Mesa and Management

[realitycheck]

Is there something going on between Mesa and its management? I've jumpseated no fewer than 50 times in the past 2 months, and I'd say about 20-25 of those flights were severely delayed (1+ hour) or simply canceled.

Sittin' in the gate area, out of the four flights listed usually 1-2 are delayed. And, the number of gate change announcements is staggerin'. First-hand, I heard one flight get a new gate 4 times... and it must be a direct result of late flights and/or broken airplanes at the gate.

One of my buddies who also jumpseats several times a month on Mesa said one of his out-station flights was canceled because one of the two latches holding the ice bin was broke. Come on... there's safety and then there's safety. I think we're all willing to look the other way until we get into a maintenance base (I'm not sure how Mesa's MEL reads).

Mesa and specifically their pilots always treat me very well, and open jumpseating is simply the model for the rest of the world to follow... but, delayed and canceled flights are killing my commute.

Is there some retaliation goin' on between the pilots and management?

 

[blzr]

I have had to call in sick twice because the crew didn't show up to take the plane back to CLT. Come on, how bad can it be when the crews don't even show up? Airways is sure getting their moneys' worth with that crowd.

 

[WileE]

Mesa Mis-management.

Lots of various reasons that is killing the on time stuff (although you just might be having bad luck, all the flights I've caught rides on in the past 2 months have gone on time with one exception), but mostly it's incompetent management. They are screwing up big time on a lot of issues: maintenance, pilot manning, and pilot relations are just the biggest ones.

As far as maintenance goes their philosophy in Phoenix seems to be to spend a dollar to save a dime. They don't want to pay maintenance for what they are worth so there is high turnover, not enough maintenance personnel to handle simple jobs in a timely manner, and jobs take twice as long because a lot of the personnel don't have the experience to knock them out quickly. They seem oblivious that skimping on one side is costing them a lot more money on delays and cancellations. It looks mostly like a case of one hand not knowing (or caring) what the other one is doing.

Pilot manning right now is a real issue because the company is way short of pilots right now as a side effect of playing furlough games and having hiring essentially on hold since September 01. I spoke with a jet captain today who told me that for 93 hardlines in CLT, they have one available reserve FO to cover any sick calls. Captains are almost as bad. Obviously that's not nearly enough. They are ramping up training but there are logjams at the top and no one going into the props at all.

Pilot relations right now are very poor to say the least. It's not the contract per say, everyone understands that sucks, it's the fact that the company shows no interest at all with actually sticking to the contract as is. You'd think that now that the contract was signed and management essentially won the war that they'd stop screwing with the pilots. Instead it appears that they can't drop the habit of f'ing with everyone. The union grievances are piling up at a remarkable rate and it looks like at this rate it will take the union filing a federal breach of contract lawsuit before anything changes. Because the pilots are really P'Od about being jerked around they aren't interested at all at helping out the company. Instead of taking it in the chops so that you get to work in time, a lot of them are just calling in sick instead. Sick calls are apparently up by 3 or 4 times what they were a year ago. There are a few crews (not all but a few) that are so pissed that they won't put off the simplest maintenace until they are at a maintenance base. If it's broke they are simply writing it up as soon as they see it and don't care if it cancels or delays a flight. They are a minority but they are still there. That's what having a very angry employee base gets them. Management are still apparently oblivious that all this is their fault and the games continue.

Most crews are still doing their best to get everyone where they need to go on time, but a lot times they can't do anything about it. It's very frustrating to have to take delays over and over again because of management screw ups. Maybe when they lose the United deal before they even get started it will act as a wake up, but I doubt it.

 

[wscrj]

Bingo!

WileE, are you part of "the Group" or just a VERY enlightened jumpseater?

 

[stillaboo]

They are ramping up training but there are logjams at the top and no one going into the props at all.

I know some guys in the pool who would disagree with the idea that training is being 'ramped up'. Mesa is WAY short on pilots, but my #'s show that Mesa has only run 1 class since Sept 11th that included any newhires. Every other class has been CC Air, J4J, and Freedom since Sept 11th.

Managment's idea that they won't pay time-and-a-half on any open-time you pick up under 70 hours certainly is quite helpful in motivating pilots too.

JO is 'messing with the bull and getting the horns' right now, I think.

-Boo!

 

[ChinaClipper]

JO won the battle...

but is losing the war. Relations now are the result of declaring WAR on your employees. Many "Yes" voters are waking up to the new reality of bending over, and management smelling blood in the water. "No" voters, like myself, are tired of saying "I told ya so" A lesson to all facing the same assault. But what should you expect fromn the industrys most prolific union buster. Live by the sword, die by the sword. Come on Johnny, What Would Herb Do?

 

[jetdriven]

there are no newhire classes and none planned AFAIK. On the 1900 side, we have been delayed 90 days by the FAA in doing the Bahamas runs. All the Bahamas crews are on reserve and there are still uncovered shifts. This bid alone, at air midwest, there are 200 uncovered shifts and only ONE, yes, ONE pilot bid open time, because the company refuses to pay 1.5 times for open time or junior assignments. Sick calls and not answering your phone are status quo.
There are 200 MAG grievances filed as of now. The company simply treats us like there is no contract. Sick.

 

[stillaboo]

On the 1900 side, we have been delayed 90 days by the FAA in doing the Bahamas runs. All the Bahamas crews are on reserve and there are still uncovered shifts.

I heard 'Barney' was left in MIA to do the Bahamas runs, and ZV is now paying Gulfstream to cover them!

I don't see any hope for the newhires either. The 1900 is on its way out (other than EAS routes), so, at some point, JO will have to re-train all the 1900 guys for the jet. I can't see him picking up newhires when he has a perfectly good group of pilots to use already.

-Boo!