CAL rumors......

[skywdriver]

I'll say it again............................

All furloughs on property by April 2010. Not before.

I am to the point where I just hope we get back at any time in 2010. I started thinking about it, we are supposed to have 3 more airplanes on property end of 2010 than we did end of 2008 after they started cutting and furloughed. In the peak of the summer in 2008, we had about 24 more airplanes than we will have end of 2010, now the mix will obviously be different, some bigger airplanes compared to 2008. However, 24 737's = 240 guys that won't be needed in 2010 compared to end of 2008. There were 150 early retirements, and supposedly there have been some more guys retiring or no longer on the list for whatever reason, I was told 50. So, its hard to say how many more pilots they are really going to need to fly summer 2010 schedule, plus the 60 COLA's will be coming back. I think without more retirements, we might be in trouble. Not trying to be pessimistic, just realistic. Any other ideas?

 

[SuperFLUF]

Talked to my buddy last night, his wife was awarded 98% in HOU (she was displaced to EWR after the furlough), and he believes this is the sign of an impending callback in the fall. His logic is that since she has been awarded HOU, and per the contract she has to have a HOU bid award by October, there is no way in hell they will be able to cover EWR flying come fall with all people that have been awarded HOU.

Hiring, however, he's changed his tune on. He still thinks it's possible in the fall, but he's not as high on it as he was a couple of months ago. His wife doesn't think there will be any hiring until at least next spring. Who knows?

Take whatever your "buddy" says with a grain of salt. He seems to be using logic to come up with possible moves by our mgmt. That never works.
The movement of pilots from base to base is only covering a shifting of flying around the system. Although we really need to hire just to cover the current level of flying, we are staffed properly according to mgmt's plan and will be for the foreseable future.

We'll be lucky if more aren't furloughed in the fall; http://finance.yahoo.com/news/US-airlines-plan-further-rb-15506598.html?.v=4

A wave of retirements may keep everyone on property.

 

[Ex737Driver]

I am to the point where I just hope we get back at any time in 2010. I started thinking about it, we are supposed to have 3 more airplanes on property end of 2010 than we did end of 2008 after they started cutting and furloughed. In the peak of the summer in 2008, we had about 24 more airplanes than we will have end of 2010, now the mix will obviously be different, some bigger airplanes compared to 2008. However, 24 737's = 240 guys that won't be needed in 2010 compared to end of 2008. There were 150 early retirements, and supposedly there have been some more guys retiring or no longer on the list for whatever reason, I was told 50. So, its hard to say how many more pilots they are really going to need to fly summer 2010 schedule, plus the 60 COLA's will be coming back. I think without more retirements, we might be in trouble. Not trying to be pessimistic, just realistic. Any other ideas?

You forget the company saviors. Guys who are early but wont block out until schedule, open-time w*************************, and VJM CA to FO.

 

[contrail67]

CAL folks...what happened with the "buy out" of the old guys....I had heard that helped reduce furloughs. Is the early out language a side agreement that anyone can take...at any time?.... or was it just a one time offering. Also, how many really took it and how good was it? Just curious.

 

[SuperFLUF]

CAL folks...what happened with the "buy out" of the old guys....I had heard that helped reduce furloughs. Is the early out language a side agreement that anyone can take...at any time?.... or was it just a one time offering. Also, how many really took it and how good was it? Just curious.

It was a one time, take it or leave it, deal. The lump sum buy out had incremental levels of pay out depending on how many chose to leave early.

It was almost a year ago, so I don't remember how many took it, or what the pay out levels were. I think somehwere around 200 left early.
Since then, we have had a few leave every month who didn't take the early out and then for one reason or another decided to retire. I've moved up 28 numbers since the beginning of the year. (I'm around 55% on the list)

 

[NavinRJohnson]

That one time deal theoretically saved @350 pilots at the bottom of our list (Mgmt sent out letters of possible furlough to around 500 of us). 147 on the street, so my grade school math works out.

That early out deal helped, just not enough to avoid all furloughs. I would expect retirements to keep its relatively slow pace for a while, so if we do recall, I assume it would be a little at a time.

Considering capacity cuts were announced yesterday by AA and DL, who knows what will happen. The article states that other carriers are expected to follow suit. Recessions blow.

What angers me is that I shouldn't be able to build a line above 75 hrs with people on the street. The lowest amount I can fly on our July bid is 78.5-83.5 hours. In Jun I was awarded an 85 hour line since I selected a wide credit range (a mistake--won't happen again). If you choose a line credit range of high, it goes to 88.5 hours! WTF?

 

[catIIIc]

That one time deal theoretically saved @350 pilots at the bottom of our list (Mgmt sent out letters of possible furlough to around 500 of us). 147 on the street, so my grade school math works out.

That early out deal helped, just not enough to avoid all furloughs. I would expect retirements to keep its relatively slow pace for a while, so if we do recall, I assume it would be a little at a time.

Considering capacity cuts were announced yesterday by AA and DL, who knows what will happen. The article states that other carriers are expected to follow suit. Recessions blow.

What angers me is that I shouldn't be able to build a line above 75 hrs with people on the street. The lowest amount I can fly on our July bid is 78.5-83.5 hours. In Jun I was awarded an 85 hour line since I selected a wide credit range (a mistake--won't happen again). If you choose a line credit range of high, it goes to 88.5 hours! WTF?

Becarful on the Set Low statement if you are below the Splat, >50%, because set low will put you in Denial mode which is worse then being awarded a high time line with some control then a high time line in denial mode.

 

[SuperFLUF]

....That early out deal helped, just not enough to avoid all furloughs....

Actually, I would contend that the furlough mitigation efforts were enought to prevent ALL furloughs (and I believe the CAL MEC stated this as well).
The company chose to take 147 hostages at the last hour in order to attempt to bribe/coerce the MEC into agreeing to a hastily negotiated Joint Venture scope relief with UAL.

 

[NavinRJohnson]

Fluf:

My point was that it was better than nothing at all. It did help, but mgmt for whatever reason chose 147. I would agree that they didn't need to furlough any of us. My bids are testament to that.

CatIIIc:

I'm above splat thankfully, so I can get away with selecting a low range. But here's something I just thought about--with PBS it doesn't matter what I select, because anyone below the splat line will be assigned any credit range management needs. It's a no-win, I guess, until we decide to act beyond the bargaining table...

Navin