Express Jet.....

[mckpickle]

Can't argue with that one mckpickle

wait I forgot paying for a seat in the back

 

[captjim]

mcpickle, I think you'd be surprised how many guys are itching to get back in the cockpit. Besides there are going to be only about 60 position open at Commutair. I'm willing to bet $1 that all of them will be filled with furloughed.

 

[Bluto]

Mckpickle,
I think I overreacted. Sorry. Coex is clearly a better paying company long-term. Unfortunately, for most of the furloughed a job at Coex is a year or more away. I hope that most of the senior pilots feel the way you do about avoiding a delay in their Coex recall. I think many have become somewhat wary about taking recall estimates at face value. Personally, I'd be willing to sacrifice a few months at Coex a year from now to insure a good flying job a month or two from now.

Sorry if I seemed overly excited. I meant no offense.

ps If you were serious about the bet, please let me know. I could use the cash.

 

[RichardFitzwell]

Now if someone is on furlough chances are they have a job already. And as sad as it is I dont think anyone has become homeless. (at lease I hope not because I have an extra bed I would gladly give them) SO if they had a job, were going to be recalled in 03, then why risk a training cycle, and a pretty lousey quality of life when they could just sit at home and have a normal life. At least this is what the fuloughed folks I've talked to tell me,( and yes I do know a few)

Now if you figure with taxes and everything else the average xjt (1st year) pilot would take home 300 a week. Plus perdiem, if they flew on reserve. How hard would it be to make 300+ a week and be home every night? Like I said JMHO

mckpickle,

I agree with your logic. I won't return to fly for a "vendor carrier." Maybe when I was first laid off I would have, but enough time has past and I have become set in a new job. I am making decent money and flying on the side to stay current. It isn't what I had hoped for when I joined CAL but I'm home every night and I'm able to pay our bills.

With the way aviation has been going, I don't want to risk another job change to get furloughed again, this time from a "vendor carrier." No thanks.

If and when I get recalled to CALEX, I'll have a serious decision to make. Right now I think I'll wait for CAL or Southwest.

 

[mckpickle]

Gentlemen, consider the first round on me.

And Bluto, its alllllllll good brother!

 

[nimtz]

Nimiz, thats a bad attitude my friend. It will be written in Commutairs' contract that they hire our furloughs. The company(CAL) came to the union and requested this as a show of good will, this will happen. The only question is whether guys will be recalled here at Express before they get called at Commutair.

Sorry captjim, I'm not sold. It's not like CAL hasn't ignored an MOU before. I think I have 118 friends with letters from CAL that would side with me on that arguement. Ask yourself, what enforcement is there for CAL through CALALPA to make the 'vendor' cover the cost of training our furloughed guys. Are they gonna cancel the contract overnight and pull out of the new cities just because the 'vendor' refused to train our furloughed guys?

Why would any vendor want to take up this cost in this job environment, especially considering CAL is only looking to pay basement level prices to whoever feeds CLE. It simply doesn't make sense for the 'vendor' to hire our guys, train them, and then watch them go back to XJET four months later.

My guess is this whole negotiation will become a moot point when the 'vendor' conviently ignores our requests to get a furloughed guys in class. CAL will pretend to care and Nides will leave encouraging voicemails about recalls right around the corner, but our guys will still be on the street. Once again, CAL will waste ALPA's time with negotiation and then preceed to ignore the results.
BTW, I hope I'm wrong about all this, but the last year has made me pretty cynical too CAL's 'working together' philosphy.

To Commutair guys, first of all your name hasn't signed on the dotted line, so it might not be you who provides the feed. If it is you guys, know that XJET pilot group won't hold ill will to you. However, we would like to see you in ALPA's side of the court. We want our new contract to raise the bar a h*ll of alot more then Comair's did and we don't need the whipsaw potential their to ruin our chances.

 

[captjim]

Nimiz, the 118 was a verbal agreement, not really binding. It was Gordon that gave the union his word, I guess we know how much Gordon's word means.

The MOU is a legal and binding document, it has to be followed, if not there is recourse for legal action. The vendor will be obligated to this MOU in orger to do the work for CAL.

Lastly trust me its Commutair.

 

[mckpickle]

I bet this should be on a new thread buy how do the Commutair guys feel about this?

 

[SuperD]

I bet this should be on a new thread but how do the Commutair guys feel about this?

Well, I can't speak for the rest of my fellow CommutAir pilots, but I for one am excited about going into a new region. First, I would like to say one thing. I would like to thank all of the CoEx people who have posted info here and who have stopped us on the ramp and given us the most recent info (read "rumors") of the day. If it weren't for you, we would know absolutely nothing about this until probably a few weeks before starting the service. At least most of us junior guys (who will most likely be going) have a little time now to think about what we are going to do (if given the choice of domiciles).

Anyway, even though I'm excited about flying somewhere other than the Northeast, I understand the frustration felt by the CoEx pilots about our entry into some CLE markets. If I were furloughed, I wouldn't want to see potential flying farmed out to other carriers either. So why are they bringing us in instead of buying the turboprops themselves? Who knows. Maybe they wanted to keep their promise to the traveling public of an all-jet fleet. I'm talking about reasons beyond the obvious lower labor costs (which I'm sure are significant).

For those of you who see us as the enemy and have gone out of your way to post the "Go home CommutAir SCABS" posters in the crew rooms (yes, we know about those), please consider the following. Remember, most of the cities that we will be serving are not currently served by your jets. In fact, most of them used to be 1900 runs when you still had them and from what I understand, they used to be quite lucrative. Some cities just cannot make money with jet service.

For the rest of the CoEx pilots (the majority) who have exhibited an accepting attitude towards us, thank you. It will be awkward enough during our first few months of getting accustomed to the operations in CLE and your support is greatly appreciated. Plus, I know a few of you who live in some of these cities who will now have another option for commuting to work. In case you didn't know, we take as many jumpseaters as we can fit, and you will always be welcomed.

Of course this is assuming the deal goes through!

SuperD

 

[mckpickle]

Super D, welcome. Any rumors about you guys going ALPA?

 

[U-I pilot]

Internship at express jet

Any one know about Continental Express Jet's internship program for flight ops? I have been making calls to the Recruiting people with little response. I know they are busy but if anyone has done the program or knows about it I would appreciate anyones $.02.
Thanks

 

[SuperD]

Mckpickle,

Check your PMs.

 

[FlyingSig]

Just my opinions tossed into the fray....

Now if someone is on furlough chances are they have a job already.

Perhaps...but probably not flying airplanes. Myself, still unemployed after 10 months on furlough (by choice until recently..now just looking for a job)

SO if they had a job, were going to be recalled in 03, then why risk a training cycle, and a pretty lousey quality of life when they could just sit at home and have a normal life. At least this is what the fuloughed folks I've talked to tell me,( and yes I do know a few)

Whatever floats their boat, but until they are in class I wouldn't count on a firm recall schedule. As for risking a training cycle....what's there to risk? Even if you bust at a different airline, you still have recall rights at CoEx. The only way you can botch recall is to loose your licence or medical. A training cycle wouldn't do that unless you crashed on IOE.

Now if you figure with taxes and everything else the average xjt (1st year) pilot would take home 300 a week. Plus perdiem, if they flew on reserve. How hard would it be to make 300+ a week and be home every night? Like I said JMHO

In this economy...you'd be surprised.