New SkyWest Pay Package Riding Coattails of ASA/XJT

[Nevets]

Question, How did they cause a paycut at XJT? I doubt that the majority will get to that point anytime soon.

Baronman said: "Ah yes....a little history. Back when SKWY first proposed purchasing XJT in that underhanded deal orchestrated by CAL, your Uncle Jerry clearly stated in front of our MEC that we'd have to become more "cost competitive" in order to maintain our flying rather than transfer those aircraft to Skywest Airlines. Oh, that's in addition to the hundreds of furloughs. In the end the BOD felt that staying independent was best yet had to match the CPA that Skywest was gunning for, basically a bare-bones agreement with CAL.

CAL had whipsawed XJT against Skywest, in doing so they got a lower cost CPA which ended up putting the screws to the XJT pilots."

Skywest and CAL agreed to a CPA with assumptions of synergy, economies of scale, and bulk third party vendor pricing along with the 16% concession (which included 4% pay cut, PBS, immediate cessation of B fund, and 4% concession from work rules) from the pilots along with getting rid of the protection of our scope and holding letter thus endangering further aircraft transfers to SKW or ASA. The CPA was for 205 aircraft with the ability for CAL to put that CPA up for bid again in 12 months. Also there was a second separate CPA for 25 XJT aircraft that would be transferred and operated by SKW. They planned on furloughing 700 XJT pilots and offering them preferential interviews at SKW (presumably to fly the same 25 aircraft they already were flying on the same routes they were already flying but at first year non-union pay).

With this deal in hand, CAL told the XJT CEO and BOD that either they give CAL that same deal or they would cancel the WHOLE CPA immediately (there was a 12 month notice). The BOD had no choice in that the XJT MEC rejected SKW's proposal. The XJT CEO signed SKW's CPA with all the assumed savings negotiated into it. That is why immediately afterwords, they seeked and got concessions from ALL employees. Skywest got a $9M severance fee from CAL for their services.

Thanks Skywest pilots for being involved at the table with us and ASA on that deal. /sarcasm
And here we is the whipsaw again with you guys being on the sideline again being played to think you actually have a say in this whole shell game.

 

[JoeMerchant]

The whipsaw exists because ALPA has never dealt with the issue of scope in a way that prevents management from putting flying out for bid. Skywest didn't cause this.

The fact remains that mainline "brands" are paying less for regional lift and they can afford to "shop around"....The ALPA chest thumpers need to realize this.

Either change the rules of the "game", or play the game....Saying you don't like the game without changing it, isn't a solution....

 

[Nevets]

No, Skywest certainly didn't cause this. But they sure beat us over the head with their whipsaw though. I'd like to try to change the rules of the game but in the mean time there is one player who let's our opponent use them against their fellow employee/airline pilot brother.

 

[yellowfever]

I'd be willing to bet the kool-aid you're carrying around weighs more than the Jepps did!!

Thanks for the laugh.... I wonder if the right seat food stampers feel the same way as vtech about the "big money" they are making!

 

[Bako Cap]

No, Skywest certainly didn't cause this. But they sure beat us over the head with their whipsaw though. I'd like to try to change the rules of the game but in the mean time there is one player who let's our opponent use them against their fellow employee/airline pilot brother.

Please tell me what a unionized SkyWest pilot group would have done differently. We were not a party to the decision to first try and then to succeed in buying XJT. Truth is that NOTHING in the XJT dealings would have changed if we were unionized. Speaking as a former active participant in ALPA, there is little brotherhood between airline unions. Professional airline pilots will continue to be fractured until the game is changed.

 

[Nevets]

Please tell me what a unionized SkyWest pilot group would have done differently. We were not a party to the decision to first try and then to succeed in buying XJT. Truth is that NOTHING in the XJT dealings would have changed if we were unionized. Speaking as a former active participant in ALPA, there is little brotherhood between airline unions. Professional airline pilots will continue to be fractured until the game is changed.

While it may not have prevented the eventual purchase, you would have had a seat at the table just as ASA ALPA did on both occasions. It may have even paved the way to one list seeing as there is not as much reason to keep operations separate when you don't have a non-union pilot group who cannot do anything about anything. The pay proposal being the latest exhibit. Keep in mind that XJT ALPA was never against the Skywest purchase, just the way they were structured. There was plenty of brotherhood between the two MECs. All the reps from both MECs were unanimous in their support for one list. Skywest being non-union made that almost impossible.

 

[CFIT]

Nevets,

Can you enlighten us as to what or why the pay proposal, for SkyWest pilots, is such a bad deal?

 

[Nevets]

Nevets,

Can you enlighten us as to what or why the pay proposal, for SkyWest pilots, is such a bad deal?

It was "negotiated" without any leverage and without coffering with ASA/XJT ALPA. It undermines the joint contract negotiations and will be used against ASA/XJT during negotiations. Especially since there is nothing in it that is better than what XJT or ASA already has. You want to help? Unionize so that we can all strategize, share, communicate together instead of being left to be used against each other. We would all be in the room together and not get any of this well they agreed to xyz when they mischaracterized it or put it out of context, etc. We all need to understand that what you do is not in a vacuum. It will affect the industry and ASA/XJT acutely. We all need to understand that we all are one company now and we should work together taker than against each other like Peidmont and PSA do in their contract negotiations. Hell, they even include a separate company in their negotiations by inviting AirW to the table. Can't do that if you keep sitting on your hands and stay on the sidelines while everyone else tries to help each other out.

I could go on and on but that is most of the gist of it.

 

[79%N1]

It was "negotiated" without any leverage and without coffering with ASA/XJT ALPA. It undermines the joint contract negotiations and will be used against ASA/XJT during negotiations. Especially since there is nothing in it that is better than what XJT or ASA already has. You want to help? Unionize so that we can all strategize, share, communicate together instead of being left to be used against each other. We would all be in the room together and not get any of this well they agreed to xyz when they mischaracterized it or put it out of context, etc. We all need to understand that what you do is not in a vacuum. It will affect the industry and ASA/XJT acutely. We all need to understand that we all are one company now and we should work together taker than against each other like Peidmont and PSA do in their contract negotiations. Hell, they even include a separate company in their negotiations by inviting AirW to the table. Can't do that if you keep sitting on your hands and stay on the sidelines while everyone else tries to help each other out.

I could go on and on but that is most of the gist of it.

What he said +1

 

[vtech]

Nevets,

Could you please describe the current profit sharing/bonus/incentive/whatever you want to call it program that exists at ASA and tell us where that came from?

What does ASA call that anyway?

Where did that come from?