To all CAL guys... from a furloughed pilot

[FlyForFood_NOT]

To all you guys at CAL,

I really, really hope you finally get together and vote in a respectful contract. I hope my furlough (the 148 others + maybe more) will be a worthy sacrifice..

Coming to CAL was a dream of mine. It all ended when i finally got here and got 'welcomed' with $32/hour, no healthcare, training on your days off, 24hr rest out of base, etc contract. What a shame! This is worse than most commuters out there (go and compare if you don't believe me). And talk about the most divided pilot group ever... this nonsense got voted 'yes' on past 3 contracts?? CAL guys, come on please, i thought you're better than that..

I'm actually looking forward to my furlough, making more now than at CAL (collecting unemployment and gov funding for schooling). I hope things change and get much better at CAL, or many of us on furlough wont even find it worth coming back...

 

[Voice Of Reason]

The Fine Art of Personal Responsibility...

To all you guys at CAL,

I really, really hope you finally get together and vote in a respectful contract. I hope my furlough (the 148 others + maybe more) will be a worthy sacrifice..

Coming to CAL was a dream of mine. It all ended when i finally got here and got 'welcomed' with $32/hour, no healthcare, training on your days off, 24hr rest out of base, etc contract. What a shame! This is worse than most commuters out there (go and compare if you don't believe me). And talk about the most divided pilot group ever... this nonsense got voted 'yes' on past 3 contracts?? CAL guys, come on please, i thought you're better than that..

I'm actually looking forward to my furlough, making more now than at CAL (collecting unemployment and gov funding for schooling). I hope things change and get much better at CAL, or many of us on furlough wont even find it worth coming back...

Though the state of the profession is appalling, I have to wonder how it is you accepted a position there? I don't think there is anyone on this board from any aspect of the industry that doesn't know CO starting rate or that they don't have insurance for 6 months...

So tell me... did you not KNOW any of this before you elected to accept the position?

Tell me also what committees did you serve on in YOUR union to fight for change? (or did you expect the government to do it FOR you)?

Yes, pathetic state of the profession, but as long as there are people clamoring to accept that status, you aren't helping, and can't claim "Oh, I'm a lib I didn't KNOOOOOOWWWWWW they were doing to do that to me....waah".

 

[ASADFW7]

Voice of Reason, I appreciate your encouraging words for a fellow on the street. I have served as on an ALPA BOD. It takes time, and efforts applied to improvements whether they are at CAL or someplace else are best served by pilots who are not on probation.

I can say most pilots have no idea of what is in a employers contract before they get hired. They have a idea of what the book rate is for pay and little else.

These is not kick a guy in a nuts while he is done thread. If you are interested in kicking someone in the nuts change threads.

 

[taxi1wire]

Move on and move forward

To think that ANY pilot group will vote for a "RESPECTFUL" contract is absolute folly dude, especially to think that they will also somehow keep the furloughees in mind. Just move on and treat the whole "Major Airline" gig as a learning experience. It is not going to get better for a long time and the end result will not be worth waiting for.
A furlough is a new beginning, granted it is tougher now than at any time in recent history, but opportunities are out there, it takes faith and alot of hard work.
You will be better off using this as your motivation that counting on any pilot group to be your salvation. It has always been each man/pilot group for themselves and it always will be........
a sh@#$y reality but that is the way it is.
Look at the history of this joke of an industry. You can count on one hand how many decent CEO's there have been in the last 50 years....On the other hand is a list a mile long of sh#$@y CEO's, BOD's and the acrimonious labor relations that accompany these buffoons.
I have said it before and I will say it again...THERE IS LIFE AFTER A GLOBAL AIRLINE!!!! Walk on man and keep your eyes and ears open!



Village
Hired UAL 1998
Furloughed 2003
RESIGNED 2007

Couldn't be happier

 

[Scope out RJ's]

Voice of reason sound more like the voice of whining!

 

[metrodriver]

fly for food is right though. $32/hr is a shame, just like $21 at a regional. You can not put food on the table for a family with those wages.
There are a few problems here causing this:
1. the people who vote for a new contract are past the first year and there is the 'I had to do it so they can do it too' issue. Yes, when you went through it the same 32 dollars bought a whole lot more. You could fill the tank of your airport cluncker twice. Now only half. The same 32 dollars a few years back bought you a week of food on the road. Now maybe 2 meals at the airport restaurant or the lay-over hotel.
2. Regionals were considerd starting jobs. However at a major you are considerd a PROFESSIONAL, you slaved yourself for many years and several thousands of hours, now that you are considerd to be this professional pilot there has to be a PROFESSIONAL REWARD. $45000/year should be a starting point.
3. Pilots are their own worst enemies. See point 1. We are also willing to take a horrible wage so later on we can / hope to earn a little more. Stop taking these jobs till higher first year pay is on the books.
Yeah right, keep dreaming

 

[Bringupthebird]

And talk about the most divided pilot group ever... .

Ahem, have you heard of an airline calling themselves USAirways???

 

[vtwo]

what do you expect.
The senior pilots at CAL were from the SCAB ranks.
Now many of those SCABS call them self union men. Do you think that they really care about any one else but them self at the cost of others.

 

[shindler]

Glad I turned them down last year...............

 

[Soverytired]

Gotta go with Voice of Reason on this one <shudder>.

Everyone who fights and claws to get a job at a legacy like Continental knows exactly what they're going to get the first year . . . and goes anyway.

Good news is that you have recall rights, and will be back there soon enough. Lots of other pilots are in the same boat right now (left a lucrative job at a regional lift co. to work for an airline instead) I still think it's better to be furloughed from a real airline than wasting away at a lift provider.

 

[Whiskerbizkit]

I agree with the 2nd post, you knew what you were getting into. Reminds me of the people that buy a house next to a airport THEN complain about the noise.

 

[EMBpilot]

Coming to CAL after flying for COEX was a dream come true for me also.

The divided pilot group and union leaders who sell their brothers into slavery is a shame indeed, thus no hope for a contract.

I left for a better airline and never been happier.

 

[100/hour/5y]

2nd year at CAL… It sucks… Just had a trip with a guy that wants a 18 year pay scale and thinks that we are the highest paid and have the best work rules in the industry…
12 months rolling avg… 856hrs EWR 756 w/ 3 sick calls… … Is Delta hiring yet?
Junior Manning today for the 737 EWR FO…

 

[pilotss]

Your dodging his point, the industry sucks and it was that way before he had a chance to serve on any ALPA committee.

Many are pissed about others picking up open time when people are on furlough. Remind them of what they are doing.

Good luck, I've got my passport stamped and making some real money.

Cheers,

 

[BigMeat]

To all you guys at CAL,

I really, really hope you finally get together and vote in a respectful contract. I hope my furlough (the 148 others + maybe more) will be a worthy sacrifice..

Coming to CAL was a dream of mine. It all ended when i finally got here and got 'welcomed' with $32/hour, no healthcare, training on your days off, 24hr rest out of base, etc contract. What a shame! This is worse than most commuters out there (go and compare if you don't believe me). And talk about the most divided pilot group ever... this nonsense got voted 'yes' on past 3 contracts?? CAL guys, come on please, i thought you're better than that..

I'm actually looking forward to my furlough, making more now than at CAL (collecting unemployment and gov funding for schooling). I hope things change and get much better at CAL, or many of us on furlough wont even find it worth coming back...

Dont worry brother. We are trying to get you guys back. I hope the furlough will end sooner than thought. We all had to go through the first year. We all had the intent to make CAL better when we came here. I will be voting to NO to any TA and Yes to a strike vote. This is our airline now. We will try to make it the best contract/airline that we can. Good luck.

 

[talespin]

what do you expect.
The senior pilots at CAL were from the SCAB ranks.
Now many of those SCABS call them self union men. Do you think that they really care about any one else but them self at the cost of others.

No, but we finally out number the SCABS and as a younger group that is sick of eating sh!t we can make a change for the better. I believe any contract is better than the lack of one we have now, however I say we leave nothing on the table. We can put the right people in place, it takes a vote!

I've had a few on my jump seat lately and it's amazing the deer in the headlight look they give me when I tell them, "This younger pilot group out numbers you old guys". "Oh by the way we don't give a rats @ss about your A fund". I usually get "well well you should, we should try and get that back for you guys". yada yada yada! The non Scabs "A" funders will at least admit they f#%k up!

Anyway we need to stand together, stay strong and get our guys back to work ASAP. Some work rules would be nice also!

 

[flygirlqt]

No, but we finally out number the SCABS and as a younger group that is sick of eating sh!t we can make a change for the better. I believe any contract is better than the lack of one we have now, however I say we leave nothing on the table. We can put the right people in place, it takes a vote!

I've had a few on my jump seat lately and it's amazing the deer in the headlight look they give me when I tell them, "This younger pilot group out numbers you old guys". "Oh by the way we don't give a rats @ss about your A fund". I usually get "well well you should, we should try and get that back for you guys". yada yada yada! The non Scabs "A" funders will at least admit they f#%k up!

Anyway we need to stand together, stay strong and get our guys back to work ASAP. Some work rules would be nice also!

You had better start coming up with some better excuses or different scapegoats for the pending contract disaster. The scabs were far outnumbered during the last contract and look what happened. The same old song and dance was bantered about then how the young blood was going to change everything. The end result was contract 02 because many junior pilots fell for the same fear grenades launched by management and pathetically also by ALPA National and CALALPA.

History has already repeated itself and management has taken it one step further to cut loose 148 pilots. The union practically broke their arm patting themselves on the back with the blastmail about the number of jobs they saved. Couple that with the ineffectual union called CALALPA with essentially a dead SPSC committee, a non existent strike committee and a dysfunctional MEC. Where is all this new blood fixing these repeated problems within CALALPA? Fact is, the union already has new blood in there and the ripoffs, incompetence and ineffectual leadership continues.

Your post also is contradicting about standing together. You claim you want to stand together but your tone is nothing but divisive. The A fund issues are just as important to the senior pilots as job security issues are for junior pilots. Do you want the "old guys" to not "give a rats ass" about scope, furlough or longevity protections for the "younger guys"? For a pilot with your union experience to talk and think like that puts you on the same level as the opportunists in our ranks.

I have seen the same sense of entitlement and arrogance from some new hires that the scabs I have flown with display. What is even more eye opening is the scabs were right about ALPA watching the train wreck at Continental, National's politics and their feather bedding.

 

[FlyForFood_NOT]

To those who think 'I should've known what CAL was like before i came here'. Ummm right, like you knew exactly everything (including the contract) when you got hired at your airline. Of course you did

Besides, it's different when you look at CAL from the outside and when you're swimming in this sh.. inside. Sure i knew about $32/hr and no health care, but the sad contract nonsense just piles up one after another

Needless to say, I never regretted anything in my career as i regret being at CAL, and it's a shame to even think that (considering there are so many out there wishing to be here). It's ok, i'll free up a spot here sooner or later. You learn and move on. And no, it's not a whining post. It's a reality check for those who are thinking about coming here

 

[talespin]

You had better start coming up with some better excuses or different scapegoats for the pending contract disaster. The scabs were far outnumbered during the last contract and look what happened. The same old song and dance was bantered about then how the young blood was going to change everything. The end result was contract 02 because many junior pilots fell for the same fear grenades launched by management and pathetically also by ALPA National and CALALPA.

History has already repeated itself and management has taken it one step further to cut loose 148 pilots. The union practically broke their arm patting themselves on the back with the blastmail about the number of jobs they saved. Couple that with the ineffectual union called CALALPA with essentially a dead SPSC committee, a non existent strike committee and a dysfunctional MEC. Where is all this new blood fixing these repeated problems within CALALPA? Fact is, the union already has new blood in there and the ripoffs, incompetence and ineffectual leadership continues.

Your post also is contradicting about standing together. You claim you want to stand together but your tone is nothing but divisive. The A fund issues are just as important to the senior pilots as job security issues are for junior pilots. Do you want the "old guys" to not "give a rats ass" about scope, furlough or longevity protections for the "younger guys"? For a pilot with your union experience to talk and think like that puts you on the same level as the opportunists in our ranks.

I have seen the same sense of entitlement and arrogance from some new hires that the scabs I have flown with display. What is even more eye opening is the scabs were right about ALPA watching the train wreck at Continental, National's politics and their feather bedding.

I didn't say we were going to change things, I said we could. I'm only trying to educated the uneducated while I have them in the seat for a few hours. I would just prefer they would admit they screwed up and we could move on. They only think of themselves, always have always will.

We are divided but hopefully on our side. Say NO to a 150% pay for the right seat time, NO to picking up open time, and certainly NO to the first TA.

I'm just as worried as the next guy about this contract. I won't settle for less than what we deserve, even if I have to give up my job. I want the career back that we all singed up for not the run of the mill job it's become.

You like chewing up my post but you offer nothing. What do you suggest? Are you a SCAB?

 

[BID]

To those who think 'I should've known what CAL was like before i came here'. Ummm right, like you knew exactly everything (including the contract) when you got hired at your airline. Of course you did

Besides, it's different when you look at CAL from the outside and when you're swimming in this sh.. inside. Sure i knew about $32/hr and no health care, but the sad contract nonsense just piles up one after another

Needless to say, I never regretted anything in my career as i regret being at CAL, and it's a shame to even think that (considering there are so many out there wishing to be here). It's ok, i'll free up a spot here sooner or later. You learn and move on. And no, it's not a whining post. It's a reality check for those who are thinking about coming here

I really like working at CAL. I agree with the part of the bad contract, it is worthless. But what in this industry is concrete and forever? I look forward to a new contract but there are believe it or not positive things at CAL!