Future hiring of Skywesters

[theskyking]

I'll debate the merits all day long...BUT DON'T F*CKING TRY TO INTIMIDATE ME! I'M NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR ORGANIZED CRIMINALS! If I wanted to be part of that, I'd be a teamster and hijack delivery trucks on my days off.

Pretty funny. Guess what, I am a Teamster. IBT1108 which proudly represents the pilots at NetJets. Go check out my contract and quality of life. Might change your mind about unions and Teamsters.

As an ex OO, good luck guys. Whether this letter has merit or not (which I doubt), union membership has many advantages. With the diverse and talented group of guys that are at OO, a really strong MEC could be put together which could see both the company and the pilot group into a prosperous future.

 

[PBRstreetgang]

I'll comment!

It's just the latest in the tired ol' 'why I hate skywest and why skywest is the source of all my problems and skywest guys only think they have it good and skywesters are gonna get screwed any day now' diatribe that goes on here daily.

what a pile of crap. it's not supported with the past, present and future guys here who've gone on and will continue to go on to DAL, SWA, UAL, FDX, UPS, et al. This business, like most others, is often about who you know, not what lanyard you wear.

we have about 12 guys just in SLC alone now who are in the pool or awaiting class dates at SWA.

oh well, everyone hates a winner, right?

They don't hate SKYW pilots, just azzwipes like you! You may even get on at an ALPA carrier, but you still gotta finish your prob year. I wonder where hellonewoman is now?, sweating his first year at CAL? All its gonna take is a couple of ALPA check airman to fish that turdd out of their punchbowl. You and him are the cancer that is rotting this industry, and I for one hope ALPA realizes this sooner rather than later and decides to do a radical a$$endectomy and start purging the ranks, of the likes of you and your $hiteating buddies. I for one don't care if you starve or just go missing into the mountains, you are the enemy and need to be removed from this field!
Fukk off and die!
eternally
PBR
P.S. Ask the large number of SKYW guys in the FAT domicile who were on the list and passed over for LUV. FAT is well known for its anti-ALPA stance in majority. It isn't how many that are on the hiring list it's how many are on the seniority list that counts.

 

[John Pennekamp]

I bet SkyWest pilots will have no problem getting hired at Virgin America and Skybus if they vote ALPA down.

 

[auspac]

I don't have any apps out, but Southwest would be high on my list. Everyone there seems to be happy to be there. Seems like a great work environment, as opposed to almost any legacy.

It does seem strange that they would be so eager for us to be ALPA. I seem to recall, not that many years ago, when Southwest was derided for bringing down the industry. They had some of the lowest 737 rates and "you flew your butt off." No pension there, no ALPA, why would you want to work for them? Due to a very smart management team and great employee attitudes, now look where they are. The highest 737 rates. I don't think their rates have really increased that much, but everyone elses rates have decreased dramatically. Still no pesion still no ALPA.

I see attitudes toward Virgin America and Skybus pilots to be similar to what the attitudes were to Southwest pilots about 6 years ago, i.e. bringing down the industry. It's funny (or vey sad) to see how things change. In ten years time will I be reading of some Skybus pilot accusing me of bringing down the industry?

 

[flyboyike]

I have a question for everyone here. Let me preface it by saying that personally I'm somewhat secretive and very reluctant to talk about company goings-on with outsiders.

That being said, am I incorrect to think that it would be inappropriate for a member of a hiring board to make statements of that nature in the open? After all, he seems to be admitting to a certain bias (if he did, in fact, say it). Now, I'm not so naive as to think that hiring boards are NOT biased, but are they not supposed to at least keep up appearances?

I don't work at Skywest, nor do I have an app at SWA, so this is more of a general query for me.

 

[Nevets]

The presidents of SWAPA, IPA, and APA ALL support Skywest pilots voting for ALPA. Did you guys not see the full page add in the October 9th issue of the USA Today with the letter signed by them?

By the way, all these airlines "buy" services from ALPA. They have also had collective meetings with each other. They all support each other.

 

[PBRstreetgang]

Think of it as a personal bias, the questions asked may be very discrete/obscure nature. A applicants biases come out during an interview, and someone who is vehement about a subject will color his/her answers. Interviewing is a very delicate balancing act, and as such a reason for non selection will be very vague, just not our kind of applicant. Those very guys who interviewed at LUV were known to me as very-anti union folks, but good pilots, nice guys too! The reason that the airline has a pilot representativ on the interview panel is simple, we have to spend long hours in a close quarters working environment. And as such it becomes a personality/qualifications sifting process.
PBR

 

[auspac]

Does anyone know if there has been an ALPA drive at Southwest? If so, how long ago?

Is there any effort among Southwest pilots to gain Alpa representation now?

 

[auspac]

Think of it as a personal bias, the questions asked may be very discrete/obscure nature. A applicants biases come out during an interview, and someone who is vehement about a subject will color his/her answers. Interviewing is a very delicate balancing act, and as such a reason for non selection will be very vague, just not our kind of applicant. Those very guys who interviewed at LUV were known to me as very-anti union folks, but good pilots, nice guys too! The reason that the airline has a pilot representativ on the interview panel is simple, we have to spend long hours in a close quarters working environment. And as such it becomes a personality/qualifications sifting process.
PBR

True, but I would hazard to guess that there are at least some hiring board captains who may be very pro SWAPA but aren't overly enthused about ALPA. I wonder how many Southwest pilots came from ALPA carriers. If you were to rah, rah, rah ALPA during your interview you could just as easily hit a nerve as if you were anti-union. I guess it would depend on who you got.

 

[Jungle_Jet]

Deleted by author

 

[Morning Wood]

Has ALPA always been on property at ASA, Comair, Horizon, etc etc? Were pilots from these airlines hired at majors before voting in ALPA? I think we all know the answer to that one.

 

[John Pennekamp]

Has ALPA always been on property at ASA, Comair, Horizon, etc etc? Were pilots from these airlines hired at majors before voting in ALPA? I think we all know the answer to that one.

Did the pilot groups at those airlines vote no to a union not once, but three times? I think we all know the answer to that one.

 

[Nevets]

Has ALPA always been on property at ASA, Comair, Horizon, etc etc? Were pilots from these airlines hired at majors before voting in ALPA? I think we all know the answer to that one.

And not all major airlines were ALPA to begin with either.

The fact of the matter is that the presidents of SWAPA, APA, and IPA ALL have signed a letter supporting Skywest pilots to vote for ALPA.

 

[PBRstreetgang]

True, but I would hazard to guess that there are at least some hiring board captains who may be very pro SWAPA but aren't overly enthused about ALPA. I wonder how many Southwest pilots came from ALPA carriers. If you were to rah, rah, rah ALPA during your interview you could just as easily hit a nerve as if you were anti-union. I guess it would depend on who you got.

Bingo,
You are getting the picture, voting for collective bargaining, no matter who that is, the issue. Rejecting that very issue not one but three times is an issue. SKYW up until very recently has been very selective about who they hire, my interview was about 10 years ago and was very delicately quizzed about unions, I was purposefully non committal about the answers, knowing full well who I was interviewing with. SKYW had stacked the new hire classes with a very closely held formula of newhires mixed with prior 121 and flight instructors, knowing that the law of primacy will prevail. These newbies drank the cool aid deeply, and the stains linger. That formula is no longer possible and they are hiring anyone who is breathing and can find their way to the airport(sorry guys, you are not being hired for your Chuck Yaegerish skills, just a pulse). In short, it doesn't matter who you are collectively bargained with, just that you are!
PBR

 

[Morning Wood]

Did the pilot groups at those airlines vote no to a union not once, but three times? I think we all know the answer to that one.

So then why weren't they threatened with not getting hired at a major every other time a vote has happened? United, Southwest, Delta et al have continued hiring qualified pilots, regardless of their union proclivities prior to and after each previous union vote. There are many reasons to vote yes, but a veiled threat isn't one of them.

 

[vtech]

SKYW up until very recently has been very selective about who they hire, my interview was about 10 years ago and was very delicately quizzed about unions, I was purposefully non committal about the answers, knowing full well who I was interviewing with. SKYW had stacked the new hire classes with a very closely held formula of newhires mixed with prior 121 and flight instructors, knowing that the law of primacy will prevail. These newbies drank the cool aid deeply, and the stains linger. That formula is no longer possible . . .

I think you'd better push back from the keyboard and check for the black ops helicopters circling overhead your crib, homey. You got into some bad s#&t, dude. Hope it wears off after a while. Good luck with those voices in your head too.

 

[Skywest Pylot]

It seems hypocritical to vote no for a union at Skywest and then expect to move on to an union major airline later. Am I the only one who thinks this way?

 

[SkyNation]

different airlines all have entirely different scenarios.

it's one thing to voluntary vote in a union that doesn't presently exist at your carrier. It's quite another to join an organization where one is already in place.

Is it hypocritical to apply for, interview for, train for, and perform a job for a carrier that is not unionized and then piss and moan that we're not union?

 

[Nevets]

different airlines all have entirely different scenarios.

it's one thing to voluntary vote in a union that doesn't presently exist at your carrier. It's quite another to join an organization where one is already in place.

Is it hypocritical to apply for, interview for, train for, and perform a job for a carrier that is not unionized and then piss and moan that we're not union?

I don't think you have to join the union when you get to a major. But we are ALL on the same team regardless. That is why the presidents of SWAPA, APA and IPA signed the letter in the USA Today ad. Its no different at Skywest as it is at SWA, CAL, FDX, NetJets, etc.

 

[DontFeedTheBear]

I don't think you have to join the union when you get to a major. But we are ALL on the same team regardless. That is why the presidents of SWAPA, APA and IPA signed the letter in the USA Today ad. Its no different at Skywest as it is at SWA, CAL, FDX, NetJets, etc.

Except for one problem. Some of these anti-union tools at Skywest think that it is all about them. What team? Me me me mine....