still ugly at chautauqua?

[Focker]

A while back there was a thread about people furloughed(maybe "terminated" was the word) out of seniority, then new hires possibly coming on in front of them, lots of good discussion!
What's the latest?

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

The company "re-hired" most of the terminated jet guys, but not the saab pilots. There are still many out of work former Saab pilots with 8+ months at the company, while the jet people, who many of them never even saw the inside of the sim, are back to work. The company claims this is because they are in dire straits and need to save money, but they showed a profit last year of $7 million. Also, the pilots that were re-hired were given new hire dates. If the Saab guys were to come back, they would be junior to the same pilots who they were many months senior to.

Chautauqua may begin hiring in the near future, but make it your very LAST option. Don't make the same mistake that many pilots made, get on with a reputable airline the first time. Then you won't end up losing about a year's worth of seniority.

Former CHQ Saab FO

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

That really sucks! I tried to get an interview with Chautauqua, but couldn't. I'm glad I'm strictly on furlough, and not fired like you are!

Sorry about that buddy!

Hope you can get flying with someone else soon.

Cliff

PS-Heard the SAAB is a nice airframe! What did you think?

 

[adrianh11]

Above info is coorect except Chq has only hired a few people back- all jet drivers I think about 15 so far. I am Terminated SAAB and I have no idea if I will ever be offered my job back. I'm sure if I do that it will be after every jet guy has his job with a new seniority number below mine.

 

[captjim]

What union do you guys have there?

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

Actually, CHQ are Teamsters.

 

[aceshigh]

Ahh, the Teamsters!!

What a worthless bunch they are! Now there's a group that is in over their heads. It's funny, because after getting the ax from CHQ, I now work for a wholly owned. It's the best thing that could've happened although I didn't know it at the time. During groundschool my sim partner(an Ex-Laker) and I and a couple of the other Sh*t Taco guys would all compare our horror stories about how useless the teamsters are (I have a feeling the Lakers could share a few unbelievable ones). Having ALPA as a union now, the differences are like black and white or night and day, and believe me, I am being overly cautious about ALPA as a union based on my experiences with the teamsters. Bruce, MEC Chairman and spineless weasel, hasn't mentioned the terminations since they teamsters blew the court case. But it is good to know that the local is moving from Indy to Houston. That's the pilots "represented" by Local 747 money being put to good use. That's what happens when pilots are represented by a bunch of truckdrivers. I feel sorry for anyone that is unfortunate enough to have this as your "representation" I loath the union as much as I do the company nowadays. My peace has been said. The hell with both of them.

Aceshigh

 

[dav8or]

It gets better

It seems that now the teamsters are going to up the rate they charge us for the exellent service they provide.

 

[AWACoff]

Here is a Teamsters story ala Laker.
I was sitting in the crew room in ORD with the #3 captain in the company. Our Teamster rep was there that day trying to gather info on our upcoming contract. My captain and I are in full uniform minus our hat (hey, we're having lunch in the crew room....and no real Laker wears their hat anyways ). This guy asks us if we are flight attendants!!! Hmm...stripes on the shoulder... If the Teamsters reps can't even tell if somebody is a pilot or a flight attendant, I can understand their worthlessness. Embarassing.

 

[Captain X]

Re: It gets better

It seems that now the teamsters are going to up the rate they charge us for the exellent service they provide.

You guys can always vote in a new Representational Group-----ALPA!

 

[EOpilot]

Actually, they can't. AFL/CIO bylaws don't allow voting from one affiliated union to another without an intervening period of independent representation. Two years, I believe.

 

[aceshigh]

EOpilot is right

What the pilots could and should do, IMHO, is vote the Teamsters out. Then hire, with the money that would normally go to union dues, an attorney or attornies that is/are willing to be dedicated to the pilot groups best interest until that two years is over. Having the pilot group as sole client would be a full time job, as would keeping up with Bedford and Co. Then, at an appropriate time, the pilot group can either join with ALPA or find another solution. I'd also like to mention that when Chautauqua's pilots originally unionized, ALPA didn't want anything to do with them due their size (about 100 pilots at the time). Well, that's my solution.

As for a Lakes story that I was told, during a recent round of contract negotiations, the Lakes pilot met with their Rep and told this person what they wanted as far as payscales go. The payscales were the equivalent of CoEx's 1998 payscales for the 1900. Supposedly, the rep just couldn't believe that the pilots at GLA wanted that much of a raise and told them that they would never get it. The guy had no clue about scale parity and what was competitive. Once again the Teamsters show their worth.

Aceshigh

 

[I.P. Freley]

ALPA is great (*wink wink*)

I dunno about the teamsters, but oh-so-wonderful ALPA wasn't able to do anything about Trans States furloughing out of seniority order after 9/11.

 

[Checks]

Does Chat. have a domicle out of CMH? Wasnt there talk, pre-911, of moving the HQ to CMH?

Thanks

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

To: I.P. Freley

The furloughing out of seniority order greivance will be heard this summer, so the union did file a greivance, in other words, they DID do something, and the decision may be favorable for the pilots. We'll see.

Cliff

 

[aceshigh]

Checks,

Yeah, they domicile AWA feed out of Columbus and I think back around December they also set up an Airways domicile there and in Richmond so that they wouldn't have to pay hotel costs for the overnights in those places. There was some talk pre-9/11 about moving HQ to CMH. All of of it, IMO, was designed try and coerce the indy Airport people to either give them more room in the terminal building or be able to build a new HQ. CMH was offering all of that and was really trying to get CHQ to move. So managment was trying to work the two against each other. I don't think they'll moving anytime soon simply because they are "hemmoraging money," to quote the chief beancounter. Maybe, in a couple of years if they can't have their way with the Airport Authority in Indy.

Cliff,

I hear that TSA has had some growing pains with their MEC and the company within the past year, but that it is turning around. Best of luck with the grievance. Unfortunately, speaking from experience, expect the worst and pray for the best.


Aceshigh

 

[XJAVRO]

Don't you just love Bedford. Firing FO sounds just like that A@#hole. He'll kill CHQ look at the mess he left at Mesaba.

 

[Anaconda]

no disrespect intended, but isn't bedford responsible for a lot of the growth that went on at mesaba in the time that he was there? i mean, what exactly has that new guy done for you all since he took over? managed to pick up some more saab flying in mem while express cruises around in shiny new rj's?

or is it really nwa that's pulling all of the strings? just curious...

 

[scootertrash]

Yes Bedford did bring in alot of growth but then butted heads with NWA and left. Their was also a lot of pain involed especially with Heller being the SOC, lots of understaffing and junior maning and other scheduling crap! The new CEO, Paul Foley is just a puppet for NWA! He has straightend out a few things and keeps talking about bringing in growth and doing all of these other things but really is talking out both sides of his mouth!! You can never really get a straight answer from him with just a yes or no. NWA is also playing us and Express against each other with these new CRJ orders especially during our contract talks that are going on right now!

 

[Anaconda]

yeah, as i figured. i thought the only thing that Foley was good for was hitching rides on your AVRO's to his houses in Aspen and Westchester County...