Flex's Response?

[twincessna]

December 13 is more than 6 days away

 

[flighter]

In the WSJ today it was reported Bombardier/Flex made a profit in 2005. Fella's it's time for them to show you the money!!!!!!!!!

 

[cosmotheassman]

Oh yeah. the 13th. what a moron I am. That's what being out for 6 days at a time does to you.

 

[Cpt Splash]

Just spoke to one of my buddies from Flex down at the training center and it seems that the mass exodus is starting already.

Bombardier is also shutting down both LR45 Sims starting mid Jan for Maintenance for six weeks and had to cancel a whole bunch of recurrent classes. I wonder if Flex plans on hiring only people into the 300 during this time.

I really hope you guys get the pay and schedule you deserve. There are a lot of people at Flex that I used to fly with who really need management to step up to the plate and offer something competative.

Anybody at Flex that are looking for something PM me.

 

[cosmotheassman]

Of course mass exodus does equate to quick upgrade time! 6 weeks for maint? That doesn't sound right. They can build a sim in 6 weeks!

If you know any global express positions with about 18 days off a month and $100k PM me!!

 

[Peter_Griffin]

This is purely a guess but, I bet we get a pay raise with no change in work days. We'll keep the 17 days a month and maybe see a good pay raise. I suppose if that happens though the raise better be significant or there might be a mass exodus from what I've been hearing.

Dude -- there is no way. Look at the CAB meeting notes on the BB and what you are talking about isn't even on the radar. It's pretty clear what they are thinking about is a schedule reduction (to possibly 15) with no pay raise, no extra benies etc....

The only thing that might change the course of events is the fact that the positive profit report came out just before all this. They can't very well say they can't afford it if they clearly can, but this is flex we are talking about so I think they will try to cry poor... We'll see... People are already leaving in droves and I expect that number will only increase after the 13th. I hope I am wrong... I hope that management is going to see they can't get away with it and switch up the game plan in time to keep some really good guys.

 

[cosmotheassman]

I'm just trying to be positive. A schedule reduction to 15 with the same annual pay IS a raise dude. Be positive about this. Negative thinking can only set your standard lower. Personally I would like to see NJ+. But I think we all know that won't happen. But, what if it does?? Mr Griffin, what will you say if they match NJ pay scale??? Will you be excited or will you still be upset with something?

 

[miles otoole]

Dude -- there is no way. Look at the CAB meeting notes on the BB and what you are talking about isn't even on the radar. It's pretty clear what they are thinking about is a schedule reduction (to possibly 15) with no pay raise, no extra benies etc....

The only thing that might change the course of events is the fact that the positive profit report came out just before all this. They can't very well say they can't afford it if they clearly can, but this is flex we are talking about so I think they will try to cry poor... We'll see... People are already leaving in droves and I expect that number will only increase after the 13th. I hope I am wrong... I hope that management is going to see they can't get away with it and switch up the game plan in time to keep some really good guys.

Am I missing something? A company 10 times the size, announces a pay raise and other companies pilots are immediately complaining because they haven't matched? This sounds like many of my buds from WN who quit as soon as UA and DAL announced industry leading pay scales in 2001.
As I remember, Leo Mullin from DAL said he wanted to give the pilots a pay raise because they deserved it and then left 2 years later with his pension intact and stated that there's no way the company could afford it.
Just maybe, they are waiting for the less than loyal folks to leave before they give those who stay a pay raise? Wasn't it just a few years ago that nobody expected Net jets to raise their payscale? How many have left since then?
Flex jets announces, what, a profit of $1,000,000 and the pilots want $20,000,000? How does that make sense?

 

[Lear70]

I always found it amusing how Flexjet separated their sales income from their operating income on statements to the pilot group.

During our first "major" pilot meeting in 1998 they came right out and said, "Folks, our goal at this company is to SELL AIRPLANES! We aren't in the business of making a profit off operations, we just want to break even."

In other words, you have more bargaining power than you realize when the SALES side of the house makes TENS OF MILLIONS A YEAR in NET profits off Flexjet sales. If you organize into a union group (which I believe you should), you can hold out for NetJets wages, simply because BOMBARDIER IS NOT WILLING TO LOSE THAT INCOME STREAM.

They WILL raise fees, raise percentage of sales profits that go to Flex, WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO in order to keep the income stream coming.

You guys need to look at the "Big Picture".

 

[el raton]

I'm just trying to be positive. A schedule reduction to 15 with the same annual pay IS a raise dude. Be positive about this. Negative thinking can only set your standard lower. Personally I would like to see NJ+. But I think we all know that won't happen. But, what if it does?? Mr Griffin, what will you say if they match NJ pay scale??? Will you be excited or will you still be upset with something?

Wouldn't be nice to have a union then we could avoid this kind of attitude. We could actually have some representation that would give a thumbs up or down to a bone thrown to us. We don't have a choice in what we can or cannot except. The only thing we have going for us is attrition and increasing charter....