The future for ASA

[Ineedabrew]

What kind of changes can ASA aspect. My concerns are medical, travel benefits and general quality of life. If anyone here has a crystal ball I would like to here your thoughts.There is always some truth in rumors and yesterday proved it. Does anyone here see growth in the future for ASA.

 

[Crash Pad]

I'm guessing the travel bennies will be worse than they are now... Being that we have some of the best in the industry.


Insurance and 401K will most likely stay the same or be too close to notice. Hey you might even see the profit sharing.

The growth and pay is going to be tricky. Skywest will be bidding against us for every new airplane and pay package. My guess is that the Union at ASA will not fold to concessions. Which means skywest will most likely win those bids. The ASA pilot group is going to have to ask what is important. Three or four dollars an hour or more aircraft, better schedules, and possibly job security.

The thing about Chitaqua, Mesa, and the "bottom feeders" is they seem to have more job security. This of course will happen over a couple of years time blah blah blah.

In the end I don't know how feesible the airlines are if oil keeps making a run. Sure people need to travel but it still seems capacity heavy. Just a thought.

 

[viper548]

If they allow asa pilots to fly through the united system, you will get united benefits as well.

 

[SMOE]

The thing about Chitaqua, Mesa, and the "bottom feeders" is they seem to have more job security. This of course will happen over a couple of years time blah blah blah.

Wait...excluding *************************s, there's a bottom feeder lower than Mesa???????

(Sorry, I took the shot, I saw it was safe and only went below the hard deck for a moment)

 

[Well-hung Start]

The future is grim

Skywest's management plan is brilliant for the shareholders, but blows for pilots. It is the ultimate in the Walmarticization of the airline industry.

In a word: Whipsaw. But new-and-improved TURBOwhipsaw. Now, Skywest controls 2 large pilot groups and can play one off the other and STILL win any bid for flying. They are in a win-win position in any market they decide; they can keep the bid war "in-house", so they know they will ultimately have the flying at low labor cost.

ASA and Skywest pilots will be begging for their jobs on an annual basis. NO job security and NO peace-of-mind. ALPA just had its 'nads removed for good.

 

[atrdriver]

It is possible that they will come in and finish up the contract negotiations in a hurry to show us a little "good faith", but ultimatly there will probably be very little job security for either the SKW or ASA pilots. My hope is that the SKW pilots will vote ALPA in the next go around and at least management will have to deal with ALPA on both sides of the fence..That would probably mitigate it at least somewhat.

 

[Tomct]

As I recall, one of our chief pilots told me that the only DCI carrier that was cheaper than us was MESA! We are the cheap ones right now and YES, we NEED to get ALPA on property for both carriers job security! This would give Skyw mngmnt no where to go for the whipsaw factor!!

I think that it would be for the best of both carriers!
Later!

 

[wms]

Maybe they'll transfer some Brasilias to ATL! Gidyup

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Maybe they'll transfer some Brasilias to ATL! Gidyup

I wonder how long it would take the ATRs to spiral upwards in the summer to clear the Wasatch Mtns?

 

[jayme]

I think that most SkyWest people (like myself) are pissed off enough about being jerked around with the 70 seater that we are not about to give concessions to steal work from ASA. The whole reason we signed off on the same pay for the 50 was because it was an 18 month agreement. Short term agreement implies the pay problem will be fixed soon - otherwise, why would management propose such a short term agreement? We bought it hook, line, and sinker, and we're kicking ourselves for it.

 

[viper548]

I think that most SkyWest people (like myself) are pissed off enough about being jerked around with the 70 seater that we are not about to give concessions to steal work from ASA. The whole reason we signed off on the same pay for the 50 was because it was an 18 month agreement. Short term agreement implies the pay problem will be fixed soon - otherwise, why would management propose such a short term agreement? We bought it hook, line, and sinker, and we're kicking ourselves for it.

I agree

 

[Halo_RJdriver]

18+8 = 26 months of raw deal!!! 18 month T/A expired as of Jan 1.

Sapa are a$$ puppets!!! Dream on about retro pay, the last update

from El presidente dave was "think outside the box" He received a

good chunk of outside the box ideas but they will get flushed. The majority

were excellent QOL ideas and of course no cost to the company.

1.2% and no retro pay was our great offer that doesn't even include

COL. Hell are houses getting cheaper?

Lets let ASA know what they are dealing with.

1st item should have been split the rates and stfu. Their first offer

didn't even include the Brozillia mexi king air pilots any increase at

all. Slap Slap Slap. Management loves to Slap the face. Sapa loves

to eat donuts and have meetings all day.

All the pilots hear is well we hashed this out and we have come to an

agreement that we need to have another meeting. Overall it is really

Sad. Sad Sapa Sad.

 

[Tomct]

well if all is not well at Skwst, NOW would be the time to come together as a pilot group and get ALPA on property. I am not saying that this would end all problems, but it does give you more of a solid leg to stand on when trying to get things done. I believe that it would be the best for both pilot groups. Granted we have been in negotiations for almost three years, but I (along with the majority of ASA pilots) expect FULL back pay and a good pay raise!! Stand strong folks, we need each other!

 

[FixNFly]

Well I think everyone knows how we (ASA) pilots play the whipsaw game: No concessions for airplanes (and we still got them!).

The question is how unified is the SKW pilot group? Do a majority of them see the value of both pilot groups acting as one? Our last wholly-owned compadres sure didn't & it would be great if we could stand side by side with our new brothers and show a management team how formidable a unified pilot group is.

 

[KO King]

Well I think everyone knows how we (ASA) pilots play the whipsaw game: No concessions for airplanes (and we still got them!).

The question is how unified is the SKW pilot group? Do a majority of them see the value of both pilot groups acting as one? Our last wholly-owned compadres sure didn't & it would be great if we could stand side by side with our new brothers and show a management team how formidable a unified pilot group is.

SkyWest does not need ALPA.....it would be the worst thing they could do!
How good has ALPA been at other airlines????? Exactly!

 

[Halo_RJdriver]

An In house Union would be good. We at SkyW saw the last union drive fail due to lack of Spine. Now we are getting it over the barrel with no end in sight. We need to unify both groups. I am sure our future Union Reps are trying to contact your guys. It should be interesting./

 

[rtmcfi]

What benefit does an in-house offer over ALPA?

 

[atrdriver]

What benefit does an in-house offer over ALPA?

No aeromedical assistance, no safety department...

 

[701EV]

Multi Million Dollar Strike Fund.

ALPA Legal

Instant access to all the other chairman from all the ALPA carriers.

701EV

 

[Snapperhead]

Since ASA is not tied to Delta because of the SKYW purchase (as far as doing only Delta feed), they will be able to fly feed for other airlines now.

 

[Tomct]

KO KING...step AWAY from the Company Kool Aid! You might want to be around the airline business a few more years, before making statements like that! I am sure that some of your more senior guys could tell you of the many "Clustered Ops" that have happened in the past! (ie 50 for 70 pay.) Would not happen with a UNION!

 

[ArcticFlier]

How would the two pilot groups go about unifying into one group? I don't think it's as easy as saying "okay, we're one big happy family now." If the SKYW pilots organize..........be it ALPA or IBT or UPA or Bob's Union, it still isn't a done deal (one pilot group) is it? Didn't the ASA/ Comair groups try this very thing with DAL? How well did that work?


Curious,


AF

 

[KO King]

KO KING...step AWAY from the Company Kool Aid! You might want to be around the airline business a few more years, before making statements like that! I am sure that some of your more senior guys could tell you of the many "Clustered Ops" that have happened in the past! (ie 50 for 70 pay.) Would not happen with a UNION!

Just stating my opinion my man....you think "I drink the company Kool Aid". That is your opinion. You have no clue whether I disagree or agree with management most of the time so you opinion really means nothing. I'm just saying for the people at SkyWest, a union would be a big mistake. I have to go now......got some more "Kool Aid" to drink......

 

[capt. megadeth]

My hope is that the SKW pilots will vote ALPA in the next go around and at least management will have to deal with ALPA on both sides of the fence..That would probably mitigate it at least somewhat.

Are you high? I think that would be terrible. ALPA sucks for regionals.
Skywest needs an in-house union

 

[ArcticFlier]

Just stating my opinion my man....I'm just saying for the people at SkyWest, a union would be a big mistake.

Care to expand? Or are you just going to opine to hear your mouth run?


AF

 

[KO King]

Care to expand? Or are you just going to opine to hear your mouth run?


AF

Nope.......Capt. megadeth pretty much echoed my thoughts above.

 

[rtmcfi]

Nope.......Capt. megadeth pretty much echoed my thoughts above.

Are you familiar with what ALPA brings to the table with it? What does an in house union have that ALPA does not? The last attempt was in-house. That is a big reason it failed IMHO.

 

[wms]

Not that ALPA has the interests of the regional pilots at heart, but with ALPA you have their financial and legal resources available. In house you are limited to the confines of your own pilot group. If you need lots of money, or extended resources, Alpa is a better source if you have their backing.

 

[Newpilot2b]

rtmcfi,
It failed because about three weeks before the vote, it leaked out that ALPA was behind the push for the "in-house" union. The 'In-house" was doomed to fail from day 1. The reason ...it was supposed to. After a year of a mess with the "In-House" in the distant you here ......"Here I come to save the day!"(spoken by ALPA). ALPA is not the answer. But it might be the only chioce we got. Stuck between a rock and a hard place and both suck. rtmcfi...What do you want? a rock or a hard place that is your only chioce.

 

[CF34-3B1]

I personally know someone at a regional who lost his medical due to a serious illness. The Feds didn't want to give it back. ALPA Medical spent an enormous amount of time and $ getting this individual back in the cockpit.

I am certainly no big fan of Uncle Duane or the Major Airline Mafia that runs ALPA, but an in house union will simply not work at a regional . There isn't enough income from the dues a few thousand RJ drivers can contribute. And even if it DID work, it will never be able to match the resources of ALPA as far as things like Legal, Medical, Strike Funds etc.

ALPA National may not be the miracle cure some would like, but neither is it the Boogey man others think it is.

It's not perfect, but it's the best we're gonna do.