SkyWest + Continental = Love

[Skyward]

It doesn't matter how I feel about anything. CAL ALPA has to sign off on any deal, there is no way they will sign off on anything that doesn't have our pilots flying the planes. I'd rather CAL ALPA said no to any deal no matter what. I'll to that flying in the 145. If there's a compromise to be made we will have to do the flying otherwise no deal. CAL ALPA holds all the cards in this, they have to agree to it or no deal. If Skywest doesn't like our terms fine we got a bunch of 145's ready to go.

 

[JBcrjca]

From what I understand, the IAH-VCT service is an EAS subsidized route. Would govt subsidies support ERJs flying that route? That might be why CAL is looking for turboprops to operate to the smaller cities. The pax loads just might not justify an RJ, economically speaking. A turboprop might be a better fit for the market. Makes you wonder why CAL decided to retire all the E120s and ATRs. I just fly airplanes, don't know much about the economics.

I'm pretty sure, however, that SkyWest won't go for a deal crewed solely by CALEx pilots. As Jeepman noted, it would be like CALEx taking over the SLC E120 flying, with SkyWest crews doing the flying. I doubt CALEx pilots would go for that. So that leaves you with some other less attractive regional (Mesa) bidding for the flying. If CAL ALPA wants to sign off on that, go right ahead. And if CAL ALPA doesn't like that, go ahead on lose more money by operating RJs on turboprop routes. To paraphrase Norm, it's a dog-eat-dog industry, and we're all wearing Milk Bone underwear.

 

[Russ]

SkyWest would not have gone this far with the whole thing if they didn't believe they could get an acceptable outcome to the SkyWest pilot group. To those who proclaim that the union is in the drivers seat, don't hang your hat on it. Having your folks on the street makes your bargaining position weaker not stronger. Hopefully SkyWest will present a reasonable plan that all sides find acceptable. If your union tries to play hardball, SkyWest will walk and your boys remain unemployed. The attitude some here have that the terms will soley be dictated by the union. I believe compromise by all parties will usher in a contract where all benefit.

 

[hotwing]

second that!

I tend to side with the above posting. I think that CAL and SKYWEST are calling the shots here and there is nothing in XJETS contract that gives them sole ownership in the flying. I do not think that it is right for XJET pilots to get all the spots at SKYWEST. A mix of both would be fair, but not all the spots just because they think they should have them. Now, is it fair that CAL went outside of the company --? That is the real question here. It is not fair for XJET guys to fill all the spots there and come in and bid for both the CA spots and the FO spots. That is not fair at all for the SKYWEST guys... It is not the SKYWEST guys fault that CAL went outside the company for flying. There is nothing that stated they can't do this... It is understandable that the XJET guys are upset but, it is not fair for the XJT guys to get all the flying and to be able to bid CAPT. There has to be a middle meeting point...

 

[Skyward]

Negotiations are not about fair and right, they are about who has and doesn’t have leverage. Our Prop MOU gives the leverage to the union, you guys argue this but I’m sure you’ve never read it.
As far as what is fair, I think it’s fair that we do our own flying. This isn’t Skywest’s flying, this is flying that I used to do on the 120 and currently do on the 145. When has Skywest flown to CLL, BPT, LCH, VCT ect. This is flying we currently do, is it fair that Skywest pilots fly to those destinations. No, but than again it’s not about fair it’s about leverage. Skywest has no leverage in this deal it’s either take it or leave it. Personally I’d rather they just left it. By the way the reason we have this prop MOU is because we have guys on furlough, so if anything that helps our cause.

 

[SSDD]

Careful there Skyward, you sound a lot like the DL pilots, you know, stuff like all DL flying will be done by DL pilots, no way DALPA is going to allow it, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH,... and they talked their way all the way to the unemployment line. Today there is more DCI/Skywest flying out of DFW and SLC than mainline.

I don't know how much saying CALALPA has on this matter, or whether the deal will go through, but I can GUARANTEE you one thing: Skywest is not going to make any deals that bypasses their seniority list. Keeping the union off the property is too important for their management. You could say that its a deal breaker.

 

[nimtz]

SkyWest would not have gone this far with the whole thing if they didn't believe they could get an acceptable outcome to the SkyWest pilot group. To those who proclaim that the union is in the drivers seat, don't hang your hat on it. Having your folks on the street makes your bargaining position weaker not stronger. Hopefully SkyWest will present a reasonable plan that all sides find acceptable. If your union tries to play hardball, SkyWest will walk and your boys remain unemployed. The attitude some here have that the terms will soley be dictated by the union. I believe compromise by all parties will usher in a contract where all benefit.

The only acceptable and realistic plan is that every FO position created by this agreement is first filled by a furloughed Expressjet pilot. That is not union hardball! The precedent and legality has been set with the Turboprop MOU, which you Skywest guys have never seen. If Skywest walks, fine go right ahead. They are the ones losing business in the end. Plus the pilots are losing additonal captain slots on the 120. Preferential interviews for are not a satisfactory alternative...

 

[Russ]

Skyward
I guess you have made it clear that you prefer all or nothing. I have to believe some of your pilots working outside their profession would be willing to compromise. Captain on the Brasilia is going very junior at SkyWest, as low as five months that I have seen. I have to believe it would go extremely junior in IAH, offering quick upgrade times to your folks.
The only options the union carries is to reject outright, or compromise. SkyWest is also in a take it or leave it position. SkyWest walks because of unacceptable terms and your unemployed pilots remain just that. This is a plan that has been in the works for quite awhile now. If CAL/Xjet went to Mesa or others, it would go through the same process and your pilots would be that much longer out of the cockpit.
The only ultimate power the union has is to keep your brother pilots out of work by refusing to play ball and find some acceptable middle ground. Surely the management of the union cannot be as near sighted as to spite their own pilots with some narrow view of what is right. That, however remains to be seen.
I feel confident in saying SkyWest will not allow something as one sided as your strict interpretation of the contract to be shoved down our throats, so my prediction is compromise by all sides or no deal. I admit, your union does have the power to cause it to happen or not. Who suffers the most if they say no? Your pilots, not ours.
Hopefully those who make the decisions for you understand that.

 

[hotwing]

amazing mindset

It is amazing what people speculate on this board and what they all think will happen. The truth is no one knows -- especially the line guys. They are the last to know. If I remember, XJET guys were the last to know about this one too. (hmmm) Why is it that you were not told and you found out late in the game.

This is going to be interesting... I do not think that ANYONE except for management knows what will happen and what is going on here... I do not think that everyone that thinks they run the company actually does... I think the guys in the suits run the companies and will make the decisions... It is fun to read all the speculatory crap on here though...

I do agree -- SKYWEST has always been great to the pilot group and I do not think that they will start now by giving XJET people captains positions... Just an opinion -- what do I know... Call me crazy - BUT IT IS NOT THE SKYWEST PILOT GROUP'S FAULT NOR THE COMPANY... CAL is going outside...

Hang in there --

 

[Russ]

Just checked a company BB. a veep who would be knee deep in these type of dealings posted about the status. He said that we(SkyWest) have agreed to hire some Xjet guys as FO's. They would be treated as new hires. No street Captains unless they can't get enough FO's to bid the left seat. that is darn close to the truth now within the existing Brasilia community. He was fairly clear in his language that the pilots would be hired and not just offered preferential interviews. Seems acceptable to me.

 

[hotwing]

pool?

Any idea for the people in the pool?

 

[flyskyw]

Any idea for the people in the pool?

When I spoke to the "veep" last week about this he said something to the effect that there are more than 250 pilots to consider 'PLUS' the 60 or so that are in the pool. The feeling of the discussion was that the pilots in the pool are a very high priority to him. Hope this helps.....

 

[GuppyPuppy]

If there's a compromise to be made we will have to do the flying otherwise no deal. CAL ALPA holds all the cards in this, they have to agree to it or no deal.

Geez...if I had a nickel for everytime I knew of a situation where management bent the contract I could retire in Monaco.

GP

 

[Skyward]

You guys aren’t getting it. Skywest coming into IAH isn’t creating any jobs! Skywest will be taking jobs from our pilots. What will happen is we will be flying to the destinations one month and the next Skywest will be flying there. All it is is a transfer of flying, no jobs are created. In fact we may have to furlough because of all the jobs we will lose. Our furloughed pilots are better off if we continue to do the flying. Then we can recall them faster. I can’t see any situation where our union would agree to the loss of our jobs.

 

[Paladin]

Skyward,
Great post...you hit the nail on the head. If these routes (VCT, ILE, CLL etc...) are taken over by Skywest, will XJT be expanding with enough new routes (ie. -145XR) to not have to furlough even more? With the deferral and slowing of RJ deliveries I think its fairly obvious that we're not. This deal will ultimately result in more XJT pilots on the street...and then I guess sliding into the right seat of one of our Brasilias and flying them for a different company.