Hold on tight

[Fresh Air]

Good summary of the situation, Jetwash.

 

[X-rated]

There is a difference between pissed off and lividly enraged. If the FLOPS guys choose to just slink away from the coming fight, then they deserve being second class, fortunately I believe there will be a fight!

Great example:

And, what happens when Flops strikes and their non-union brethren are forced to fly the Flops trips or be fired?

 

[gunfyter]

Single carrier suit coming right up

 

[Praetorian]

Bingo!

 

[dime line]

And, what happens when Flops strikes and their non-union brethren are forced to fly the Flops trips or be fired?

Its a very small industry

 

[OHGOON]

Flex chose to stay non-union...guess it would be a matter of laying in the bed they made for themselves. Off course there would most likely be enough dummies that would do the dirty deed and cover the trips. I can hear them bitching already about how unfair it is that they ended up on a list for life that ostracizes them.

Don't think it will come to that though; even Ricci realizes that he cannot afford to create that much strife and hope to stay profitable. What will most likely happen is that FLOPS will get a bump up in pay and bennies in their next contract and FLOPS will take some kind of haircut to achieve an uneasy parity over time. This of course will inevitably reinflame the talk of Union at Flex all over again. It will be interesting to watch, especially if and when CA will be asked to join the party.

 

[Ludicrous Speed]

...FLOPS will get a bump up in pay and bennies their next contract...

Correction: ...FLOPS will get a CONSIDERABLE bump up in pay and at bare minimum, industry standard bennies in their next contract...

Nothing else will suffice.

 

[CL300Pilot]

OHGOON, as a Flexjet pilot let me first say that your statement is true that we chose to stay non-union. Right, wrong or indifferent, that was the choice that we as a pilot group decided.

Second, we have owners that are with Options, NJA, CS and XOjet. Please, show me how we are supposed to know if we are flying Options owners or not should you chose to exercise your option and strike. Also, I keep hearing that NJA is so far off in their negotiations that they will be striking and once again their owners will exercise their obvious right to fly the contract they have with us. So please, tell me how we are, as you are eluding to, being scabs and being put out on "the list?"

Since we are being told that we will be run and operated as two completely separate entities, and the fact that Options has not bought us, but Options' parent company has, how again are we wrong flying the contracts that we have.

Thanks

P.S., I sincerely hope that with this acquisition that this not only makes our two companies even stronger in the marketplace, but also brings your salaries and benefits up to ours and not the other way around.

Flex chose to stay non-union...guess it would be a matter of laying in the bed they made for themselves. Off course there would most likely be enough dummies that would do the dirty deed and cover the trips. I can hear them bitching already about how unfair it is that they ended up on a list for life that ostracizes them.

 

[Frac Cap]

Jetwash is spot on with how we all feel.

We use to be proud to be a Flight Options pilot because we were once the"industry innovators" and received industry standard pay. Now being told that we are the "value" option, and our pay shows it even though we do the same job as everyone else. How can we keep moral up when we made to feel like we are "less than" our sister company making $60,000 less. I trust our pay will eventually come up, but the question is, will it be done sooner because it is the right thing to do, or are we going to have to negotiate for it later.

 

[Humphreybogart]

Cl300,
Googone is a blowhard, please don't listen to him. I am a CA pilot, and we are soon going to be decertifying the Teamsters. What a mistake it was voting them in. Us, (CA & Flex) will soon be un-union brothers and sisters. Can't wait for the day. Googone is trying to breath his smelly dragon breath on us, please don't take him as an example as the typical CA pilot. I'm looking forward to working with you and keeping our fractional industry alive.

 

[gret]

Jetwash is spot on with how we all feel.

We use to be proud to be a Flight Options pilot because we were once the"industry innovators" and received industry standard pay. Now being told that we are the "value" option, and our pay shows it even though we do the same job as everyone else. How can we keep moral up when we made to feel like we are "less than" our sister company making $60,000 less. I trust our pay will eventually come up, but the question is, will it be done sooner because it is the right thing to do, or are we going to have to negotiate for it later.

It was not cool, a poor choice of words, and the optics are terrible. Not only for pilots, but for all personnel and...the owners.

As with most acquisitions, some inequities may exist in the short term, but this type of company can't survive with a two tier compensation arrangement and will most likely work out something sooner than one may think. It would be pretty lame if they haven't already considered this and have a plan that they will roll out as the dust clears.

Nobody will be completely overjoyed, they never are, but a balance with compensation will be struck.

 

[notapilot]

And, what happens when Flops strikes and their non-union brethren are forced to fly the Flops trips or be fired?

I hope you understand the legalities of your operation better than that, we can not fly Options trips. Options owners are not a part of our interchange agreement. Of course most owners have multiple shares with multiple companies. We are still a separate company, so we cannot fly Options trips just like we can not fly Netjet trips with owners not a part of our program.

 

[Frac Cap]

Yes, it was not cool for management to label us the "value option" and I'm sure in time, they will try to find a more proper way to phrase it. Because it will work against us to continue trying to give the same type of service as every other frac operator gives. If we feel that we are the "value" choice and our pay proves it, then some guys may feel justified in just doing the bare minimum because that is what they are paying for. I don't agree with that philosophy. Our passengers pay good money for our service and the value they get is only on the equipment used to fly them and not the professionals servicing them. Having that type of low self worth as a pilot group will only drive our customers away and then where will we be.

 

[doh]

By what date will they tell you if they are going to extend your contract?

 

[Frac Cap]

By the end of this month.