Comair MEC endorses contract changes

[ThisistheDream]

I agree with Flycomairjets. I some how wish someone could hold the bar on health insurance!! Why dont we get a vote when that changes for the worse which happened at Comair. I just paided 75 dollars for 2 cold medicine prescriptions!!! I have never paided over 15 dollars for any perscription before!!! Paying more for health care monthly premiums and getting less coverage like in this example is a consession that we can't control!!! Who's to say that MGTs will make us start paying twice as much for healthcare premiums?? that could be 200-400 month expense which in turn a paycut concession??

 

[AFELLOWAVIATOR]

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1st off that post you are talking about is a CHQ Flight attendant that got bumped off in CVG.
2nd Afellowdoucebag, you are the biggest piece a 5HIT @ Comair. The current $$$$ offer is still out there to find out your PFT/sim instructing name. We will find out your name... Some poor Fo will see you typing your garbage @ a hotel or on the company computer and sell you out for a $100.00.

DO NOT blame us. CHQ has NEVER taken a pay cut/freeze for growth.
If you guys decide to sell your souls to Fred, suck it up and quit blaming everyone else for your trouble.
You are not taking a cut to save jobs. You are voting to take a cut to get flying.
Our CEO approached our MEC this past month to take concessions, they told him to pound sand.

You are the highes paid... blah blah blah... That was yesterday. Today is the test to see if you can hold the line.

If you take the cuts, to each his own, but quit blaming everyone else and making excuses.


P.s. I welcome any pilot on my jumpseat.

Listen you s hithead. I was expressing my opinion as I have a right to do on this board. I did it with out any flame bait, as it's called, and I will have to report you again for trying to get my identity. You really have some issues and need to see some one.

 

[chperplt]

Why is it that you can say asshole but not sh!thead?

 

[AFELLOWAVIATOR]

I'd like to apologize, as an OH pilot... for Afellowaviator. I thought he/she was going to stop posting a while ago and low and behold....that didn't happen.

CHQ guys did what they had to do and they got a better contract for CHQ. They were negotiating for CHQ, not the rest of the industry! Each airlines financial bottom line is different and thus not every airline will be able to "raise the bar" for the rest of the industry (although I think CHQ was in the best position to do this). They'll be able to raise their own bar which is the very least we can hope for at this time. They're not evil people, they did what they had to do and improved their contract. Sure, it might not be as good as ours (but it's not that much worse!) but that was pre 9/11!!!!! Give it a rest!!!!!!!!!!!!

Times have changed, economics have changed, management strategies have changed. ALPA hasn't.

I'm getting really tired of reading the same thing about CHQ, Skywest, Mesaba, etc. I'm sure they wanted to "raise this stupid bar everyone keeps harping about". But those days are long gone (temporarily, I hope)!!!

OO flying 70's for 50 seat rates is the only thing I can say that is annoying (besides all this bickering about how the other pilots uncercut the "profession"!). This is the tipping point (along with JetBlue's EMB rates) that could possibly harm EVERYONE from "raising the bar or their own bar".

I don't need you to apologize for me. How long have you been at Comair. Just curious. My opinions are the same as the majority of our pilots.

 

[DDpaysoff]

What is your pay going to be at CHQ for a 70 seat jet in july 2007 for say
a 4 year fo
5 year captain
10 year captain
18 year captain?

Let's actually compare some numbers. I'm curious.




Just based on the proposal and what I have heard so far without details here are the comair numbers (provided your longevity is frozen and does NOT accrue during the freeze:

4 year FO 45.58/hr, 2%pension, 401k 50% of first 5%contribution
5 year captain 78.32/hr 4% pension, 401k 50% of first 5%contribution
10 year captain 92.86/hr 6% pension, 401k 50% of first 5%contribution
18 year captain 118.22/hr 8% pension, 401k 50% of first 5%contribution

100% deadhead pay, 100% pay protection for all displacements, Trip, duty, day, rigs, commuter clause. CVG hotels for highspeed lineholders, min line value 82 hrs max 93, 1.5 compensation for open time.

Don't get me wrong, this ain't great, and heck yes we are undercompensated, but these rates you see above including the freeze put Comair in a position to compete especially in a competitive environment after a divestiture and not just bleed away slowly while others thrive on lower labor costs. There are two things I think that the comair pilot group would even consider negotiating down, brand scope and if the long term health of the company was in jeapordy. You either win or lose, I spoke with a former piedmont guy this past week, he had some enlightening things to say. Ask them what has been going on over there.
If my calculations are correct the new rates in '07 will be right on or probably above par for the industry. This is not whoring, it is just bringing the bar a little closer to the rest of the pack without going under it. Maybe by '07 somebody can beat it. Otherwise, we will have to give back again or simply go away. Corporations make money for shareholders or they don't, if they don't entities are eliminated.

Anyone......anyone?

Where are the numbers, anybody with a chautaqua contract or heck even skywest please answer these questions.

I hope their is something tied to ASA in this TA. Please don't bash me for saying that.

I do whatever I can to make jumpseaters feel welcome, regardless of who they work for. We are professionals. Well, at least some of us are. Drop the jumpseat argument please, it is starting to sound like some silly kid is posting that crap.

 

[ACE]

I don't need you to apologize for me. How long have you been at Comair. Just curious. My opinions are the same as the majority of our pilots.

I'm 98% positive I know who skyslug is. The guy is just about to hit his one year seniority. How do I know? I can tell by the rhetoric. 26 year old DCA grad.

 

[ERJDRVR]

Listen you s hithead. I was expressing my opinion as I have a right to do on this board. I did it with out any flame bait, as it's called, and I will have to report you again for trying to get my identity. You really have some issues and need to see some one.

Afellowdoucebag,

I was expressing my opinion as I have a right to do on this board.

lol, I was just expressing mine.
You were the one who bid us all farewell and said you would never write on here again. What happened??? Couldn't stay away??
P.S. I didn't make the original offer for your name, I simply contributed to the fund.

I will have to report you again for trying to get my identity

PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT report me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

 

[chperplt]

ERJDRVR

I hope for the sake of the traveling public that the average pilot on your list isn't as immature as you.

 

[shamrock]

I hope their is something tied to ASA in this TA. Please don't bash me for saying that.

Depends on what you mean. Are you saying ASA should have have to give something too or ASA's contract should be brought UP (closer) to yours?

 

[goodpilotithink]

ERJDRVR

I hope for the sake of the traveling public that the average pilot on your list isn't as immature as you.

Ditto!

 

[DDpaysoff]

Depends on what you mean. Are you saying ASA should have have to give something too or ASA's contract should be brought UP (closer) to yours?

Give what?

 

[DDpaysoff]

Something to keep them from coming at you. Like Delta would guarentee the same payrates for ASA to fly the E-170 or something. Don't laugh, anything can be negotiated. We need to put the two pilot groups together somehow, before it is too late. If J.C or B.A can figure out how to do it both companies would be in great shape as one voice.

That won't likely happen, because one of us is about to be divested. It looks like it will be Comair. Buttrell, himself said DCI was looking to monotize the connection carriers.
I give it until next april, you will see an announcement for a Comair or possible ASA IPO.

 

[chperplt]

We need to put the two pilot groups together somehow

In a recent ground school, a CP was quoted as saying "f_CK ASA" when asked how our two groups can work together to better Delta. He also said our current leader says the same thing.

 

[shamrock]

That's cool DD. I just wasn't sure what you meant when you said you hoped there "was something tied to ASA in the TA". Didn't know if you hoped ASA would have to give some sort of "concessions" (for lack of a better word) or if you hoped there would be some sort of benefit for ASA tied to an agreement.


I really hope that isn't true, Chper.

 

[chperplt]

I was there man... It's true..sad but true.

The context was we need to do what's right for CMR and let ASA worry about ASA.

 

[Tim47SIP]

Same to you!

In a recent ground school, a CP was quoted as saying "f_CK ASA" when asked how our two groups can work together to better Delta. He also said our current leader says the same thing.

Well, I got to tell you that the feeling is mutual. You guys do what you have to to get ahead and we will do what we need to do as well. The one thing we should do is not work against EACH other for the growth. We need to work to get rid of the contract carriers, so the more aircraft each WO group can get is for the best.

 

[shamrock]

OK chper, I misunderstood. Didn't realize you were there.

My hope would be that if you guys do sign off on this, it would establish a level of compensation, work rules, etc. that Mother Delta is comfortable with, and that we at ASA might get close to that. But again, I'm not that naive. More likely we'll see another offer from Skippy for more airplanes in exchange for a contract extension/freeze.

 

[skyslug]

"I don't need you to apologize for me. How long have you been at Comair. Just curious. My opinions are the same as the majority of our pilots."

Afellowaviator...your opinions may or may not be the same as the majority but they sure are a helluva lot louder which gives the impression that you're in the majority. nothin' wrong with that.

I don't necessarily agree or disagree with you on your feelings for this proposed change to our contract. I'm just am tired of all the bickering between the groups. We need to focus on Comair and work to keep the planes between Comair (and ASA) and not let them get into the hands of the other contract guys.

As for our proposed contract change...we'll just have to wait for our MEC to present this to us. This should be interesting...

 

[DDpaysoff]

I am sure he is bull**CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**tin. CP never even show up for recurrents, LOL.

No, I actually spoke with your vice chair the other day. We need to work this thing out. I can speak for myself, and I think many others that we would never do anything to sell you guys out. Regardless of this deal, it is a joke anyway, it is a dress for sale deal, and I don't know the details but the fact that butrell came here and delveloped this whole plan in a matter of days tells me Comair is about to be Comair again. Yes or No, I don't know, but the long term health of the company is an issue.

The best thing Comair and ASA can do for themselves and each other is merge seniority lists and develop brand scope language.

Second best, Comair and ASA fly for exactly the same rates and equal benefits, therefore destroying the whipsaw effect within each other. Basically, the same exact contract. If we get that, our two mec's have a good enough relationship to never agree to a TA that would adversly affect the other carrier.

To put it frankly, there was no way in hheellll you were going to get a Comair+1 contract. Don't take offense, but I have had too many conversations with your pilot group to think otherwise. This deal may speed up your negotiations and get a deal that mirrors comair. That is my hope anyway. Once, one of us is spun off, the remaining wholly owned will have a tremendous amount of leverage and will get modest growth and an industry leading contract, while the other gets a decent contract for delta feed for a number of year (to attract investors), and the opportunity to feed other airlines, or market their own product (while remaining at least in the same ballpark as other independent regional airlines with respect to labor costs. It would be a win/win for both carriers.

I expect to see langage by thursday, and your MEC will probably communicate the details to you the same day.

As far as everyone else that is considered a competitor, I can quote Cprplt's quote from CP on that issue.

 

[FlyComAirJets]

They are trying to put a dress on this pig.

Right again DD, it was in Tuesday's Atlanta Journal that Delta is outsourcing some of its office work (payroll and benefits administration) to an outside company called Affilitiated Computer Services. It's supposed to save $120 million.

I've heard that Phred is quoted as saying that it would take an ASA/CMR merge four years to recoup the administrative expenses. ASA and Comair were purchased over four years ago so the costs would have been realized by now along with the possible avoidance of a fabulously expensive textbook case in bad management tactics.

The only reason I can think why this has not occured by now is that Delta intends to sell off one or probably both of the wholly owneds in the near future. By not insisting on a common seniority list as a deal breaking condition of the latest incarnation of the RFP(hred), we have paved the way for a spinoff...and blown an opportunity we will never, ever have again.