furloughees going to regionals

[psyops]

I heard from a friend of mine at PDT that the three WOs are considering giving the Airways furloughees some reciprocal treatment.... in the form of the same $75.00 application fee they charged the WO pilots!

 

[surplus1]

Correct me if i'm wrong, but don't the ALPA by-laws prohibit a pilot from having two seniority #'s at two ALPA carriers. I personally don't mind if furloughees come to Comair, but give up your seniority number. Why should you have your cake and eat it too. If I was furloughed from Comair would Delta give me a job until I went back to Comair? (this is just an example and yes i do have the minimums for Delta). For the regional pilots, if your company hires all these furloughees it is great for a while. You will not be at the bottom of your seniority list at your company anymore. However, what happens when they are recalled? YOU GO BACK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST. So ask yourselves where you benefit.

ACE, I don't think you're right on this. The ALPA C&BL does not address the issue of dual seniority and the Administrative manual doesn't either. In other words, it is not specifically prohibited.

Having said that, there are many issues that are not covered directly in ALPA. Some of them, like this double seniority issue, should be of particiular concern to regional pilots. For example, if a large group of pilots from another airline should come to your airline and retain their seniority at the old carrier, within a year those pilots will be voting on issues that affect you and would even be able to hold elective office in your MEC. If their allegiance is to another airline, particularly one who's interests are different from yours, this could pose a real problem for you. While not prohibited, dual seniority may be a very bad idea.

As for the idea that newly hired pilots from another airline should be inserted as Captains in your airline, regardless of whether they have one or two seniority numbers, that's garbage. IMO, you would be extremely foolish to allow that.

It is good that ALPA is trying to find jobs for furloughed pilots. Inserting them as Captains in a percentage of another airline's equipment is a gimmick. If USAirways pilots do not want to allow more RJs in their system, that's their business. However, if you let them take 1/2 or even one of the new vacancies you may get due to the addition of new equipment at your own airline, you are letting them take you to the cleaners. You can bet they would NOT do this for you and you should NOT do it for them.

As soon as you allow that, you are denyiny promotion for an equal number of First Officers at your own airline. That should NOT happen. If they are hired, they should go to the bottom of your list (like any other new hire) and should be required to bid for vacancies in accordance with their seniority.

You should never sacrifice any part of your seniority rights in exchange for anything! If your Company is going to buy new equipment, then YOU should fly it. ALL of it.

My advice is simple: Do not negotiate away any of your rights for equipment that you do not have. You will live to regret the day that you do that.

No company cares which pilot flys its aircraft as long as he/she is qualified. They buy new airplanes to make money, not to give pilots jobs.

The USAirways MEC (assisted by ALPA) is trying to pull the wool over your eyes. You need to make that union represent YOUR interests too, not just the interests of USA pilots.

 

[FlyingSig]

Surplus1,

Believe it or not, I agree with 95% of your post. I just don't see how letting USAir folks get any left seat position can benifit the regional carriers at all. Even if you make it a flow-thru and give regional guys numbers in this case, you are displacing - or in this case with growth airplanes - preventing upgrades and movement of people who came to work for a company without such an agreement (unlike the CoEx and Eagle furloughees who accepted employment knowing the flow-thru/back was already a negotiated agreement).

The 5% I disagree with is the conspiracy theory that somehow mainline pilots who are employed by a regional would conspire to gain control of the MEC, etc.. The people who go to work on the bottom of a regional list are there because they want to fly. You become part of the pilot group you are flying with and would most likely "vote" like everyone else on a new contract should they take part in that - more money, better work rules, etc... Pilots don't get to vote on airplanes or routes and other "conflicts" between mainline and the regional affiliate.