Cal System Bid

[4got2flare]

Well said! Way past time for all to pull together...

 

[bizicmo]

As one of the 148, I am very disappointed at CAL. I have always approached work with a positive attitude and to go do whatever was needed to make things work. I have always considered myself as a team player, willing to go to the max when asked. The company asked me to fly to the max this summer to help them and I timed out every month with no complaints. Now before people go crazy that was the standard 90 something hour line that they gave everyone, plus multi reassignments and one junior manning. No complaints, I just did it because they said it would help the company. Now I assumed the company meant me also but I guess not. CAL dropped the ball on this one. The 148 of us make up what percentage of the payroll? What percentage of revenue? The answer is not much. Plain and simple, when the company needed me this summer I stepped up and when I need them now they disappeared. CAL could have saved a lot of money on payroll these next two years if they had offered a real retirement package. Of the 150 that accepted the current early retirement about half had their intent to retire letters already in and I bet the other half was already thinking about it. If they had offered $100,000 a year for two years CAL would still have made out like bandits. The retirement pay plus my $30,000 a year would still be less then the $200 grand they are going to have to pay these guys now that they are staying. That’s $70,000 per person per year they could have saved. The people that they got were already going. I’m sure that everyone has heard about the parking spot in Jacksonville. But that is a different topic about the nobility class in the USA. The company views this as a loss of 148 bodies but I think they also lost 148 minds, hearts and souls. Now I have had a few beers so the grammar may be off but the message should be clear.

 

[Mookie]

i'm proud to be an angry FORMER ExpressJet pilot.

if you're not fuming over the working conditions that have been allowed by the pilot force at CAL then i don't know how to convince you otherwise.

thanks for lumping the FORMER ExpressJet pilots together. if we are all seen as angry and willing to push back when we are shoved around then i have no problem with the label.

CAL pilots continue to tear open their own wounds and i don't get it. move onward and upward and stop blaming others for where we are. it's my fault and it's your fault and it's OUR responsibility to fix things.

time to get started...

I'm sure I'm going to get crucified for this, but....blame the goddamn scabs!!!

blame them for:

Being Scabs

Degredation of our vocation/avocation

PFT-yes...if they wouldn't have scabbed, then mgmnt would not have gotten this brilliant idea where so many "scabs in training" would have thought that 'yah...I'll pay 10 grand to fly the right seat of a 1900'. I said it...deal with it...it's true. you all PAID for your jobs when someone who didn't have 10 grand who were just as good but didn't apply...whatever...there is no justification. deal with the reprocussions of that decision and don't defend it.

As a result....all of our careers have taken a huge hit if you compare our spending power before and after the height of scabbing in the late 80's and early 90's and it has affected/effected (I can never get that right) and we are so far behind what we deserve, that it's embarassing.

the next frontier....juuuuuuust wait until they figure out that you can fly VFR in Goughzou for 9 months of the year and they start running flight schools there. you think 'sweatshops' are a problem now...just wait.

respectfully, but I ********************ing hate scabs...
Mookie

 

[densoo]

Once again, voluntary junior manning at 150% pay over this weekend, with 150 getting furloughed in two weeks. How many "volunteers" to put guys on the street? I wonder how many will be volunteering after people are actually on the street.

 

[SMOE]

Once again, voluntary junior manning at 150% pay over this weekend, with 150 getting furloughed in two weeks. How many "volunteers" to put guys on the street? I wonder how many will be volunteering after people are actually on the street.

The #1 company savior, Scabtain D.K., is on the reserve availability list with a 'J' next to his name again today...

 

[densoo]

Either the pilots are getting more unified or the company is simply running out of pilots. I got called for FO junior manning today at 2am for 840am show (didn't answer the phone). Looked at it this morning and they couldn't get any takers, including captains, for the 1.5 junior man pay and they were out of FO reserves, so they assigned a reserve captain to the right seat to cover it. I wonder how many flights were cancelled this summer due to lack of crew.

 

[Morgoth]

You must be an another angry Express Jet pilot who things the world (and CAL) owes them something. I've been furloughed from another major and had to start all over again. I'm tired up people blaming others about this job as if they had "no idea" what they were getting into. If you don't like it, it's your own fault for coming. You need to rethink your research methods and grow up.

Another bastion of intellect who can't put two coherent sentences together, much less show any compassion for the furloughees he's no doubt stabbing. What an a$$. Perhaps a remedial course in high school grammar would be in order.

Thank God for the ignore list.

 

[geshields]

Either the pilots are getting more unified or the company is simply running out of pilots. I got called for FO junior manning today at 2am for 840am show (didn't answer the phone). Looked at it this morning and they couldn't get any takers, including captains, for the 1.5 junior man pay and they were out of FO reserves, so they assigned a reserve captain to the right seat to cover it. I wonder how many flights were cancelled this summer due to lack of crew.

I count 4 captains flying as F/O's to cover today's flights....should add that they are Reserve CA's getting tagged by scheduling, not VJM.

 

[Pocono Pilot]

It would be funny if all the CAL boys decided to take there 737 type ratings and get hired at Southwest. LOL

I'd even consider going to Southwest, except for the fact that I have no desire to be a gear jerking bump-on a pickle fo again. Besides, like I always said, I land bettr from the left seat anyways. <wink wink> LOL

Good luck to all the CAL guys getting furloughed. I bet that you'll easily find a better job than CAL.

Oh, and how come no one ever listens to me. LOL

 

[flynryan15]

It would be funny if all the CAL boys decided to take there 737 type ratings and get hired at Southwest. LOL

I'd even consider going to Southwest, except for the fact that I have no desire to be a gear jerking bump-on a pickle fo again. Besides, like I always said, I land bettr from the left seat anyways. <wink wink> LOL

Good luck to all the CAL guys getting furloughed. I bet that you'll easily find a better job than CAL.

Oh, and how come no one ever listens to me. LOL

God shocking that it took 3 pages for this moron to speak. Hey $hitbag do you not realize that our company just cut 347 myself included!!!

 

[densoo]

I count 4 captains flying as F/O's to cover today's flights....should add that they are Reserve CA's getting tagged by scheduling, not VJM.

Not VJM. Outstanding.

 

[SFR]

You all complain too much.. This is the airline business, if you don't like it then quit.

 

[DontFeedTheBear]

You all complain too much.. This is the airline business, if you don't like it then quit.

SFR, you are a true class act!!! People will be on the street having to fend for their families, and that is what you have to say. Hope you never have to fend for your family (That is IF they still claim to be related to you!!!) Hope you never have to jerk gear for me someday...

Yogi

 

[cal73cap]

Ah, the airline industry. One day your a Captain, the next you are back to being a First. One day you're a First, the next day you are back on the street. This cycle has repeated for years, you pray it doesn't hit you, but be prepared if it does.​

Good luck to those heading out the door, I have flown with several of them, nice guys. Some a little "entitled" (Gen Y?), most not. Just people wanting to fly the big jets. It's a good job, not as good as it used to be, but still good.

Hopefully you will all be back soon.
Good luck!

 

[Double Shot]

Ah, the airline industry. One day your a Captain, the next you are back to being a First. One day you're a First, the next day you are back on the street. This cycle has repeated for years, you pray it doesn't hit you, but be prepared if it does.​

Good luck to those heading out the door, I have flown with several of them, nice guys. Some a little "entitled" (Gen Y?), most not. Just people wanting to fly the big jets. It's a good job, not as good as it used to be, but still good.

Hopefully you will all be back soon.
Good luck!

Lets not get into entitlement with the generation crap. Remember the biggest group that thinks they are entitled is the baby boomers. Age 65 comes to mind.

 

[mamba20]

Lets not get into entitlement with the generation crap. Remember the biggest group that thinks they are entitled is the baby boomers. Age 65 comes to mind.

The biggest group that thinks they are entilted are the scabs. After all they did save the airline in´83

 

[SFR]

SFR, you are a true class act!!! People will be on the street having to fend for their families, and that is what you have to say. Hope you never have to fend for your family (That is IF they still claim to be related to you!!!) Hope you never have to jerk gear for me someday...

Yogi

Yogi, I always have to fend for my family. It is called being proactive.

Trust me, if CAL goes belly up I am done flying. I never understand why people hop from airline job to airline job....there are other things to do that will pay you enough so you can buy a plane.

Also, to let you know. Scheduling tried to roll my days off last week for a Newark trip. I told them I was sick and would not do it, but I would finish my current trip. They said " if you are sick how can you fly your current trip?" I said (honestly) "I am sick of hearing about furloughs when you can't even cover your trips now".......still waiting for the chief pilot to call, but I don't give a shizam...why, because I can quit anytime and be happy and they know that. They leave me alone.


Dont give them the power, you have to take it!!!

 

[pianoman]

As one of the 148, I am very disappointed at CAL. I have always approached work with a positive attitude and to go do whatever was needed to make things work. I have always considered myself as a team player, willing to go to the max when asked. The company asked me to fly to the max this summer to help them and I timed out every month with no complaints. Now before people go crazy that was the standard 90 something hour line that they gave everyone, plus multi reassignments and one junior manning. No complaints, I just did it because they said it would help the company. Now I assumed the company meant me also but I guess not. CAL dropped the ball on this one. The 148 of us make up what percentage of the payroll? What percentage of revenue? The answer is not much. Plain and simple, when the company needed me this summer I stepped up and when I need them now they disappeared. CAL could have saved a lot of money on payroll these next two years if they had offered a real retirement package. Of the 150 that accepted the current early retirement about half had their intent to retire letters already in and I bet the other half was already thinking about it. If they had offered $100,000 a year for two years CAL would still have made out like bandits. The retirement pay plus my $30,000 a year would still be less then the $200 grand they are going to have to pay these guys now that they are staying. That’s $70,000 per person per year they could have saved. The people that they got were already going. I’m sure that everyone has heard about the parking spot in Jacksonville. But that is a different topic about the nobility class in the USA. The company views this as a loss of 148 bodies but I think they also lost 148 minds, hearts and souls. Now I have had a few beers so the grammar may be off but the message should be clear.

Spot on. Sorry they can't see that. We'll try and make this a better place to come back to. If I had any other options around I'd have taken a COLA.

 

[Jonny Sacko]

So what'd you pick??

Coming to work with us, or going to coach for rest seats??

 

[nimtz]

Lets not get into entitlement with the generation crap. Remember the biggest group that thinks they are entitled is the baby boomers. Age 65 comes to mind.

No freaking sh!t. Nothing funnier then getting the Gen Y lecture from some four stripper with two divorces and a boat, but needing a few more years to afford retirement. Scares the bejesus out of me that Boomers will be running the AARP within 10 years...

 

[Turtlesfly]

so what happened with your TA? What did it contain?

 

[Captain X]

so what happened with your TA? What did it contain?

It was not a TA on the Collective Bargaining Agreement but a Tentative Letter of Agreement drafted regarding Joint Venture flying with a Domestic Air Carrier.

They threw a 2% pay rate increase tied to meeting certain benchmarks first, extending the sunset on the Profit Sharing plan, B756 Business First or FC crew rest seat, IRO both directions on certain segments, mitigating any furloughs (converting them to COLAs - so they necessarily would not have been employed but would have continued to accrue longevity), and some other things I've probably forgotten.

The language was poor and had several holes in it like it was hastily drafted.

It was leaked in a breach on confidentiality prior to the NC having the opportunity to brief the MEC on it and for there to be discussion. Either way though, the MEC did not think the deal had "all the blanks filled in" and thus rejected it.