FAA if the pilots flying for MDA are AAA pilots or furloughed pilots.
PHXFLYER.....uhmmmm......I feelt he pain you flew 10 years at a WO'd, As to you saying *ELL no to the CEL list, well why?? the CEL list is there, it was promised these guys could flow up, and they should still be able to after the merger. What would you have against these guys flowing up??? No where have I mentioned them being integrated or slotted or DOH, just that the program needs to be kept in place. Alot of those guys are in the mid 20's and in 10 years may still be there, and would prob. welcome the fact of being able to flow up to the mainline. Why wouldn't you offer them such a chance? Again the "I got mine" attitude prevails...
