I.P. Freley
I like people food
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2001
- Posts
- 2,038
TWAer...
I will reserve judgment until I see a copy of the final CHQ TA, but I will say this: While I won't say "we have been sold out by the CHQ pilot group", I might end up on the side of "we got sold out by the CHQ MEC." I do know that there was a campaign to get our lists merged or at least secure preferential hiring for SA pilots at CHQ if we were shut down, but I'm led to believe that neither of these things made it into your TA. You have to understand that the SA group as a whole was pressed, albeit unofficially, to toe the line with a fuzzy feeling of brotherhood and vote down OUR TA because, as one CHQ pilot told me in person, "we need to stick together and present a united front against Wexford", or words to that effect. Before you say "well the words of one pilot mean nothing", there is the suggestion, and a strong one, that similar sentiment WAS communicated in discussions between our union representatives, but of course I have no evidence to back this up, just rumor. It is painfully clear who had the most to gain and the most to lose in voting for the respective TA's, as I don't believe CHQ was ever threatened with shutdown and/or liquidation if they didn't "play nice". You may be gladdened that the SA pilot group sent an unequivocal message to management/Wexford, but you do recognize that the ramifications of that vote could be the death knell for our fine little company... Whilst you expand and continue to show good finanacials as a result of OUR taking the losses that are rightly yours because they are YOUR Saab leases. I and everyone else here understands our place in the pecking order, but we did expect that at some point our hard work would pay off with some jet flying that you all aren't able to do for scope clauses or other reasons, but it appears now that the wording of your TA keeps all the jet flying for yourselves (and I guess the Republic flying, too) and leaves us with little future other than liquidation... At least that is how it appears to the bulk of the pilot group. So, since your negotiators understood all of the above and still managed to not include any bailout for the SA pilots (who are in the same union, of course, if not the same local), it appears that we were left hanging.
I believe the above is what is meant by SA pilots when they decry CHQ for turning their backs on us. It is no reflection of the vast majority of the pilots, but of your negotiating committee. Again, I can't solidify my own position before I see the CHQ TA or indeed find out what is REALLY to come of SA, but I do hope this explains "our" feelings.
I invite further comments from either side of the great Wexford divide.
I will reserve judgment until I see a copy of the final CHQ TA, but I will say this: While I won't say "we have been sold out by the CHQ pilot group", I might end up on the side of "we got sold out by the CHQ MEC." I do know that there was a campaign to get our lists merged or at least secure preferential hiring for SA pilots at CHQ if we were shut down, but I'm led to believe that neither of these things made it into your TA. You have to understand that the SA group as a whole was pressed, albeit unofficially, to toe the line with a fuzzy feeling of brotherhood and vote down OUR TA because, as one CHQ pilot told me in person, "we need to stick together and present a united front against Wexford", or words to that effect. Before you say "well the words of one pilot mean nothing", there is the suggestion, and a strong one, that similar sentiment WAS communicated in discussions between our union representatives, but of course I have no evidence to back this up, just rumor. It is painfully clear who had the most to gain and the most to lose in voting for the respective TA's, as I don't believe CHQ was ever threatened with shutdown and/or liquidation if they didn't "play nice". You may be gladdened that the SA pilot group sent an unequivocal message to management/Wexford, but you do recognize that the ramifications of that vote could be the death knell for our fine little company... Whilst you expand and continue to show good finanacials as a result of OUR taking the losses that are rightly yours because they are YOUR Saab leases. I and everyone else here understands our place in the pecking order, but we did expect that at some point our hard work would pay off with some jet flying that you all aren't able to do for scope clauses or other reasons, but it appears now that the wording of your TA keeps all the jet flying for yourselves (and I guess the Republic flying, too) and leaves us with little future other than liquidation... At least that is how it appears to the bulk of the pilot group. So, since your negotiators understood all of the above and still managed to not include any bailout for the SA pilots (who are in the same union, of course, if not the same local), it appears that we were left hanging.
I believe the above is what is meant by SA pilots when they decry CHQ for turning their backs on us. It is no reflection of the vast majority of the pilots, but of your negotiating committee. Again, I can't solidify my own position before I see the CHQ TA or indeed find out what is REALLY to come of SA, but I do hope this explains "our" feelings.
I invite further comments from either side of the great Wexford divide.
..I know they are linked by wexford and as mentioned above as "close relatives" but they are still different companies. Also remeber that the TA was decided on before your concession vote was counted. This last week of the CHQ TA was most likely for the lawyers to review.
