How to help Comair?

[~~~^~~~]

Surely everyone knows by now that management got Comair's contract tossed at the bankruptcy Court.

Our brothers at Comair are looking at an imposed 11% pay cut and loss of their annual increase, their company renegging on agreed upon contributions to their 401K, B Plan, and loss of even their uniform allowance. At the same time, management is threatening to transfer airplanes.

Also, management wants to get injunctive relief to stop a strike.

Your thoughts are requested about what we can do to help our friends at Comair. These pilots deserve any help we can give them. What can we do, what are the bounds of what is legal? What actions can we resolve at the local level to get the ball rolling?

If we set up some sort of fund, let me be the first at ASA to write a personal check to support these pilots. But I really want to know what other ideas are out there.

Regards,
~~~^~~~

 

[tyler24]

my check would bounce

 

[V-1]

Thanks for your support. That's a tough question to answer, since we've let the profession deteriorate so much already.

Nearly every DCI carrier is either in contract negotiations currently, or will be soon. I'd ask that you do what you can to negotiate a better contract than what will be forced upon Comair.

Many Comair pilots have been fortunate enough to have recognized the high probability they would not be able to hold onto their current contract after pattern bargaining by subsequent pilot groups failed to surpass the Comair pilot's achievement. Those who were able to plan for the worst case scenario have already implemented contingency plans. Those who have hoped for the best are the ones who will be willing to accept any offer the company proposes...for fear they will not be able to support themselves, feed their families, pay for that new Lexus sitting in the garage, etc. if they were to lose income for an extended period of time.

Strength at negotiations requires the ability to walk away. It's tough to display that strength if we don't have a strong financial foundation to support us.

 

[FlyComAirJets]

Sure fire solution ... GUARANTEED

Set up a donation plate in the Delta Pilot (only) crew lounge in LGA!

 

[DAL737FO]

Set up a donation plate in the Delta Pilot (only) crew lounge in LGA!

You sound bitter about something why don't you let it out.

 

[ASARJMan]

If we set up some sort of fund, let me be the first at ASA to write a personal check to support these pilots. But I really want to know what other ideas are out there.
Regards,~~~^~~~

Sent a big check last time. Don't think I'll be doing it again. Sorry.

 

[Motorradfahrer]

Let me ask you this....If it were Mesa pilots in the same position would you be in such a rush to lend a hand? I gave dues to help Comair though their last strike only to consistantly have them ******************** on me for the company I worked for. They failed to recognize that I was working to support my family just like everyone else. Im not defending Mesa or their business practices, just making the point that it needs to be a two way street. In any case, I do wish them the best of luck and hope it ll works out for them, but my money wont go to support it.

 

[Headfake14]

Surely everyone knows by now that management got Comair's contract tossed at the bankruptcy Court.

Our brothers at Comair are looking at an imposed 11% pay cut and loss of their annual increase, their company renegging on agreed upon contributions to their 401K, B Plan, and loss of even their uniform allowance. At the same time, management is threatening to transfer airplanes.

~~~^~~~

That may have started already.

...Just read that we (ASA) are getting 8 70s...and the bulletin said something about them being flown down from CVG. ugh...are these comair birds?

 

[Jack Mahogoff]

I sent them a check during their strike only to have them call me a whore after we signed our contract. Granted we did not get the money we were looking for but we secured our future by scoping all RAH flying onto one list and improved every area of our contract. Job protection was more important than a few bucks. Ask any Trans States guy how important scope is. CMR guys apparently saw it different and have continued the bashing. Question: would they take CHQ's contract as it stands versus their own if all DCI flying was done by wholly owneds? You bet your a$$ they would.

As for me sending more money? I wish them well but they have a better chance of seeing Jesus twice than getting one penny more from me.

 

[captainv]

Well, it's a nice gesture to raise money (send it to Jim or Javier - they need it more than the rest of us do), but I think the best way to help us is to get the best possible contract at your own airline, when the opportunity arises.


Despite all the labor turmoil, we'll be lucky to keep the airline running, period. Our entire IT department has been outsourced - one reason none of the printers in Concourse C ever work. If it ever snows in JFK, our "plan" is to cancel everything - they don't have enough trucks and don't have enough rampers, not to mention that no one's been trained to deice, anyway. And my favorite, we only have 13 schedulers on staff (full staff would be 40). Apparently there's been a lot of turnover in that department. They've tried increasing pay and benefits (what a concept!) but it's not working. Oh and we've had 400 pilots leave this year, and recruiting isn't exactly bursting at the seams with new applicants, all of whom will end up in JFK as they try to expand the base there.

Now let's assume we keep it together and management turns us into one of the more affordable DCI carriers. That might turn this thread into "How to help (insert name of your DCI carrier here)" If we're one of the cheapest airlines out there, do you think your airplanes are safe? And just keep in mind where the true blame lies - management, not the pilot group. That goes for every airline out there, not just us!