Flight Option / Organization

[longrangekiller]

I do not care if a union comes. In fact, the pilot force will eventually organize. When? The $64.00 question.

When one does come, the most important thing for me is who comprises the MEC.

1. They can not live in CLE.
2. They can not be receiving dominicle pay.
3. They can not be a Friend of Kenn read as SFO.
4. They can not be receiving checkairman by pass pay.

1. They must be prepared to eleminate domicile pay.
2. They must be prepared to eleminate Check Airman bypass pay.
3. They must be prepared to eleminate the FOK sweet heart pay deals and get all the pilots on one pay scale with no grandfathered pay deals. The pay received matches the years service, period.
4. They must be willing to fight for one pay for all captains.
5. They must be prepared to force the ouster of all the former SFO's as a condition for any negoiation process.

I could go on, but, you get the point. I have had it with the inequities in the current Flight Options compensation schem. I am frankly glad to see domicile pay under attack. I want to see the other things mentioned done away with as well.

 

[bart]

Why would you want the opportunities to earn more money killed?

Seems an inequity to those that have not yet put the time into "working the system", however I would see it as being put in charge of when and how I get a raise.

You will have to seriously swim upstream to get the changes you want made, as the people that do what it takes to collect this money will do what it takes to protect it.

If I were you I would be posting asking for advice on how to get on the gravy train...

 

[beechjetpilot1]

Bart, It seems you might not work at flops.....all of these things long range killer talks about are not anymore offered. All of these pay items (with the exception of check airman by-pass) is only given to those who were grandfatherered in to them. Many of us never had the oportunity to get aboard "the gravy train". The pay at FLOPs is so rediculous in so many ways. Kenn Ricci had so many pay scales, if you were not able to put your head up his hind end, you would not get any of these "perks". When Kenn was ousted and Raytheon took back over, they kept these "special Friend of Kenn pay scales" in place while the 97% of us keep getting pay cuts. Just yesterday all flight options pilots received a $652.80/year pay cut. Some received more. The explanation email stated that it was for our own tax liability reasons......this is crazy....I would rather pay taxes on the $652.80 then loose it all! They are sure doing me a favor by cutting my pay!

 

[JetCapt69]

Ca

2. They must be prepared to eleminate Check Airman bypass pay.

Please explain what this bypass pay is.

 

[beechjetpilot1]

if you are check airman in a small cabin airplane and your seniority could hold a large cabin pay, you get paid at the higher rate while flying as a check airman in the small cabin...plus the extra check airman pay

 

[hommy]

I feel that we all got hit with the pay cuts. I personally got hit with a domicile pay removal also. If we keep having record quarters, record travel periods, and record years, how come none of it is getting passed on. They keep making it harder and taking longer than ever to get ahead hear. We shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves we should be fighting together. By the way, how come soo many people are doing overtime for them?

 

[Ihaveflown]

You are doing overtime because the market for pilots is getting better. Those with time and experience are moving on to better paying jobs. Like one of the guys I flew with a few times in the BE-400 said, "the man who picks up my trash in my home town makes more money than all the FO's here do. That's a shame."

 

[Guitar Guy]

I feel that we all got hit with the pay cuts. I personally got hit with a domicile pay removal also. If we keep having record quarters, record travel periods, and record years, how come none of it is getting passed on. They keep making it harder and taking longer than ever to get ahead hear. We shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves we should be fighting together. By the way, how come soo many people are doing overtime for them?

Is there any current movement to unionize at FO? I think I'd heard something about an attempt a few years back that failed. From your description of the situation, it sounds like a union might be what you need to get better pay and treatment. I can imagine that FO management will try thwart any attempts to organize but that's to be expected. On the other hand, it doesn't sound like you guys can simply ask management to improve pay and work rules.

 

[waveoff]

Is there any current movement to unionize at FO? I think I'd heard something about an attempt a few years back that failed. From your description of the situation, it sounds like a union might be what you need to get better pay and treatment. I can imagine that FO management will try thwart any attempts to organize but that's to be expected. On the other hand, it doesn't sound like you guys can simply ask management to improve pay and work rules.

Most recently, there was a push to have the Teamsters represent us. It kind of stalled out but with more screwings happening daily it could again come back to life. Personally, I would prefer representation from a different organization if I HAD to be represented. We need something and quick! Anytime we speak to management it falls on deaf ears. They're too worried about their personal agendas and managing their back door politics. With any luck, I won't have to deal with the BS here much longer.

 

[HSDriver]

I seriously doubt options will be around long enough to see organization.