RAH in section 6

[RP170]

You know, that almost P$sses me off that you left 9E out of this. In case you weren't watching, we just let 17 CRJ's go because we wouldn't "lower the bar" and take a substandard contract. The language of the new ASA with NW specifically said they were ours for 10 years if we signed what the company offered by March 30?

It is really about time someone gave 9E some props for fighting so hard and doing so much with so little.

And received 16 more CRJ-900's?

 

[Minimaniac]

For starters, the current RAH contract was not a low-ball contract taken to promote growth. That contract was how RAH pilots fought off having an alter-ego (the original Republic concept of BB), and how we got rid of junior manning. Ask anyone at Trans States how much they would give up to be rid of GoJets. Ask anyone at a company that has junior manning how much they would give up, as well. And, the 175 pay scale tops out at 114/hr. Not a bad rate for a regional, especially when said regional did not have anything bigger than a handful of 145's at the time. And, ask USAir guys what kind of pay they get for flying on a holiday (none vs. RAH 4 hours extra).

The current RAH contract was a huge improvement in terms of quality of life and earning potential over the previous SAAB based deal. It was an acheivment of note in a post 9/11 industry. Four years later, the contract now looks AVERAGE at worst compared to all the other regional carriers.

Now it is time to work again at it. We have a very strong bargaining position (more growth than we can handle, consistent profits, good stock value, a shortage of pilots on property) and rest assured we will not squander it. Our union negotiators won us some pretty big battles last time around, and in the interim we have fought off seniority bypass and awarded vacation cancellations, without having given up anything in return. Yes, management has tried anyway, and continues to try to beat us to a pulp, but we are holding strong, and to date have come out on top.

Our union is far from perfet, but it is strong in mind and will. We will get improvements. If you only look at hourly rates, you may not be blown away. Wages will go up some... probably most significantly for the 51-78 seat aircraft group. The 79-99 rate will go up, but marginally I'll bet. The company will likely ask us to create a new pay group for aircraft with 100 or more seats, even if only to have that option available years from now. The FO payscale will include more years of raises, as it is more likely now that we will have FO's being FO's for more than 4 years. The 4 year cap of our current contract was a result of upgrade conditions four years ago, and to date no one has been a 4 year FO at RAH unless they have chosen to do so and willingly submitted themselves to a pay cap.

Have a little faith in us, guys and gals. We haven't taken a step back til now, and there is no reason to start a backward slide either. This may get dragged out, or it may wrap up relatively quickly... Wall Street and our codeshare partners will dictate the speed of conclusion. There will be strike vote, and we will have a resounding yes. That is a mere formality nowadays. After that is done, a resolution will come, and then and only then can you judge our efforts.

 

[Tex-Ex]

For the record, the old RAH contract did NOT have junior manning. We fought for one list, and received improvements in almost all categories including pay. Were they great pay rates? No. It was one of the first if not the first regional contracts negotiated after September '01. There were NO CONCESSIONS taken in the contract. Everyone said "You need Comair rates plus X%" Well look where that has gotten Comair. Will there be improvements this time around? Whithout a doubt. Will it be cheaper for RAH to drag out the negotiations for years rather than agree to higher payrates? probably. It took a strike vote last time, and anyone who thinks that won't be necessary this time is fooling themselves.

 

[sweptback]

Everyone said "You need Comair rates plus X%" Well look where that has gotten Comair.

One could make the argument that Comair got there because no pilot group was able to achieve Comair-plus rates.

 

[Tex-Ex]

You are correct. Comair negotiated those rates priot to September '01. YOu don't even have to argue it.

 

[ToiletDuck]

At least we aren't ALPA. 1 notch on our side.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

With some luck, you guys might even negotiate a second contract in the time that ASA's been negotiating its current contract. Best of luck. :beer:

 

[Superpilot92]

You guys should have a lot of leverage, with staffing levels now and in the future. Its only going to get worse industry wide. Thats huge leverage IMHO.

 

[huncowboy]

Did you read the last LOA? Again full of conditional language.

"the company may reduce the min days off" or something similar... which is translated to real life as: it will be a solid 11 days of if voted yes.

Did we not learn anything? I thought 747 would have figured it out by now not to bring something like that even to a vote. There was nothing in it for us. NOTHING! It was pathethic. The pre vote polls were like 98% No. Why even vote on this? Can't the MEC say no to it and move on? I don't know I am new to this but if this is the attitude we are going in, there won't be no fight. We don't even have a counter proposal as far as I could read on the forum. I don't have my hopes up for the new contract except that I hope I most of us won't be there by then. I am just sorry for the lifers.

 

[aewanabe]

Did you read the last LOA? Again full of conditional language.

"the company may reduce the min days off" or something similar... which is translated to real life as: it will be a solid 11 days of if voted yes.

Did we not learn anything? I thought 747 would have figured it out by now not to bring something like that even to a vote. There was nothing in it for us. NOTHING! It was pathethic. The pre vote polls were like 98% No. Why even vote on this? Can't the MEC say no to it and move on? I don't know I am new to this but if this is the attitude we are going in, there won't be no fight. We don't even have a counter proposal as far as I could read on the forum. I don't have my hopes up for the new contract except that I hope I most of us won't be there by then. I am just sorry for the lifers.

The exco had to put something out, and had no leverage since the company honestly believes we're a bunch of 23 year olds creaming over more 170s. Help disabuse that notion by sending in your NO vote. 99 percent saying hell no with 100 percent participation is what we're looking for here. And you (we) need to be ready to fight for the lifers, for the new-hires today who are looking at 5-year upgrades, and everyone who is yet to be hired. (With full disclosure, I am sincerely praying I'm outta here in the next few weeks, but I want to leave the company a better place for the next generation than what it is now).