Beer? Yes, please. And keep 'em coming.
I've plopped down behind the bar on many an overnight (with more than 12 hours, of course) and had a beer (or 6) with other flight crews. I sat next to a Mesa FO who was happy to have to be flying but loathing his contract. Nice guy. And I didn't tell him he was a piece of dirt for voting on that contract. I don't care how he voted.
I sat with some XJET guys and gave them an "at-a-boy" for their new contract. They still had issues with it, as a matter of fact, the captain had voted no. But, guess what -- I didn't care about that either. I've run into other XJET folks and have had them give the Comair group a collective at-a-boy.
They voted for their own reasons, and at the end of the day, I still have a job. I've read the posts on this thread and many are rediculous. As mentioned in an earlier post or few posts (I forget), we now know who are friends are. No one. If you signed on to work for your company with your current contract or voted yes for your contract, don't complain to me about it -- again, I don't care. You made your choice. Wave our contract around, pound your chest, and accept something less, then you're the fool. America West voted on a contract that passed by something in the low 50's, lets say 53%. Well, 47% of the guys there probably weren't too happy... the pitfalls of democracy. Point is, you don't get to choose our future, unless you're one of us.
If WE, and I'm not talking just me, vote NO, I will be happy to be part of this Comair pilot group. My pay will stay first rate (not that I care what you make, I don't), my contract will stay first rate, eventually my airline might shrink, and I may be furloughed. I will not be the first furlough, but I will most likely get the axe eventually. By then, hopefully, I will have had the foresight to have found another job. But, it will have been an honor to have flown with one of the only pilot groups with a sack.
If WE, and I'm not talking just me, vote YES I will be happy to be part of this pilot group. We'll get some planes, some upgrades (and yes that affects my future), some job security/new jobs for folks on the street, and the bottom line at Delta will be helped by a puny amount. And I hope one of you has the guts to come up to me and tell me I should be ashamed to be a part of this pilot group. You can post it here all day long, because I pretty much don't have time to look at this board... but, please, please, if it does pass, please come tell me to my face that you think we're a joke. 'Cause then the beer will be on you (and I hope you have another shirt -- nah that's alcohol abuse, and a waste of 3 bucks, forget it -- I'll throw the bar snacks at you).
Whatever the case, it is our decision. Individually at first, then as a group. It is quite clear to me that I shouldn't worry about having friends (in airline terms) because it is evident we have no support. We have ASA pilots bashing us and Delta "share the pain" and "you didn't hire our furloughs" pilots calling us names too. Maybe it's Atlanta, I don't know, but thanks for the words of wisdom and support. Take care.
And if you really do care, the general buzz around flight line (not the exit poll) is pretty much NO. Or the YES people are being awfully quiet. We'll see next week I imagine. By the way (and these are honest questions - not flame attempts), if you guys at ASA are that darn unified, then why haven't you already struck? You guys were saying a year or so ago that December '04 was your plan, right? At least some progress -- how long have you guys been working on this contract?
