1. Agree
2. Management has already said vacation low will not survive. Is your money on them on that too?
Everything is negotiable. I am quite sure that Vacation Low will be modified to some extent. I don't think it will go away completely.
3. What??? Your premise may be wrong anyways. Let me guess. Your not on reserve and it's been a decade or more since you've been on reserve and when you were it was worse so everyone else has to suffer as well?
Your guess is partially right. I have not been on Reserve for a long time and yes it was worse. In fact, at one point, most line holders had Reserve days built into their lines. In addition, "Ready Reserve" was every pilot coming in on his last leg of his pairing until he could run to the crew bus. In the past, downturns in the economy meant growth at ASA. However, that changed several years ago because our breathern at mainline voiced complaints to their MGMT during the merger that all misery should be shared. And, so it was. Unfortunately, now we can't grow unless mainline is growing. That means that there is stagnation in advancement like mainline endures. To your point--Your misery is caused by the economy and the stagnation that occurs in this industry when the economy is in the basement. There is no advancement as a result. I, nor any other pilot can change that. The Reserve rules have improved tremendously since the contract in 2007 and then some minor improvements with the PBS side letter. Is it Eutopia? No, it's still Reserve with some improvements. However, a Reserve is not a Lineholder. We can't fix the economy, and we can't fix your seniority. However, as a fellow pilot, I am willing to use negotiating capital to try and improve it. But in reality, it is what it is. It's the last line of defense in protecting scheduling integrity. Reserve at this Company is better than most others, but it is still Reserve. Don't blame me, for if I was King, everyone would be a lineholder. However, PBS has produced more lines, less Reserves, and less open time. Those are the facts.
4. Ya, 50s going away. Good for you since you don't fly one and it's too good for you so you never want to fly one again.
Yes, I agree with this message. In our industry, I have the seniority to exercise that option and I am not ashamed of it.
5. We get it. It's all about only you.
No, but it's not about YOU either! Get it?
6. One list will alleviate a bit of it. One less regional to shuffle.
You and I have very little control or say so in that matter. When, and if, it becomes economically rewarding, then INC may orchestrate that. Personally, I don't see that happening as there are legal protections that they have in a Corporate law perspective with less exposure, that they wouldn't have. In addition, mergers in this industry are costly because of the labor issues in achieving one list. Delta/NWA was the extreme exception, whereas USAir and the NWA/Republic merger are the norms. Most likely, the ASA/Xjet contract and single list will probably be the norm. It may never get done! Why would anyone want to add to the cluster by trying to integrate a 3rd pilot group? My guess is that the MGMT could care less if we get one contract or combine the list as the only reason it is going forward now is because of XJet scope. MGMT is already getting the cost savings they wanted.
Last paragraph: your premise is wrong again. Pay has nothing to do with dual qual. There are many airlines that have dual qual on the 757/767 and yet have two separate pay scales. Dual qual is just to decrease training costs. Everything else depends on what you get in negotiations. Skywest pilots don't get to negotiate so they got stuck with their subpar deal that management imposes on them. Anyways, apparently they are safe enough for the FAA along with everyone else who operates those two fleet types along with the 75/76 and DC9/MD80, etc.
Sorry, I disagree with you on several points. The convention that SkyWest uses and that most likely will be proposed, has most everything to do with pay. Dual Qual will increase training costs to some degree--think about it. Yes, everything else depends on what you get or don't get in negotiatons. It's interesting that you communicated that SkyWest pilots got stuck with Dual Qual and related pay and rules. So which is it?
SkyWest pilots do very little cross flying of the equipment, so that helps keep it safer. You reference 757/767 but there is a major difference. Those 2 planes were designed in the beginning for dual qualification as the cockpits and visual sight perspective were a major design priority early engineering. However, only one version of the 767 is common to the 757 and and crews are limited to those that are common. No carrier operated the DC9 and MD80, as the type is different. In fact, at Republic, pilots that flew the DC-9 10/30 series could not fly the DC9 50. The CR2 and the CR7 were not designed at the same time for a common type, and the cocpit and sight perspectives are quite different, as are several of the major systems. Certification of the 700 was delayed for several months because the number of differences were far too many to combine the type with the CR2. In one week, suspciously, those differences were suddenly reduced to about 137, barely fitting in the requirement. Many parties were suspect of the certification. As a result, the FAA and respective Companies of Comair and ASA felt it was safer to operate the aircraft separately. In practice, SkyWest pilots do very little cross flying. From information from friends there, what little that is done does not happen within the same pairing and rarely within the same month. All pilots are paid the lower rate for vacation, training, and sick leave. The overides are only paid for actual block time flown. An yes, the major reason is to save payroll costs.
Like is said, we get it. You'll throw anything out there and make up false premises to justify why it isn't good when in fact it's just you looking out for no one else than just you and the hell with everyone else.
You are incorrect about throwing out false premises. I certainly don't want to take a pay concession in changing an established practice for someone who is trying to do a seniority grab, nor would about 400+ other pilots. You would probably like others to sit on Reserve for you also? Why should we cannabilize our work group, pay and rules? You can't fix your Juniority, so don't try to grab other pilot's seniority. Bid what you can fly. It is safer to fly the CR2 separately and that is why it was done. Only since we were purchased by INC, has it become an issue. And it is an issue because they want to save payroll costs by imposing their scheme.
