Skywest

[JOPILOT]

PBR may be bitter but...

Look I dont usually say much on these sites, but PBR and SPLERT are unfortunately right! I may not be as bitter, although it is too bad that our the pilot group at " said " airline is a bunch of pussies. The management keeps living as if pilots were going to move on as soon as that 1000 pic comes along and keep there costs down. Now that there is few places for qualified individuals to go, they are stuck bidding worse and worse schedules designed to keep costs down and senior pilots larger hourly wages closer to the 80hr mark. THERE WILL BE NO IMPROVEMENT IN QOL UNTIL THIS AIRLINES PILOTS FORM A UNION! Until then every change will be in the favor of management, trips will continue to worsen, and wages will stay stagnant. Mangagement loves having so many domiciles, so pilots are dispursed and costs are spread around! Probably the #1 thing our pilot representation could fight for to increase the QOL at this airline is to get a TRIP RIG! Otherwise all the other BS; $1-$2 raise or the override that is due for the larger 70's is going to do nothing but supplement our crappy work rules and help degrade QOL.
All this being said it is important to note that this is a very strong company and I am very happy working here, I just dont commute, bid for weekends off, change seats without holding a line (or very close) and I have stayed at junior bases until I could live where I wanted and bid a line so I could see the wife and kids! I would not trade it for any job at home depot! Yeah it has its quirks but hopefully when our pilots finally take one too deep in the ass and have to live 12-18 months with the result of our corporate paid pilot reps' negotiations we will unionize and start to work things out with our own ideas of what is fair- not the companies! As for the above posts for Wilde737 and ILS to MINS no letter in 48 hours is probably not good news but you can interview 2 times in 6 mo. and usually the second is successful! and I am sure you will be able to find a happy life here! Lets all hope for the best and try to stay positive for ourselves and our families, SORRY about your situation PBR hope all gets better for you! JP

 

[sstearns2]

Hello,



The policy manual does not always change in the company's favor. They made Junior manning optional so we don't have to stop and think before we answer our phones on our days off. They gave ORD a 2 hour reserve callout that may spread to other bases. We now have the ASAP program (similar to a NASA form but with much better protection for the pilot) that is all SAPA that has really saved some careers around here.



Aside from the bucket reserve system how has our policy manual change for the worse?



Scott



ps - The bucket reserve system basically means that the company will not split up an open trip between junior reserve pilots in order to keep the senior reserve pilot that could cover the whole trip at home. Splitting a trip usually requires extra hotel rooms and deadhead legs. Does anyone out there not use a bucket reserve system??

 

[Russ]

As far as JM not being mandatory, that was done because no one was answering the phone on the day off, myself included. The ORD extended callout was a reflection of the distances involved. These measures were taken by to simply keep the company staffed despite being short.

I really hope your not trying to justify the bucket system.

As to ASAP, talk to the PIC involved in the RAP incident and ask him what he thinks of ASAP. Search the SkyWest forums and find out how a pilot in need was treated by it. SAPA forum I believe, a few months ago. If ever there was a pilot in need it was him and it failed him.

How has the PM changed?

How about extensive use of ready reserve. Try RR after a stand up. Dangerous.

A better question is what's not in the PM that should be there as far as policies. Even members of managements PR arm, SAPA are openly showing signs of disatisfaction.

 

[Paul R. Smith]

Hello,



They gave ORD a 2 hour reserve callout that may spread to other bases. We now have the ASAP program (similar to a NASA form but with much better protection for the pilot) that is all SAPA that has really saved some careers around here.

You mean Skywest does not have a 2 hour callout system wide? How in the hell are you supposed to get to your show with less than 2 hours.

Man I feel sorry for you guys.

btw..Everybody whose anybody has got ASAP.

 

[Rogue5]

One of the reasons I'm not hanging my head too low as of late is because according to our latest SAPA updates, MGMT has agreed to a pay INCREASE, work on the 50/70 split with a variable blended rate based on fleet size, and a new bonus program based on your earnings with a lower trigger.


Policy manual details are generally bending inthe direction of management, and this needs to be worked on, but getting more money while others around you are in the process of give backs, and taking on many jets with the associated movement and upgrades is, to me, a good thing.

Other personal QOL things are subjective. I live in my domicile and am generally satisifed with my bid position in domicile. If I chose to live elsewhere, well, commuting sucks. Thats why I won't do it.

 

[MONKEY]

I'm just an outsider

and maybe I should stay that way on this issue, but I am a little confused.

Many of the SKW pilots have said that there is no other regional they would rather work for. That means that SKW has a better quality of life for them personally. If SKW is their top choice, how is a union going to benifit them? And don't give me that crap about no contract. They have there policy manual that SKW abides by. Sure it can be changed easier than a contract, but take a look around, all the contracts are being changed for the worse do to the state of the industry. This industry just sucks right now. It may or may not get better. I can tell you one thing, ALPA is as big a part of the problem as they are the solution. We are now living in a Walmart world either compete or die.

 

[Dave Benjamin]

As for the above posts for Wilde737 and ILS to MINS no letter in 48 hours is probably not good news but you can interview 2 times in 6 mo. and usually the second is successful!

Just for clarification when I said "sometimes no news is good news" I did not mean anything negative. Sometimes the rejection notices get sent out before the offers. The fact that some time has elapsed may be a good thing. This observation applies to other airlines as well. Nothing specific to SKYW intended or implied.

 

[Smoothflyin]

Ahh Yeah...

All you rich commuter pilots livin' the high life!

 

[Mookie]

What Dave B. said. I got the congrats letter exactly two weeks after my interview. if you are coming from another carrier it can take a while for the paper work to process through the system.

Smoove...gee thanks, I am living the high life. good schedules, great maintenance, fun people to fly with, upgrade in less than two years, and the highest turbo prop wage in the industry...it is the good life.

Mookie

 

[Splert]

Hourly rates don't determine how much you get paid unless you punch a time clock. Work Rules and Trip Rigs determine how much you get paid and SkyWest is years and years and years behind in work rules.

Good Grief...

 

[Rogue5]

Full pay for:

Deadheads
Repositions
Wx Cancellation
Mx Cancellation

Paid best of historic or actual block

Time and a half for trips picked up in open time (within 10 days of first leg).

Paid 3:45 to sit reserve on days off and 1.5 times block if called when short-staffed (I have done this 7 times this month already, and not gotten called once).

Yeah a trip rig would be great to be paid for the occasional long sit between legs but its not exactly like we're getting screwed here.

Look at the industry around you, yes I will be the first to say the airlines are a rough world, but I wouldn't be anywhere else. I have thought about bailing on the airline gig entirely and finding another flying job (medivac, BLM/DOI pilot, etc.), but that's another topic altogether.

I would be cautious in saying whether I would advise another on starting out on an airline career, but if you are in it right now, I think you can do much, much worse...

 

[Splert]

Full pay for:

Deadheads
Repositions

That's all stuff after an end to a 25 years career I could buy a cup coffee with.

Yeah a trip rig would be great to be paid for the occasional long sit between legs but its not exactly like we're getting screwed here.

With this statement you have just offically declared to the WWW that you have no idea what the difference is between a Trip Rig and a Duty Rig

The majority of the trips we fly are 4-day trips and the majority of the 4-day trips would be benefit from a trip rig. A trip rig would take care of WX and MX cancellations.

A trip rig is not for long sits on duty its for the long sit on overnight in the middle of your trip. The long sit while on duty is taken care of buy the 1 for 2 duty time rig. Most of our 4 day trips have 1 or 2 days of only getting paid our minimum guarantee. That why the credits of these trips are so low.

83 Hours away from bases for 18 hours of credit is what you get with out a Trip rig.

Good Grief

 

[Rogue5]

... and you have shown everyone how much of a d!ck you are.


Nevermind, I guess people just see things from their own point of view. I know we have a lot of things to work on here, and I support some certified form of representation, but I simply think we have it fairly good here. Apparently you disagree.

'nuff said...

 

[Splert]

... and you have shown everyone how much of a d!ck you are.

Sorry dude.

But you made some bold statements without even knowing the basic facts of what you were talking about. When you do that in this type of media you are probably going to get slapped a 'lil bit.

Could things be worse?...Sure. But since when is that the standard?

Go run home now, the street lights are on.

Good Grief.

 

[propjockey]

Location of Duty Rig text???

A few days ago on the way to JAC we were scouring the (SkyWest) Policy Manual looking for the exact wording of the 1 for 2 duty rig we presently have, but we couldn't find it. Can any of you give me chapter and verse so I can read that thing for myself?Thanks.