CALEX negotiations take turn for worse

[Captain X]

From the ALPA Nat'l site

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Release #04.CAL2
March 10, 2004


Continental Express Pilots Ramp Up Negotiations

HOUSTON---The Continental Master Executive Council (MEC), a unit of the Air Line Pilot’s Association (ALPA), has approved a resolution that allows Continental Express pilots to open strike centers in Houston.

Under this resolution, Continental Express pilots have begun preparations for informational campaigns and additional steps to obtain a new collective bargaining agreement.

Continental Express pilots plan to have strike centers open by May 3 in anticipation of further delays by the company. Key issues remaining in the negotiations are pilot scheduling, job security and compensation.

During negotiations last week (March 1-5), ExpressJet Airlines representatives failed to adequately address the remaining contract issues. Continental Express pilots have been in negotiations with ExpressJet for a new collective bargaining agreement for 20 months.

"We are sending a message to management that Continental Express pilots are serious about these negotiations," said Capt. Jay Panarello, chairman of the CAL pilot union’s Master Executive Council. "Our goal is to get the company back to the table and successfully complete these negotiations."

Continental Express pilots safely transport more than 50,000 passengers to more than 130 destinations daily on a growing fleet of state-of-the-art Embraer jets. These destinations range from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Acapulco, Mexico including the Caribbean. Continental Express is the sole provider of small jet service for Continental Airlines in that company’s hubs in Newark, Cleveland and Houston, and is the largest small jet operator in the world.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) is the bargaining agent for the 6,500 pilots of Continental and Continental Express. ALPA is the world’s oldest and largest pilot union, representing 64,000 airline pilots at 42 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. Their website is www.alpa.org.
__________________

 

[Ponchus pilot]

I have not senn one great contracts that did not get a turn for the worst before it was signed. One thing is for certain, unity always pays.

 

[captjim]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/2445707

 

[mckpickle]

Apparently the NMB mediator specifically sited the most recent contracts when suspending the talks and said that we were asking too much.

Now does CHQ and MESA understand why people are a little irked?

 

[captjim]

Apparently the NMB mediator specifically sited the most recent contracts when suspending the talks and said that we were asking too much.

Now does CHQ and MESA understand why people are a little irked?

That's ok I'm voting NO on anything thats not Comair PLUS X %! It's up to us to raise the bar this time, if it's a fight they want, it's a fight they get!

 

[B190Captain]

Go Get'em guys!! Let me know where to send the check for the strike fund if it comes to that.

 

[Dewey Oxberger]

If CHQ $ is the best J&J will offer then they had better start thinking about a new career. Unlike Mesaba, when we say the race to the bottom stops here, we mean it!!! As a 4th year jet pilot, I can replace my income waiting tables. Can you say that Jimbo?

 

[Dewey Oxberger]

Jimbo meaning our CEO, not CaptJim, of course!

 

[embraerjetpilot]

Would you asses stop bashing CHQ... Chq got a good contract with good quality of life improvements and I wouldnt trade that for 100 bucks an hour! Especially when our management resorted to blackmail.. For those who think Comair would have gotten the same contract if they had to go back now would be rediculous!

By the way, some things are easier said than done! Remember that .

 

[captjim]

Jimbo meaning our CEO, not CaptJim, of course!

Thanks!

This isn't about Mesa or CHQ or anybody else! It's about XJT now, and up to us to make a stand. Pay up your bills a month in advance, now's the time for action(my car payment and house payment are paid in advanced)!

Are you ready?

 

[Stingman]

I love all this tough talk right now. Real soon, Coex and ASA will also be shunned for accepting a less than stellar contract. Until then, we get to hear the same old boring rhetoric about fighting to the death and how they will never cave in....blah..blah..blah.....

 

[captjim]

I love all this tough talk right now. Real soon, Coex and ASA will also be shunned for accepting a less than stellar contract. Until then, we get to hear the same old boring rhetoric about fighting to the death and how they will never cave in....blah..blah..blah.....

And it's all becouse there were to many Pu$$ies out there who could'nt wait for their $3hr raise!

 

[Future SNA]

Hmmm....

It's kind of nice to see this ALPA spokesman, or whoever he is that got interviewed, kind of "struck the first blow" so-to-speak. I was kind of expecting management to come out in the papers first saying "how rich we all are," and "they only work 100 hours a month!" I'm assuming being on probation and all, I'll be one of the first ones laid off............oh well.........it's all for the better I guess.

 

[Dewey Oxberger]

Stingman...

If your idea of caving in and signing a crappy contract means something that is less than say 20%-30% above Comair, than I fear that there is a chance you could be right. But if you are implying that we will not even get what Comair has now than it is you who is smoking crack. Comair's contract made good gains compared to what was the standard before, but their compensation is still well short of what it should be for flying an advanced 50-70 seat airliner. Things were headed in the right direction until those 87 *&#%sucking motherfukcers at Freedumb sold this industry down the $hitter. Now we have unprecedented leverage to stop the race to the bottom and get things turned back around in the right direction. Me may not get the industry REDEFINING contract we had a chance at before MESA/CHQ, but we will at least get industry LEADING. If our mgt. refuses to pay a 4-5 year jet pilot what a starting TSA screener or bus driver makes than they can look for a new job with the rest of us.

 

[captjim]

Re: Stingman...

If your idea of caving in and signing a crappy contract means something that is less than say 20%-30% above Comair, than I fear that there is a chance you could be right. But if you are implying that we will not even get what Comair has now than it is you who is smoking crack. Comair's contract made good gains compared to what was the standard before, but their compensation is still well short of what it should be for flying an advanced 50-70 seat airliner. Things were headed in the right direction until those 87 *&#%sucking motherfukcers at Freedumb sold this industry down the $hitter. Now we have unprecedented leverage to stop the race to the bottom and get things turned back around in the right direction. Me may not get the industry REDEFINING contract we had a chance at before MESA/CHQ, but we will at least get industry LEADING. If our mgt. refuses to pay a 4-5 year jet pilot what a starting TSA screener or bus driver makes than they can look for a new job with the rest of us.

Aman brother!

 

[B1900DFO]

Finally some guys with the right attitude! Now that the regionals are becoming a destination instead of a stepping-stone it's time to bring our wages on par with bus drivers. I hope you guys atleast get Comair plus 10%...Good luck

 

[Sam Fisher]

Finally some guys with the right attitude! Now that the regionals are becoming a destination instead of a stepping-stone it's time to bring our wages on par with bus drivers. I hope you guys atleast get Comair plus 10%...Good luck

While I would love CMR + 10%, given that is outside of the NMB's "regional" box, I think it will be more like CMR + a little, which would still make us the best paid 50 seat jet pilots out there and we will be the first to "reset the bar" post-9/11. I, like, McPickle, would like to thank the CHQ and MSA guys for allowing us to be the first to reset the bar. Bravado aside, you guys did what you had to do in your minds and hearts and that is fine, but we won't cave.

Sam

REgionAL Airline? REAL Contract.

 

[BigShotXJTdrvr]

Finally some guys with the right attitude! Now that the regionals are becoming a destination instead of a stepping-stone it's time to bring our wages on par with bus drivers. I hope you guys atleast get Comair plus 10%...Good luck

Actually guys, there is a growing number of pilots here who are so pissed off with what this career has become and are so insulted by the behavior of our management that burning it down to the ground and starting over at somthing else is becoming a real option. Basically we want to get paid, or we WANT to see this place wrecked. And if some POS does ever get signed by 50%+1, I would guess there will be anywhere from 300 to 1000 guys who will say F*&% IT I'm not living this crap life for the next 8 years. COEX management wants to see if we're willing to commit career suicide. The unfortunate reality is that many here are willing. Our management had better have their plans in order if they choose to test us. It's not empty talk.

 

[embraerjetpilot]

Never judge someone till you are in their shoes..

When you dont get COmair plus 30 percent, I will just stand back and laugh..and if you think that your management isnt smart enough to figure out how to blackmail you you are wrong.
I truly wish you the best, but dont put down a good group of people because you like to blame your problems on someone else.

 

[captjim]

Never judge someone till you are in their shoes..

When you dont get COmair plus 30 percent, I will just stand back and laugh..and if you think that your management isnt smart enough to figure out how to blackmail you you are wrong.
I truly wish you the best, but dont put down a good group of people because you like to blame your problems on someone else.

That is the biggest contradiction I've ever read, are you sure you want that post to stay?

 

[MedFlyer]

I think the XJT guys have a good shot at getting Comair+X%. You've got a good amount of leverage since you account for 99% of CAL's feed. XJT is doing ok and CAL is weathering the storm decently, so there's no reason that XJT can't raise the bar.

ASA, on the otherhand, doesn't have half the leverage. ASA's only presence is ATL and DFW. In ATL, ASA is slowly getting overlapped mitigating much of the strike threat. If you subtract out the routes that CMR has taken over and the routes that ASA shares with DAL mainline, you'll see that ASA doesn't have that tight of a hold on ATL. An ASA strike would cripple DFW, but in all reality that does't matter. DFW doesn't make money for DL and losing it wouldn't be that big of a blow to the system.

Factor that in with DL's declining financials and pressure from DALPA and you've got yourself one tough road ahead for ASA.

 

[B1900DFO]

BigshotXJetdriver,

It's sad but that seems to be the general state of the industry these days. So many pilots are either out of work or hate their jobs and are actively looking for another career. It's about time somebody called BS and fought for a liveable wage that you can actually buy a home and live a decent life with. Who knows maybe you guys will have 50 seat captains making more than Mesa is going to pay their 737 guys. That would be real interesting.

 

[N813CA]

Hey as a pilot at Comair, make us proud. We have been waiting a long time now for a group to push this forward. We did it earlier. Lets keep it going. I can guarantee you will have the Comair pilots support.

 

[Ben Franklin]

When you dont get COmair plus 30 percent, I will just stand back and laugh..

And I will kick you in the nuts.


Sincerely,

B. Franklin

 

[Ben Franklin]

squah in the nuts.


Sincerely,


B. Franklin

 

[Stingman]

All of the above posts are exactly what I was referring to about the tough talk. You talk a good talk, now let's see you walk (of course only if that's what it takes to get a great contract). I hope you do accomplish the goal of considerably raising the bar, but we've all heard this before time and again.

 

[Dewey Oxberger]

We will do our best to raise the bar, you can be assured. Now if ASA can just drag their negotiations out long enough for us to finish, that should help their cause as well. My hat is off to you Comair guys for standing up to Delta and refusing concessions. Had you decided to whore yourselves out then you too could have gotten some shiny new jets last week. I'm just surprised that ASA got any at all. Not exactly proficient whipsaw strategy by Mother Delta, is it?

 

[Dewey Oxberger]

Why are we guaranteed to succeed where others have failed? First, whe are incredibly angry and unified. None of us expected to be FOs on an RJ for 5 years and we are so PO'd by management's games that many are ready to burn the house down. Still, that means nothing without the second reason, LEVERAGE. If we walk, CAL no longer serves Milwaukee, Charlotte, Louisville, Memphis, St. Louis, Palm Springs, Toronto, Montreal, and many smaller cities. XJT mgt. will not settle until told to by CAL. We are merely a shell corporation, and a strike by us would likely put CAL in Ch.11 in a matter of days. So when Gordo and Co. feel CAL's public image (best place to work, so our mgt. keeps telling us) is being tarnished too much by our soon to be unleashed PR blitz, only then will XJT come back to the table and pay the piper.

 

[Ben Franklin]

by our soon to be unleashed PR blitz,

Ok, I go to the company/union websites and stuff. Where do you get your information from? What PR blitz? ALPA hasn't done much, what makes you think that they are going to do anything at all?

OH, and I did read the article that went out in the IAH paper today. Is that a "blitz"? Maybe you can tell us who your inside source is so that we can all share in the information instead of 3 people knowing everything about our futures.


Sincerely,


B. Franklin

 

[Dewey Oxberger]

I believe the preparations were begun at the MEC meeting this week. It takes time to get the bilboards changed in Terminal B. Mgt. stabbed us in the back last week and i believe there will be no more Mr. nice guy from us!