Furloughs @ Big Sky

[major payne]

Big Sky cut fleet by 1/3

 

[xjavro85]

How many is that? 2 maybe 3 planes???

 

[tiktak]

for which run did they loose the essential airtransport contract.

or the leasing company did not want to do the 35000h AD $$$ for the hull and tailsection?

 

[major payne]

5 I believe/20 pilots

 

[Humty72]

How many is that? 2 maybe 3 planes???

not funny... losing your job is losing your job... I wish it didn't happen to anyone, but if it happens to you someday you'll understand.

 

[sf3boy]

With the contract that they signed, I am very surprised that Mesaba needed to furlough any Big Sky pilot. It would cost more to retrain them as opposed to just keep paying base pay until the new silver and red RJ's show up. Don't be fooled...Big Sky's contract is ever bit as evil as the Freedom/Mesa debacle to the whole profession.

 

[DoinTime]

Maybe Mesaba Holdings is finally letting free market forces define the path of Big Sky Airlines instead of propping up a failing operation with assets from a proven money earner. I hate to see anyone loose their job but BS was well on their way to the scrapbook of aviation before XJ got invovled.

 

[crashpad]

Big Sky has shown it can be very resourceful. I'd bet any commuter that can get you from SEA to someplace in Texas with a minimum of 4 legs is capable of creating new routes and positions for it's pilots. Seven years ago I did'nt think much of Big Sky, but you have to admit they having staying power.
Also, Lakes has been pulling out of WY cities and it won't surprise me to see the ever-present blue and white Metros in there soon.
Just a guess, but I'd put money on it if they traded stock.

 

[kenai227]

With the contract that they signed, I am very surprised that Mesaba needed to furlough any Big Sky pilot. It would cost more to retrain them as opposed to just keep paying base pay until the new silver and red RJ's show up. Don't be fooled...Big Sky's contract is ever bit as evil as the Freedom/Mesa debacle to the whole profession.

"as evil as mesa"?
nice. you must be one of those messlaabba aviation a holes holding out for a contract as good as the big sky metro drivers have had for years. good luck with that, give it 3 or 6 more years and tommy Y chump will get you a deal. never hate a company when you should hate your union.

otherwise said F.R.O.

if you are east of the mississippi (f##k right off)

no, I'm not a union schmooo I love to hate them.

signed

furloughed #9949

 

[sf3boy]

Kenai227,
Wow, that was alot man. Hope you feel a little better now. Were you a Lone Star guy? Aspen Air? Or were you one of the stellar Big Sky originals? I know that Mesaba came out to the great west and rammed a crap deal down your throat. You also had a chance to stand up for yourselves as well as for the rest of the regional pilot world. You chose not to. Now Big Sky is deemed nothing more than a Freedom as far as pilots are concerned.

One of my good college friends used to fly at Big Sky so I know all about that great contract that you Metro guys have had over the years. I will not go into every section and prove that you are very misinformed as to Mesaba's 1996 contract or that you just like to spout off with knowing no facts.

I hope that all your furloughs get called back, but not at the expense of whoring out to put others out of work. Good luck to all of you.

BTW, I am east of the Miss. A whole 10 miles.

 

[Simon Says]

I believe Mesabas MEC gave Big Sky a chance to come onboard with us for a 1 for 1 senority. Big Sky pilots would take a chance of losing it all for that one for one senority, but also would work under our contract. We were strung along by the MEC of Big Sky. Mesabas pilot group tried to tell them not to believe the lies of management. We were not heard.

Now Do you believe us? By the way Scope is a strikable isue for Mesaba pilots. Do not believe for one second that we will sign a contract that does not include it. So guess where the remaining Big Sky pilots go on our list. At the bottom.

We tried, and you did'nt listen.

 

[major payne]

I dont think big skys contract is all that bad considering what they had to work with. It is a 19 seat a/c and a bankrupt company. If you look, its way better than mesas! which is funny cause w/ all alpas power you would think the could do better. ha ha. but we know who alpa cares for, the ones who pay the bills, not the regionals

 

[Simon Says]

which is funny cause w/ all alpas power you would think the could do better. ha ha. but we know who alpa cares for, the ones who pay the bills, not the regionals

True, True.....Let the cards fall where they may.

 

[othello]

Sorry but BigSkys contract is better than Mesa in every single section from pay and perdiem 1.40hr. On down the list and if you say other wise than you havn't seen BS contract.

They have many things that we here at Mesaba want, I.E. 2 for 1 duty pay you are on duty 12 hrs you get paid 6 even if you only fly 1 or 2 legs.Holiday pay, sick time is accumlated at 4 hr a month, 4.4 hr per day Reserve pay.

It is not Comair but then again BS flys 19 seat metros, I will bet for an all turboprop no filght attendent opperation they have the best contract on the books. I.E. Lakes, CCair, Shuttle America

BigSky has been around since 1978 they have seen hard times in the past and pulled through.

And don't forget that ALPA rejected the BigSky pilot gorup when they wanted to join a few years ago. Shame on ALPA.

Good Luck BigSky pilots you may need it.

 

[100LL... Again!]

Now that Big Sky is owned by Mesaba, does this have any connection with the two NWA managers who quit from the Mesaba board?

 

[fly4ever]

Just to clarify - Big Sky wsn't "rejected" by ALPA. When a pilot group contacts ALPA about the possibility of representation interest cards are distributed to those on the pilot list. These are supposed to be submitted to ALPA if there is an interest within the group. If enough of those cards come back to ALPA then they pursue further contact. Apparently, little interest was shown by the Big Sky pilots several years ago in regards to ALPA representation and ALPA did not pursue it further.

 

[12GO]

Just to clarify - Big Sky wasn't "rejected" by ALPA.

Actually, since there were only 35 pilots at the time, ALPA told them there weren't enough pilots to bother with even circulating the cards. The pilots then approached the IAM since the IAM was representing the mechanics, and that's when ALPA told the IAM they (ALPA) didn't want them (IAM) to represent a pilot group.

And so, the resourceful pilots at Big Sky found the United Transportation Union (UTU). The UTU offered the pilots at Big Sky a national affiliation with a great deal on knowledge and experience in the Railway Labor Act (the UTU is to the railroads what ALPA is to the airlines). The UTU welcomed the opportunity to represent a labor group in the transportation industry regardless of how many of them there were or how much dues they could collect.

When the UTU negotiates for the pilots at Big Sky they are not confused about who's "best interests" they are representing since Big Sky is the only airline they represent (I have often wondered why they (UTU) don't persue other airlines, but they call that raiding).

There are still some pilots at Big Sky who remember, so if you want to clarify anything, I suggest you (fly4ever) get your facts straight before you post!

 

[othello]

Fly4ever,
You are incorrect and your information false. I have talked to our XJ MEC President and he says flat out ALPA drop the ball and denied a pilot group the oppertuinity to join the Union, he has spoken to the individual at ALPA headquaters that made the choice to reject BS. It makes you wonder how many other small pilot groups have been turned down in the past.

The BigSky pilots then turned to the UTU and were taken in to a union that is more than double the size of ALPA.

Perhaps you should remove or edit your post.

 

[sf3boy]

Well, ALPA may have dropped the ball years back, but the Big Sky pilots did themselves no favors by not wanting to be on the seniority list at Mesaba. Good grief, I can't believe I am actually wasting time on this board arguing about freaking Big Sky with football on.

 

[kenai227]

Well, ALPA may have dropped the ball years back, but the Big Sky pilots did themselves no favors by not wanting to be on the seniority list at Mesaba. Good grief, I can't believe I am actually wasting time on this board arguing about freaking Big Sky with football on.

you are a bigger idiot than I gave you credit for.

a union has no hiring power. joining your sh!!!ty little list would have put the BSA guys out on the street that much faster.

wake up. that offer was nothing more than a saboteurs plan to spoil the negotiations. and it left tommy y corpes holding his own carrot.