Hold on tight

[Humphreybogart]

Just wait until they buy CitationAir as well. I guess it's better for us than the alternative. As the title says...Hold On Tight. Looks like we'll all be one happy family!!

 

[XTW]

Just wait until they buy CitationAir as well. I guess it's better for us than the alternative. As the title says...Hold On Tight. Looks like we'll all be one happy family!!

You might have to fly the line again.

 

[FRACTRASH]

Bogart, I didn't know you were management.

 

[ProFracPilot]

All we've heard on our side is how profitable Flex is. If that's the case, why would they cut compensation and risk having a pissed off pilot group?

Along similar lines, would they risk disenfranchising the FlOps pilots by maintaining a two-tier pay system?

Me thinks there's going to be a whole lotta negotiatin' goin' on in the coming months between management and the 1108. We all should just chill for now and let this unfold (trying to take my own advice here).

 

[Humphreybogart]

You might have to fly the line again.

Maybe, maybe not, Kid

 

[shanes123]

All we've heard on our side is how profitable Flex is. If that's the case, why would they cut compensation and risk having a pissed off pilot group?

Along similar lines, would they risk disenfranchising the FlOps pilots by maintaining a two-tier pay system?

Me thinks there's going to be a whole lotta negotiatin' goin' on in the coming months between management and the 1108. We all should just chill for now and let this unfold (trying to take my own advice here).

When have they cared about a pissed off pilot group 98% of there pilots are pissed off the other 2% are ass kissing yes men!! Business as usual at FLOPS

 

[Rubber Ducky]

All I know us Uncle Ken is gonna have one hell of a bill for Thanksgiving dinner this year!!!

 

[OHGOON]

When have they cared about a pissed off pilot group 98% of there pilots are pissed off the other 2% are ass kissing yes men!! Business as usual at FLOPS

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:

It's been a couple of days now, and the enormity of our (FO pilots) screwing is just beginning to sink in. After 5+ years of grinding our faces into the dirt with fire-sale wages, worn out equipment, and Nextant Franken-jets, our parent company just spent 185 mil to buy a competing fractional, and pledged to spend another 5.2 billion to make it the classiest, most modern fleet in the industry. For the first time ever, I literally couldn't eat last night, my food stuck in my throat.

To paraphrase that great old quote by Clark Griswold in Christmas Vacation:

"Hey! If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Kenn Ricci, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there in Cleveland with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-azz, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey sh1t he is! Hallelujah! Holy sh1t! Where's the Tylenol?"

 

[OHGOON]

Bogart, I didn't know you were management.

Well BLowgart is the waterboy, you can be forgiven for not noticing before.

 

[jetwash]

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:

I would have to agree with you on this one.

I don't think the Flight Options pilots are livid about the the purchase of Flex-jet in fact, I think they welcome it since it shows growth and stability.

What I am sure infuriated the pilots was the plan to make them into a "value" jet provider with low cost labor and previously enjoyed aircraft. This after the acceptance of low wages in the last contract to help the company survive the great recession. Now to find out that the money from out 401k match that was supposedly taken away to help the company to get on a more solid footing was now being used to purchase a competitor who is paid better and has a 401k match. That just flushed any good will the pilots might have still had down the toilet.

We are back to square one in our relationship and it is now up to management to again earn our trust. ( get out the check book! ) (and fast...)

 

[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.