pinnacle

[WildBlue]

Personally, I would like to see:
1. What has been accomplished since October. "We have made great strides in cleaning up the language." Great! Let's see it. Scope has been improved. Great! Let's see it.

2. What is on the table? What have we proposed? I can understand keeping all this under wraps before TA1, but not now. Management knows what has been proposed. The only folks not in on the secret is the line guys/gals.

3. We are being asked to wait, and wait, and be patient, and wait. For what? I have asked my reps and get no straight answers.

As for why the MEC has recalled folks....that is their business. The only thing that will come from communicating the whys is to smear good men who worked hard for their fellow pilots. The fact that some people disagreed with their approach or views, fine. But saying that this guy was a sell-out, or this guy acted like a spoiled child, or this guy...blah, blah, blah...is a waste of time and only discourages other good men and women from volunteering. I did not care for the views of the guy on the NC who got recalled. But, he volunteered, he tried and does not deserve the smear campaign. Same for the other two who were recalled last year.

 

[Smarta$$]

I'm sorry, how would that help us get a contract exactly? Also, you referenced the 2 that got recalled last year, did you agree with their views?

 

[WildBlue]

How will it help us get a contract? Right now, this pilot group is about as divided as it can get. Fellow pilots going at each other as if we are on separate teams. Rumors are rampant....they are all over the place....in the past week I have heard that our health care plan (which is excellent) is on the table along with the signing bonus. Putting the information out helps us become united. It also helps all of us to have some confidence, hopefully, in our mec. Are the positions we have on the table....are they some big secret? We have been told that we are down to five items....what, exactly, are in the five....I have heard different things from different reps.

As to the other two recalled last year, no, I did not agree with everything they ever did, BUT they both served.....for a very long time. One of them helped to bail me out of a serious jam five years ago. (Self inflicted wound...no need for further details) I simply disagree with the various statements I have seen such as "These guys were only in it for themselves", etc. etc. Very few pilots at PCL have been willing over the years to get in and do our dirty work. These two did it for a long time, just like the current crop is doing it. Neither those two, nor the current folks, should be demonized in the process.

 

[DoinTime]

Rumors are rampant....they are all over the place....in the past week I have heard that our health care plan (which is excellent) is on the table along with the signing bonus. Putting the information out helps us become united. It also helps all of us to have some confidence, hopefully, in our mec. Are the positions we have on the table....are they some big secret? We have been told that we are down to five items....what, exactly, are in the five....I have heard different things from different reps.

Do you bother to read the MEC updates on anything? If you are as uninformed as you claim to be, you must not be. Sounds like your reps need to read the updates too.

05/23/10

Fellow Pilots,

As our Negotiating Committee reported at the conclusion of the negotiating session on May 13th, progress was made on several issues that stand in the way of a successor TA, but resolution of all terms remained elusive. While we had hoped for resolution at this session it became very apparent mid-week that the company did not have any serious intention to close a deal. This session marked the end of our attempt to resolve the outstanding issues in direct negotiations with the company and we will now return to the NMB for their assistance in closing a deal.

In anticipation of being where we now find ourselves, we began the process of reserving the earliest available date that we could get from the NMB to reengage the company in mediated negotiations. The quickest date we could get was for the week of June 21st. Because of the limited number of open items left to work out we will not be meeting in person with the company until this date, but we have arranged for some document traffic on issues that are close to resolution.

The recent Negotiating Committee updates have referenced a couple of different package deals that have been assembled to address a number of issues relating to the availability of our pilots. Both of these packages address issues that our pilot group needs to see, as well as some potential issues for the company. Considerable effort has been put into both of these packages by both parties and I’m confident that resolution on these is near. Outside of the issues contained in these packages, the following is what is left on the table:

· Improvements to 401(k) plan
· Dual qualification
· Company contributions to Association leave expenses
· Minimum day guarantee provisions
· Contract duration

The MEC and Negotiating Committee will be busy during these next several weeks preparing for our next negotiating session with the NMB in Washington D.C. Most of the language work has already been done on settled issues, but we want to ensure that a new TA can be delivered to the pilot group as quickly as possible after a comprehensive deal is reached. As we move forward with preparations for the weeks to come, we do so with one less committee member. After extensive consideration this past week, the MEC made the difficult decision to make a change to the Negotiating Committee. Captain Craig Tommasello was taken off the Negotiating Committee roster and returned to his position on the Retirement and Insurance Committee. The MEC would like to thank Captain Tommasello for his contribution to the extensive work that has been done towards reaching a new agreement. A final decision has not yet been rendered on when or if a replacement to the committee will be made.

It is undeniable that the stress of negotiating a new TA has worn even some of our most seasoned pilots down. Circumstances have not been kind to this pilot group or MEC during the past five years, but we cannot turn back the clock or change past events. Now, more than ever, we must all stand resolute on achieving a fair and equitable contract that reflects our contribution to the company’s success and our place amongst industry peers. Like most good things, it will not come easy, but it will come if we all pull in the same direction.

In Unity,

Captain Scott Erickson
Master Executive Council, Chairman

 

[redflyer65]

The company will NOT close any of these unless they are forced to by the NMB.

At this point, the union should just drop a ASA contract (or Cont. Express, etc.) on the table and say "match it". This is dragging out at nauseum because the company keeps playing their shell game of agreements. One day agreeing to something, then pulling it back the next week. The union kinda looks like they have egg on their face and the line pilots are losing their faith.

A couple of things that need to be added..

COLA pay raises after the next ammendable date, so they can't pull this again in 5yrs, and

Duty rigs. The NY flying is getting ready to eat everyone's lunch, even the senior guys. How do you like sitting around for 6hrs a day making per diem only. Fly three short legs and sit around all day making nothing. Enjoy.

 

[Smarta$$]

U

The company will NOT close any of these unless they are forced to by the NMB.

At this point, the union should just drop a ASA contract (or Cont. Express, etc.) on the table and say "match it". This is dragging out at nauseum because the company keeps playing their shell game of agreements. One day agreeing to something, then pulling it back the next week. The union kinda looks like they have egg on their face and the line pilots are losing their faith.

A couple of things that need to be added..

COLA pay raises after the next ammendable date, so they can't pull this again in 5yrs, and

Duty rigs. The NY flying is getting ready to eat everyone's lunch, even the senior guys. How do you like sitting around for 6hrs a day making per diem only. Fly three short legs and sit around all day making nothing. Enjoy.

Agree.

 

[kellwolf]

Duty rigs OR a min day. Reserve guys are getting killed on this one. Nothing like working for 2 days and getting paid for 30 minutes. I had a 9 hour RR with a DH to TYS the next day......

 

[79%N1]

Duty rigs OR a min day. Reserve guys are getting killed on this one. Nothing like working for 2 days and getting paid for 30 minutes. I had a 9 hour RR with a DH to TYS the next day......

And all you got paid was :30 min???? That's ridiculous!

At ASA you would have been paid 7.75 for that.

 

[Smarta$$]

And all you got paid was :30 min???? That's ridiculous!

At ASA you would have been paid 7.75 for that.

Pinnacle pilots are NOT ASA pilots. Our pilots don't have the balls or the sense enough to take a stand like you guys did. Don't expect much out of us. Sorry.

 

[SEVEN]

And all you got paid was :30 min???? That's ridiculous!

At ASA you would have been paid 7.75 for that.

I did a 3 day trip for Mesaba blocked for 2 hrs last week. Got paid for 12 hrs. Duty Rigs or Min Day is a must.

 

[Raoul Duke]

Delta is going to move a huge amount of flying to NY - it is the worst flying in the entire system and will completely destroy your QOL. I strongly advise a no vote for anything that does not provide iron clad benefits and guarantees. Time for PNCL pilots to refuse to take anything than an industry leading contract - your company makes a ton of money and this is your chance to take it. Think about the pressure that Delta would put on PNCL Mgt to force them to avoid a strike.

 

[kellwolf]

The argument we get from the senior guys is "It'll reduce days off since the company will just build to the min." Really? Let's dump the 75 hour a month while we're at it. 'Cause they'll only build lines to that, right? I stopped counting the number of 90+ hour lines this month. Sure, they're offering 150% for open time on select days, but few people can pick anything up since they're already maxed out. If we get a TA that DOESN'T have a min day/duty/trip rig, we should really hang our heads in shame since we'll be pretty much the only regional that DOESN'T have something like that.

 

[Flyprdu]

Do you bother to read the MEC updates on anything? If you are as uninformed as you claim to be, you must not be. Sounds like your reps need to read the updates too.

Excerpt from Scott's letter:

'Items remaining open'
· Improvements to 401(k) plan
· Dual qualification
· Company contributions to Association leave expenses
· Minimum day guarantee provisions
· Contract duration

I'm so pleased that these quality and vitally important issues are the remaining items of the new contract. Because we definitely have to get those union buyouts taken care of.

Don't worry about an actual payscale or anything irrelevant like that.

I am sure this next TA will be a shining example of our expert negotiating skills.

 

[redflyer65]

How is dual qual still on the table?

Is an 'average' payscale on the table as well? That's was the most idiotic idea. Is it too hard to get a real payscale?

Wow. There's no need to reinvent the wheel here..

 

[DoinTime]

And all you got paid was :30 min???? That's ridiculous!

At ASA you would have been paid 7.75 for that.

There is no way you could know what this trip would have paid at ASA (or PCL for that matter). The only thing you know about it was that it had a DH flight and a reduced rest overnight of nine hours.