ExpressJet Pilots Reach Tentative Agreement

[nonstop]

I just read through the bullet points and skimmed the larger TA. Having worked at XJET before and then worked for a major...I'd say this is a much more formal, mature contract that everyone should be proud of. Block or better on a leg basis is HUGE! (We were all told at the road shows in 97 thats how it'd work...guess they made a mistake). Other things being spelled out like maternity leave, the big scope improvements, uniform allowance (no excuse for looking like crap), reduced duty time allowance for backside of the clock, only 1 leg after standups possible. The reserve system is somewhat similar to what I had at DAL and it was fantastic. All the little quality of life things add a lot of value to an employee...its not as easy to quantify as a pay rate but they are what you deal with more often as you progress through life at a company.

Don't just look at payrates by themselves. The Year 1 FO pay is sad but the agreement as a whole appears pretty solid. I think you'll see a higher paycheck with all the extras than the payrate tables initially suggest (75 x rate). But then I only looked at it for an hour. The retro pay is structured nicely too. The raises compared to status quo are pretty good as well.

You guys can be proud of this contract. Enjoy your XJET retro this XMAS!

Sup Ream? Can I still collect my WIC cheese if I collect retro?

$5 an hour is huge. It's like $2/hr in a normal job. Not accounting for inflation of course. That brings it to about $0.50. Huge.

I know about 2,500 guys who will be in the market for a double wide if this bad boy passes! Trailer park stocks will be on the IBD 100 2 weeks after this is ratified.

 

[WolfManPack]

Mjg

MJG,

First of all....you're right....I do some intestinal fortitude! So my name is "WolfManPack"....not Wolfpack.....so get it right!!! And also that is not something that I would not say to your face so don't come back with this anonymous board crap either. You want to sit down or stand up in person and have a chit chat...then there are ways to do that and I'd be glad to meet up with you sometime. So until you're ready put your money where your mouth is then I suggest you don't use personal attacks again to show your immature ignorance! If you want to argue a point then you must learn to use your brain rather than that high testerone level.

Now...to strike down your "silly soul" argument you so boldly write about here.....let's start with the "deal with it" comment...and there is a direct corelation!

That gets right back to what I emphasized in my post regarding the "mentality" of pilots that have just resigned to the fact that a professional pilots first year pay just is going to suck and there is not much anybody can do about it. That's a slavery mentality that will keep your wages as low as they are now for a long time. I understand Rome was not built in a day but I do believe in working for what you want and deserve. I'm trying to put ideas in the minds of those who are in the position to make a difference....but if you wish then you can just give up and "deal with it" but that's just not me!

Now regarding this First Year FO crap....I don't know if you just didn't see my comments sincerely thanking Neal for his hard work or what but you sound as if I just cursed out the company president. The questions I asked were legitmate and well thought out questions that I would not hesitate asking to a Union rep in person.

You take care now!

 

[burrito]

Listening to Neal is like listening to Bush and Kerry squabble - total bs.
Do yourselves a favor and educate yourselves.


I know that I've made some stupid comments on this board, but I'm completely serious now. I am not remotely against ALPA, I just don't trust Neal or the rest of your ALPA a$$ clown any farther that I can throw them. Get the contract you want and deserve before you merely accept what they are saying is right for you.

I know you are all trying to do the right thing, but educate yourselves before you vote.

 

[nonstop]

Well, I think it has to do with negotiating in good faith. They (the NC) have to at least present themselves like they support the TA.

God, I hope they seriously don't really think it's a good deal, lol. But I'm pretty sure they don't.

But like I said, I think it's a good faith thing. So just go along with it, vote no, and when it comes out as a 90% no vote it'll light a fire under Reams ass.

From what I heard from the conference call, they stressed the "vote your conscious" line. In other words, "if you think a 4 percent raise is adequate vote yes, if you're sane, vote no."

It's progress, at least. It's our job now to tell the company what we think about it.

 

[nonstop]

Whatever....I'm voting a big fat YES to this TA and I'm going to do everything in my power to convince everyone I know to do the same. This is great news for our pilot group and congratulations to our NC, and especially Neal Schwartz, for their tireless hard word.

EVERYONE VOTE YES!!!

Steve L.
IAH FO

This is what we refer to as the "minority."

 

[Mikes Apartment]

Hey Vortilon,


I heard your wife works at ExpressJet again. Not a bad place to hang out till United calls her back.

 

[Dewey Oxberger]

The scary thing is, if the FO pay was 60% I actually would have thought about voting for this thing. The fact that it isn't even close (especially the 1st year pay!) makes my decision pretty easy.

 

[Nova]

First year pay will never be 60% as it's the probationary year.

 

[MJG]

WolfManPack,

Very well then, come find me at a roadshow and we can put our money where our mouths are.

 

[MJG]

First year pay will never be 60% as it's the probationary year.

In fact here are some percentage breakdowns of year 1 FO to year 1 CA (where applicable)

SWA=30%
JetB=46%
AWA=32%
Alaska=28%
Airtran=42%
AMR=25%
CAL= ~25% (CAL FO get 2500/mo)
DAL=26%
NWA=23%

AirWis=43%
Eagle=41%
CHQ=42%
XJet TA=42% (vs. 135CA)

So yes first year pay blows big time. Always has and always will. But ask any airline pilot who isn't still on probation who should get a bigger raise, themselves or a new hire, guess what 99.9% of them will say. It doesn't make it any more right or wrong. It's just human nature. Pilots care about themselves and themselves only. That's sad, I'll be the first to admit, but it's the honest to God's truth.

Do I sympathize with the plight of every first year FO especially at a "regional"? Sure I do. But the pay won't be changed by any pilot group internally through a long drawn out contract negotiation cycle. It will only be changed when the supply starts to fall well short of the demand. Until pilots quit lining up at the door to come to the "regionals", this unfortunate fact won't be any different.