Cleveland, OH – January 29, 2010 – Flight Options LLC today announced that it had reached a tentative agreement on a five-year contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 1108.
The tentative agreement is a comprehensive proposal that provides significant increases in compensation and benefits for all Flight Options pilots. After a short review period, the proposed contract will be presented to all pilots for formal ratification.
“One of our fundamental principles is that we believe employees are the foundation of a service company,” stated Flight Options CEO, Mike Silvestro. “This agreement demonstrates our commitment to that principle. Even in this difficult economic environment, our company has achieved a level of success that allows us to make this long-term commitment. I would like to thank the national and local members of the IBT and members of the Flight Options senior management team for working together to finalize this agreement.”
*Financial security cannot be assured by low wages. Mesa airlines entered chapter 11 on January 5, 2010 with the lowest paid pilot force of the regionals.
*Interest rates are at historical low in an effort to stimulate economic activity. The will soon be on the rise making our buying power less.
*There is absolutely no guarantee the company will ever be willing to share the fruits of our labors in 5-7 years after we rebuild this company by accepting low wages.
*This contract does absolutely nothing to level the playing field like our union has been touting they would for years.
*This Contract will build resentment with our peers and lower the bar for future pilots in this segment of the industry for years to come.
*The Virtual Bid System and Supplemental Pay are nothing more than smoke and mirrors and will not benefit one pilot.
*The 16+2 schedule will do nothing but prevent furloughees from an early recall. Don't think a t/a that is ratified will equate to furloughs? See Alaska Airlines recently ratified t/a.
*The only slight benefit to the long hours we work day in and day out are O.T. on day one and 14 hour day eights. They will continue to work us 112+ duty hour weeks long after this t/a is signed.
*If the company has any aspirations of ever selling another fractional share then they need a t/a approval more than we do.
*The length of this contract with the ammendable date is extremely long especially for a a first contract.
*While our union leader has invested great effort in achieving this t/a he is on here squashing every rational debate against this t/a. We appreciate your work mat, but the line pilots that towed the line for four years were a far easier target for management to fire than the president.
*It is not the pilots responsibility to solve managements problems. We fly more than our peers in the charter world and are paid far less. We are extremely behind our peers in the fractional world.
*It will be years before we see another t/a. Oh really? Are you sure the company can afford that? I'm willing to take that risk. Put the pressure back on the company because they obviously won't do it by themselves. They are already touting to the owners this is a five+ year deal. See above.
*The morale of the pilots will soon fall to even more dramatic lows after they realize what really happened to them. Then the depression of having to live like this for another five years will take its toll.
*The first officers are taking it in the shorts. Across the board this payscale is lower than the projected payscale at travel air and flight options in 1999! No that's not a typo. 1999 I still have my paperwork with the payscales.
For God's sakes people stand up for yourselves. This is the biggest putover job since D.B. Cooper.
The tentative agreement is a comprehensive proposal that provides significant increases in compensation and benefits for all Flight Options pilots. After a short review period, the proposed contract will be presented to all pilots for formal ratification.
“One of our fundamental principles is that we believe employees are the foundation of a service company,” stated Flight Options CEO, Mike Silvestro. “This agreement demonstrates our commitment to that principle. Even in this difficult economic environment, our company has achieved a level of success that allows us to make this long-term commitment. I would like to thank the national and local members of the IBT and members of the Flight Options senior management team for working together to finalize this agreement.”
*Financial security cannot be assured by low wages. Mesa airlines entered chapter 11 on January 5, 2010 with the lowest paid pilot force of the regionals.
*Interest rates are at historical low in an effort to stimulate economic activity. The will soon be on the rise making our buying power less.
*There is absolutely no guarantee the company will ever be willing to share the fruits of our labors in 5-7 years after we rebuild this company by accepting low wages.
*This contract does absolutely nothing to level the playing field like our union has been touting they would for years.
*This Contract will build resentment with our peers and lower the bar for future pilots in this segment of the industry for years to come.
*The Virtual Bid System and Supplemental Pay are nothing more than smoke and mirrors and will not benefit one pilot.
*The 16+2 schedule will do nothing but prevent furloughees from an early recall. Don't think a t/a that is ratified will equate to furloughs? See Alaska Airlines recently ratified t/a.
*The only slight benefit to the long hours we work day in and day out are O.T. on day one and 14 hour day eights. They will continue to work us 112+ duty hour weeks long after this t/a is signed.
*If the company has any aspirations of ever selling another fractional share then they need a t/a approval more than we do.
*The length of this contract with the ammendable date is extremely long especially for a a first contract.
*While our union leader has invested great effort in achieving this t/a he is on here squashing every rational debate against this t/a. We appreciate your work mat, but the line pilots that towed the line for four years were a far easier target for management to fire than the president.
*It is not the pilots responsibility to solve managements problems. We fly more than our peers in the charter world and are paid far less. We are extremely behind our peers in the fractional world.
*It will be years before we see another t/a. Oh really? Are you sure the company can afford that? I'm willing to take that risk. Put the pressure back on the company because they obviously won't do it by themselves. They are already touting to the owners this is a five+ year deal. See above.
*The morale of the pilots will soon fall to even more dramatic lows after they realize what really happened to them. Then the depression of having to live like this for another five years will take its toll.
*The first officers are taking it in the shorts. Across the board this payscale is lower than the projected payscale at travel air and flight options in 1999! No that's not a typo. 1999 I still have my paperwork with the payscales.
For God's sakes people stand up for yourselves. This is the biggest putover job since D.B. Cooper.
