RAH in section 6

[Boris Badenov]

I'm no expert, but if I had to guess, I'd guess that the exco is sending a message by putting the LOA out for a vote. When the real fight begins, the company can't point to the 23 year olds picking up open time and say "hey look they don't care about their time off". It's right there in black and white. We value our time off and we will not give it up because they failed to adequately staff the airline.

Union negotiations are a tricky game. I'm glad our side is thinking ahead.

 

[ToiletDuck]

Have you worked for an ALPA carrier?

You mean like ASA(GoJets), Mesa(Freedom), Pennacle(Colgan)? Nope.

 

[goodpilotithink]

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.

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),

HAHAHAHAH!!!!
You miserable weenies fell for a mgt. trick. YOU DID SIGN IT FOR GROWTH AND AS A RESULT PUT MORE PRESSURE ON THE REST OF US.

YES. I will NEVER forget how we put it all on the line for 89 days just to have pilot groups like yours stab us in the back for the promise of shiny new jets to fly so you can all tell your boy friends how cool you are cause you are a "jet driver"

 

[goodpilotithink]

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.

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

Oh, I get it now. Our rates screwed us, not pilot groups like yours who stabbed us in the back by lowering the bar for all.
Gee, and all this time I was under the impression pattern bargaining was the norm in this bussiness. Silly me.
What a bunch of idiot morons.

 

[Mike man]

YES. I will NEVER forget how we put it all on the line for 89 days just to have pilot groups like yours stab us in the back for the promise of shiny new jets to fly so you can all tell your boy friends how cool you are cause you are a "jet driver"

How does that junior manning work out for you?

And the floating days off?

It sure is a good thing you put it all on the line for 89 days for that...thanks.

 

[Tarzan]

What a bunch of idiot morons.

Isn't that a double negative?

 

[bizzum]

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

Yeah cuz the Teamsters are SO much better....how long have you been in the industry....3 months? And already an expert...

 

[UnstableAviator]

RAH is young, as of May 2007 10 years of seniority puts you at #47 on a list of 1823. If nothing else, the company is still cost competitive for growth due people low on the pay scale and the resulting "cheap" labor costs. This won't last forever; RAH' day in the sun will be over soon enough.

The language in the next contract must also be CLEAR and with EXAMPLES. Our current contract, much like the LOA with words like "may" and "operational neccesity" have to go. If the next CBA is the best the regional world has ever seen, it won't matter if it is worded vaguely or isn't enforced.

 

[huncowboy]

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.

I did it already.

 

[Bluestreak]

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),

HAHAHAHAH!!!!
You miserable weenies fell for a mgt. trick. YOU DID SIGN IT FOR GROWTH AND AS A RESULT PUT MORE PRESSURE ON THE REST OF US.

YES. I will NEVER forget how we put it all on the line for 89 days just to have pilot groups like yours stab us in the back for the promise of shiny new jets to fly so you can all tell your boy friends how cool you are cause you are a "jet driver"

And I will never forget how Comair was the main purveyor of "Buy-a-job",hmmmmmkay ? Hard to "raise the bar" when people were paying to work at Comair (and others).Now go on and tell me how wrong I am.