Skywest & ASA management: READ!

[bayoubandit]

Live a day on reserve and you'll think differently.

 

["GO AROUND"]

I wouldn't wish reserve on anyone at ASA. Reserve at any other regional is better than ASA. Secheduling at any other regional is better than ASA's.

 

[Phony Marconi]

The reserve at ASA sucks.

I think all would agree that the least-senior pilots should get the fewest days off, have last pick at trips, and maintain the least control over their schedule.

However, this should be only with regard to OTHER PILOTS, and not with respect to the IMBECILES THAT RUN THE SCHEDULING DEPARTMENT.

If the system were fair, then nobody would gripe about "buffer", "low coverage", etc.....so long as the fairness were transparent and applicable to all.

But the Company has been using schedulers as henchmen to wage war on pilots, to "tighten the screws", as well as to cover up that they were negligent in hiring enough pilots to cover the flying.

How many flights were cancelled in the last year due to lack of available pilots? Is that info available? Would the DOT like what they saw?

 

[Crash Pad]

So you all haven't figured out the reserve system yet... All you have to do is scream at the schedulars every time they call. Swear, threaten lives, and always take your issues to the chief pilot... Oh I almost forgot no matter what happens ask to speak to a manager.

 

["GO AROUND"]

Nah, you just gotta call em and tell them that you want to fly when you don't and don't want to fly when you do and you will get it.

 

[blueridge71]

Reserve at ASA does suck. Here is how it was at ACA:

3:45 daily guarantee

They could not trade your days. Every day off was a GDO.

Ready reserve deducted 4:45 from guarantee and added it back above guarantee. That was a moneymaker.

When you completed an assignment, you were either released to rest, reassigned, or given a maximum three hour callback. No other options.

14 hour duty day. Up to to 15 for weather or mechanicals.

Fly me first or fly me last system.

Bucket system that was visible on a free up-to-the-minute website. No bribing schedulers with pizzas and no paying $7/month for something that isn't even real time. You could look in open time and look at the buckets and see what you should get. If they assigned something out of order, you could grieve it.

At Air Whisky, I think that they even have a long call reserve system for at least part of the month.

ASA's reserve system is closer to the one that our FAs had.

 

[ASADriver]

I wouldn't wish reserve on anyone at ASA. Reserve at any other regional is better than ASA. Secheduling at any other regional is better than ASA's.

Even worse than MESAs and Pinnacles? I don't think so. I have flown with some guys who bid reserve because they fly so little. If you live in town, it can be a pretty good gig. One guy I flew with only flew 150 hours last year on 700 reserve. Not bad if you ask me.

Could it be better, YES! Is the worst in the industry NO! Are the "chest-thumper" trouble makers using this to rile up the troops - YES!

I would rather sit reserve at ASA, then hold a line at MESA.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Folks, read Neal's posts because this is what ALPA is thinking. ALPA is currently negotiating to get small jet flying (jets less than 100 seats) back on the Delta property. In perspective, what ALPA is negotiating on the Delta property is a whole lot more important than the "no progress" on the ASA property. All need to understand that part of the reason ASA negotiations are going nowhere is because ASA/SkyWest negotiates for the left overs after ALPA negotiates for the Delta pilots.

Well gee...then why on earth did the small jet MEC's get together in Herndon a few weeks ago to discuss how NOT to underbid each other? It wasn't for the good company that's for sure...maybe it was because our MEC's actually want to stop this race to the bottom and bidding on one another's jobs based on pilot pay alone?
-Neal

Sorry but a few MEC's singing Kum By Yah doesn't cut it. ASA and Comair's MEC had been singing together for years, but Comair's MEC still could not resist the first chance they had for a little predatory bargaining. It takes strong National leadership (which ALPA lacks) and a refusal to sign a couple of concessionary agreements for the word to get out.

You'd be surprised what DW has said in public and in private about this very issue. He knows what is going on and does in fact acknowledge the problems at hand and is very interested in helping us fix them.

We must fight our issues with the knowledge we are vendors and not airlines as that is the only way to make progress in this battle. -Neal

Holy Crap!

Neal, so we are not professional pilots, or ALPA members, and the Constitution and ByLaws do not exist to protect our interests? If this is true, why are we in ALPA? How do we "make progress in this battle" if our union accepts defeat by admitting we are not "airline pilots?"

We are alter ego airlines within the same brand. ALPA has a duty to fight alter ego and one tool they have is their merger and fragmentation policy. But, people who think like you do think that we don't have the right to insist on fair representation and that we fail the test to be a "real airline pilot."

If I hear Duane Woerth ever say what you just wrote I will personally begin a decertification effort.

 

[reno]

I agree! 100%.

Give me a $2/hr. raise (+ profit sharing) and the better scheduling and work rules, show ALPA the door and let me keep my 2%.

I'm happy now. That would make me REALLY happy.

Why would you accept what SkyWest pilots have now. Last month SkyWest pilots overwhelmingly rejected a new TA proposed by management that included what we already have plus a 1.2% raise.

In addition to the 1.2%, we had the opportunity to permanently affirm flying 70 seater's as well as 90 seater's at our 50 seat pay. We also had the opportunity to approve that TA with NO EXPIRATION DATE!

SkyWest may get paid more than ASA now for the CRJ200 but we earn less on the 700. With our profit sharing it's probably a wash overall.

We rejected flying larger aircraft for 200 pay. Some argue that we have 70/90 seat rates in place already as a result of our last TA, now over 3 years old. We do not. We have expired rates. We rejected a contract reaffirming those rates on the 700/900. We rejected a TA with no expiration date.

I cannot tell you where we will end up. I can tell you that management is trying to whipsaw ASA against SkyWest pilots. Let's not race to the bottom!

 

[ohplease!]

Reserve at ASA does suck. Here is how it was at ACA:

3:45 daily guarantee

They could not trade your days. Every day off was a GDO.

Ready reserve deducted 4:45 from guarantee and added it back above guarantee. That was a moneymaker.

When you completed an assignment, you were either released to rest, reassigned, or given a maximum three hour callback. No other options.

14 hour duty day. Up to to 15 for weather or mechanicals.

Fly me first or fly me last system.

Bucket system that was visible on a free up-to-the-minute website. No bribing schedulers with pizzas and no paying $7/month for something that isn't even real time. You could look in open time and look at the buckets and see what you should get. If they assigned something out of order, you could grieve it.

At Air Whisky, I think that they even have a long call reserve system for at least part of the month.

ASA's reserve system is closer to the one that our FAs had.

and we all know how well that whole ACA thing has turned out...

 

[ohplease!]

Why would you accept what SkyWest pilots have now. Last month SkyWest pilots overwhelmingly rejected a new TA proposed by management that included what we already have plus a 1.2% raise.

In addition to the 1.2%, we had the opportunity to permanently affirm flying 70 seater's as well as 90 seater's at our 50 seat pay. We also had the opportunity to approve that TA with NO EXPIRATION DATE!

SkyWest may get paid more than ASA now for the CRJ200 but we earn less on the 700. With our profit sharing it's probably a wash overall.

We rejected flying larger aircraft for 200 pay. Some argue that we have 70/90 seat rates in place already as a result of our last TA, now over 3 years old. We do not. We have expired rates. We rejected a contract reaffirming those rates on the 700/900. We rejected a TA with no expiration date.

I cannot tell you where we will end up. I can tell you that management is trying to whipsaw ASA against SkyWest pilots. Let's not race to the bottom!

good points.

 

[AV8700]

Even worse than MESAs and Pinnacles? I don't think so. I have flown with some guys who bid reserve because they fly so little. If you live in town, it can be a pretty good gig. One guy I flew with only flew 150 hours last year on 700 reserve. Not bad if you ask me.

Could it be better, YES! Is the worst in the industry NO! Are the "chest-thumper" trouble makers using this to rile up the troops - YES!

I would rather sit reserve at ASA, then hold a line at MESA.

Gotta go with BS on the 700 reserve. It is much better this month maybe 30 to 40 hours. Earlier in the year you hit 150 in a month and a half.

 

[Dude]

Okay, I'll bite. I'm a new upgrade and so far reserve hasn't been too bad. First of all, I choose to speak to the schedulers like a professional and with respect. If the tone in the conversation heads south I mention it and refuse to speak with them further. I can accept almost anything as long as I'm treated fairly and with a little respect. Accusing the scheduling department of being henchmen or conspiring to ruin your life gives them way too much credit. They just try to make chicken salad out of chicken $hit.

This company has a long way to go, but it's a little early to throw the baby out with the dishwater. I too have issues with "our union", our mgmt, and our pilots, for that matter. Upgrades are sure to come but my frustration and worry will not fix the problems we have. If we vote for a strike, I will vote in the best interest of my family, my pilot group, and my company, in that order. I see a lot of complaining from people who are very lucky to flying such equipment and with the oversight to protect their inexperienced hineys. I'm afraid that times will never change for small jet pilots for one simple fact: this job is too easy to get and even easier to keep.

I would very much like to see improvements for all pilots. It's called a cycle and we are lucky to be surviving this one with little collateral damage. The last time I checked many pilots are facing concessions, furlough, displacement, underbidding, and outsourcing. We, at ASA are facing none of these. We are growing and our company is profitable. Mesaba, Comair, CCAir, Peidmont, Allegheny, etc. got hosed. It's not even close to being over for the industry. Delta, NWA, USAir, once again have fallen prey to management forced concessions. It's not just you, my friend that's not happy. You could be losing your house, your job, or your retirement that was worth a lot more than our piddly 401k. It's always easy to spot the inexperienced, they want it all right now and regardless of the ramifications. Relax and your precious improvements are coming, maybe not on your timetable but eventually. Sadly, the union does a poor job of informing the pilot group. They tell you what you need to know to be pi$$ed off. Our leadership at the local level is less than stellar and the Big cheese is about to retire while salivating to leave his mark or legacy. He is not the man I want fighting for me in these times. But he's who I got.

I am sorry to say it but if you don't like reserve, don't bid for a Captain position. Yes, the system should be better, but it was broken when you were lucky enough to bid for the seat you wanted. Try enjoying your day rather than being miserable. Life could be worse. By the way, I commute on reserve and knew the drill before I jumped into the deep end.

I guess I've preached enough. May the lashings begin. Please be gentle.

 

[Ganja60Heavy]

lash, lash, lash!

How dare you say life at the regionals is not miserable!

lash, lash, lash!

 

["GO AROUND"]

and we all know how well that whole ACA thing has turned out...

Yeah, and that was because of their reserve policy? Not even gonna get into that whole story here. Idiot!

Reserve may not be horrible right now, but just wait for the next staffing screw up like we had from april to sept and see how you feel on reserve then.
Fly twelve out of thirteen days a few times and fly 97.5 hours not credits in month and it doesn't matter if you commute or not you're never home.

I never blamed the schedulers for the staffing problem, but that doesn't change what they can do to us with our current sched. section and a managment that gives them that to deal with.
Don't get me started in the incompetance and inefficiency of our schedulers on normal days. A computer could do 75% of the jobs that schedulers do and much better.