Pinnacle's new staffing strategy. Ingenious!

[flynryan15]

I don't really have a dog in this fight, but I want to ask a rational question. How is it you 9e guys can come on here and brag about buying ANOTHER airline AGAIN? Seriously beating your chest that you are buying airlines, while your airline is 4+ years past your contract negotiations makes you look really bad! I have several friends at PCL and I ask them all the same thing! For real Colgan is a growing, while you guys sit with no orders, no deliveries and no growth in sight!

There is a enemy you should be focusing your hate and anger on and it is not the Mesaba pilots. Follow the lead of the Spirit pilots, step up your pressure for a fair contract and merging PCL and Colgans list! Make them pay your 76 rate for the Q400's so the undercutting stops. If not ask for your cooling off period, it has been long enough guys and gals!

All this arguing with each other about who covers for who is pointless. In the end the reserves get abused and MGT gets a bonus! If flights get cancelled then that pushes PCL to hiring and Mesaba to recalling. We are in this together!

 

[kellwolf]

I don't think it's really bragging. At least, I HOPE it's not. Buying Colgan was an ingenious shell game move by management right after receiving a cash bonus from NWA so they could say (truthfully for once) "We don't have the money for that kind of contract." They just leave off the "We already spent it on another airline and airplanes for them."

As for XJ doing our flights.....everyone just needs to calm down and get over it. I flew a MEM-AUS-MEM flight a few months back because an XJ -900 canceled due to MX. I didn't go on an internet forum talking smack about it, though. This stuff happens between us all the time. If you wanna get bent out of shape over something, read the latest company memo.....

 

[Flyprdu]

As long as the PCL MEC is more concerned about the risk of hurting the feelings of the Colgan MEC than what is good for their own pilot group... there will be no SLI.

 

[higney85]

As long as the PCL MEC is more concerned about the risk of hurting the feelings of the Colgan MEC than what is good for their own pilot group... there will be no SLI.

Currently the MEC of both 9E and 9L have a very good working relationship. There are no "feelings" in play. How would an SLI right now accomplish anything positive?

 

[TurboAWD]

If anyone on here thinks the views of all the 9E pilots on here represent all 9E pilots, you are dumb. Just like I don't think the views of every XJ/ASA/Comair pilot on here don't represent every pilot from those airlines.

Somebody said it above. It's management you need to direct your frustration at, not other pilots.

 

[Flyprdu]

How would an SLI right now accomplish anything positive?

You cannot be serious.

 

[higney85]

Are you concerned about whipsaw? Currently 9E is working to finish up a contract that contains a parent letter guarding against whipsaw and colgan is working ontheir first deal. We could shelf all that, try and do a single carrier and/or SLI that will take considerable time still with no contract and no protections. Get a 9E contract, get a 9L contract and then evaluate. Stopping the press now for a deal to do an SLI could become catastophic when new RFP's come up next year.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Are you concerned about whipsaw? Currently 9E is working to finish up a contract that contains a parent letter guarding against whipsaw and colgan is working ontheir first deal. We could shelf all that, try and do a single carrier and/or SLI that will take considerable time still with no contract and no protections. Get a 9E contract, get a 9L contract and then evaluate. Stopping the press now for a deal to do an SLI could become catastophic when new RFP's come up next year.

How are you going to stop whipsaw without all brand flying being done by one group? Unless there is brand scope, there will always be "whipsaw".....

 

[higney85]

Personally I do think colgan and pinnacle need to get to a single list, but first we need to get the basics done in the form of contacts with a strong parent letter and scope. Whipsaw will always exist- whether it's under the same umbrella or simply between two carriers in a peer group. To say "do it right now" when there are no RFP's and no parent letters and cotracts that are beyond overdue or nonexistent would not help either colgan or pinnacle. Get contracts by working together and eventually I see us actually being together. Everyone has their opinions and are more than free to express feelings but both MEC's are working on contracts and I would venture to guess that pilots on both sides want those contracts. Corp has not merged lists and tried to keep alpa off property at colgan, that wasn't for diversity- it's because it's obvious both sides are working together instead of against each other.

 

[SEVEN]

off to cover another canceled 9E round trip...this is getting old:angryfire

 

[i fly boxes]

off to cover another canceled 9E round trip...this is getting old:angryfire

Thank you so much!

 

[SEVEN]

Thank you so much!

Your not welcome. I wonder if RH knows you can't operate your scheduled flights?

 

[kellwolf]

Your not welcome. I wonder if RH knows you can't operate your scheduled flights?

Yeah, like it's the pilots' fault we're understaffed. Don't blame us. We KNOW how understaffed we are already.....

 

[Flyprdu]

Are you concerned about whipsaw?

It's more than whipsaw. It's the fact that the CEC is filled with young Colganphytes with their own independent seniority list.

While Pinnacle languishes with stagnation and no real future. The fact that Colgan moved their operations to Memphis is more than enough evidence that we are not just two separate companies under some distant financial umbrella.

The operations are intermixed. We are headed to a ShuPubliAqua model... not an ASA/Skywest model.

The union needs to recognize this... and take some action for once.

 

[higney85]

It's more than whipsaw. It's the fact that the CEC is filled with young Colganphytes with their own independent seniority list.

While Pinnacle languishes with stagnation and no real future. The fact that Colgan moved their operations to Memphis is more than enough evidence that we are not just two separate companies under some distant financial umbrella.

The operations are intermixed. We are headed to a ShuPubliAqua model... not an ASA/Skywest model.

The union needs to recognize this... and take some action for once.

This was recognized on day 1 of the Colgan purchase by the MEC at the time and still remains a very complex and concerning matter. The parent letter from TA1 should be a good indication that we were aware of this and working to protect our side, while also not hindering the Colgan operation- since we are both in the same umbrella of mgmt and financial resources. The company has continued to say "jets at 9E, props at 9L". That being said, when the company speaks we immediately get concerned when it has the potential for a negative impact. We are not out to screw either side, not out to favor either side, we are out to protect both sides. The company is responsible for getting additional flying, staffing it correctly, and managing resources- you can form your own opinion on how well that's going. Everyone talks of "taking actions at once", what do you think we are trying to do? We go back to the NMB next week and that is the next place to take "action", the company has no need or desire (in their minds) to deal with us beyond memo's unless a stronger hand presses on them. With the events as of late we have DL angry with our performance, the pilots are livid, mgmt is not performing as their shareholders and stakeholders expect, and the NMB seems to be working with the RLA. It hurts to tell a pilot to "wait", but action is exactly what your union is working on. Keep in mind your MEC is your elected leaders that work for you, and do it every single day of the week, even if you don't see it happening before your eyes. If you are angry like the rest I will always ask 2 questions to people who are willing to speak up- have you talked to your rep and what would YOU do. Feel free to call, email, or text anytime. I'm always willing to tell you where we are and where we are planning on going from the UNION's (aka pilot's) inputs and desires.

 

[Mr Wu]

I'm always willing to tell you where we are and where we are planning on going from the UNION's (aka pilot's) inputs and desires.

If 9E strikes, do you expect 9L to walk also?

 

[snap145]

SEVEN is on his high horse again...incoming!!!!!!!!

 

[higney85]

If 9E strikes, do you expect 9L to walk also?

No, I wouldn't expect it and legally you can't in this scenario.

 

[1.3XVso]

If 9E strikes, do you expect 9L to walk also?

I concluded that there are 3 groups of pilots @ 9E.

The first group are the hardcore strike force ready to walk.

Second group are the " I want to cross the line but im not because I dont want to scab my career".

Third group will be the scabs.

But like higney said it wont happen. I believe our union won't let it get that far.

 

[Flyprdu]

The parent letter was riddled with so many conditional statements and quid pro quos that a lot of unforeseeable damage could be done to the Pinnacle pilot group without meeting the requirements for SLI.

The prudent action would be to lock it down now, and not wait for conditions to change and then be caught blindsided with a contract that doesn't provide adequate protections to the pilot group.