Pinnacle in the next year ?

[Lear70]

It gets better:

Pinnacle management has requested that our MEC start negotiations early.

Our MEC agreed, looks like we'll be starting nearly a year earlier than anticipated. Not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing.

The game's afoot...

 

[JJJ]

It could mean that they know something that we don't (ie additional airplanes), or it could mean that they want us to think that they know something.

 

[DoinTime]

More likely it means they know that protracted labor talks are not good for business. Pinnacle needs more growth than NW has currently committed to balance the huge debt load that Northwest left us with.

Growth will not happen until a new pilot contract is secured and regional flying opportunities in the US airline market are drying up. If Pinnacle management drags their a$$ on this one they will find themselves in a stagnant market being crushed by their own debt load.

 

[flap operator]

Let's put this into perspective... XJ opened a full year early and look what happened. It doesn't mean the deal will get done any easier or that mgmt is that much more eager.



FO

 

[Lear70]

More likely it means they know that protracted labor talks are not good for business. Pinnacle needs more growth than NW has currently committed to balance the huge debt load that Northwest left us with.

Growth will not happen until a new pilot contract is secured and regional flying opportunities in the US airline market are drying up. If Pinnacle management drags their a$$ on this one they will find themselves in a stagnant market being crushed by their own debt load.

Hadn't thought about that one... interesting perspective.

 

[fly4ever]

So how are the Pinnacle pilots reacting to the inter-company memo regarding no growth beyond the 129 airplanes?

Unfortunately, the hardball tactics are starting even before your negotiations.

 

[DoinTime]

So how are the Pinnacle pilots reacting to the inter-company memo regarding no growth beyond the 129 airplanes?

Unfortunately, the hardball tactics are starting even before your negotiations.

Haven't heard of such a memo.

 

[pitot-grande]

According to NWA, PCL will not receive anymore a/c until a "long term contract" is in place. Phil Trenary and Doug Shockey just offered to open early contract negotiations & the PCL MEC accepted.

Mgmt. strives for PCL stock to rise as they will profit directly. A long term contract which results in additional a/c may provide the impetus.

Early negotiations are great and all, but the deal can't be sealed until big NWA ties up their loose end. How can we ammend our contract if we don't know where we fit in?

I feel that mgmt. would rather sign sooner rather than later because a.) the industry sucks right now so they have more leverage than they would in the future, and b.) a long term contract would (quite) possibly result in the options going to 9E over XJ.

NWA 9 pilots may find themselves in direct contention with 9E pilots for 70 seaters. The sea is churning and we're all seasick from it.

Just like the previous posts this is speculation so don't piss into the wind with an empty reply.

-shlong

 

[Wanderer]

Let the ass whoopin begin! 9E is full of pilots who bought their way in and they will cave and sell out the industry at the 1st sign that their crappy job is on the line. 9E sold out before and they will soon sell out again. The only difference is they wont be rewarded this time. Enjoy the growth while it lasts. 129 and thats it.

I am sure all the laid off NWAers at 9E love seeing this dog crap of post.

arse

 

[DoinTime]

According to NWA, PCL will not receive anymore a/c until a "long term contract" is in place.

While I don't doubt this I have never seen it expressed by NWA themselves. It is more of a rumor that has been told for so long that everyone takes it as the truth. Don't forget that nobody thought we would get more than the 94 that were previously awarded.

NW has no financial reason (minus the 11% of the stock they still hold) to care how much the pilots are paid. Our air service agreement reimburses Pinnacle with crew compensation based on industry averages. If we make more than average, Pinnacle profits less than the guaranteed margin. If we make less, Pinnacle profits more.

 

[JJJ]

o how are the Pinnacle pilots reacting to the inter-company memo regarding no growth beyond the 129 airplanes?

I haven't seen this memo yet. What is your source?

Why would mgmt tell us there will be no more airplanes? That would only gives strength to our barganing position. If there were to no more growth, that woulod be even more reason to hold out for better pay, work rules, benefits, etc. At the very minimum, tell us there is a chance of more airplanes if we sign this or that.

 

[Lear70]

Why would mgmt tell us there will be no more airplanes? That would only gives strength to our barganing position. If there were to no more growth, that woulod be even more reason to hold out for better pay, work rules, benefits, etc. At the very minimum, tell us there is a chance of more airplanes if we sign this or that.

I'm not voting for anything based on the chance of more airplanes. I sincerely hope that the majority of pilots here recognize that even if they gave us a promise in writing for more airplanes, that it does nothing for us or our industry if we sign anything substandard. Our contract is total garbage compared with where the industry is now, and we must not get greedy for growth to the point that it continues to drag down the industry.

One of our recent newsletters detailed:

Our management considers us the most profitable regional in the country.

Our management considers the pilots one of the major contributors to that claim.

The cost of us getting a 50% raise across the board in terms of combined salary and benefit increase is a very small increase in their CASM and woulld not adversely affect their profitability.

There is absolutely no reason to cave to management just for increased growth, when our piece of the pie is small enough to not affect their growth either way. The fight is just beginning, but we all need to commit to a hard line stance now.

 

[JJJ]

All I'm saying is that it would be bad strategy on the companys part to tell us there will be no more airplanes.

Like you, I'm only going to vote on what is printed on the TA, not promises of future growth.

Either way, I think the first TA that comes our way will get approved.

 

[another cfii]

I think if any short-sighted pilots that would vote for growth doesn't understand one word: "Karma". What comes around goes around. Just because you think more jets will mean faster upgrades, and you can sacrifice all other issues, i think it's dead wrong. We need to understand if we set the bar low, whenever we go, we'll have to deal with it for a very long time.

BTW, does anybody know if they can even put a TA out before our contract amendment date starts, i.e. May next year?

 

[Lear70]

Absolutely. A TA could come out for ratification tomorrow if we were at that point. The verbiage in contracts overrides all previous agreements...