Uncle Jerry's Visit to The ASA Crew Rm

[Lolikoka]

Comments

crjskipper - I'm not trying to "show" Jerry - I'm trying to take out every dime I can from this company before it folds. Jerry does not care about me or my family, and I don't care about his company. I will treat the passengers well and do my job as it is outlined in the contract and the POH, and I will try to make as much money as I can every month.

Joe - you are right that we as a national union have failed to hold up wages in our end of the industry. But - the regional airline model is premised on exploitation of its employees, and the airlines apparently have no plans to do anything else except exploit their employees for as long as possible. I don't see any individual pilot group in the regional end of this industry being able to stop that - collective action across companies appears to be the only chance and it's illegal. I just don't know that pattern bargaining will work in this end of the industry before I retire in 18 years. How would you try to uphold wages? A $2/hour raise in only $150 to 160 dollars a month - that's chump change to the amount of money our company pi$$es away every month, whether it's ASA money or Delta money.

The rising health care costs just sent me over the edge. Unless their abilty to screw us is capped by new language in our contract, the company can nulify any pay raise we get and turn our annual longevity raise into a loss of relative pay if they want, simply by changing our health care premiums. I know health care costs are rising - there is a profit-making company called United HealthCare in the middle, and there are profit-making insurance companies raising doctors' premiums on the other end. This industry is going to turn me into a communist!

Loyalty is a two-way street; if the company management only cares about the absentee landlords in Utah, then I certainly don't care about the company.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Lets do it for free!!

Nobody is, nor is anybody advocating, "doing it for free". In fact, under our current 8 year old contract, I am in the top 10% of W2 earners in this country. That is far from free.

That being said, there is pressure on pay due to competition caused by de-regulation and fee for departure portfolio bidding wars. However it is ALPA carriers that have put more pressure on those rates than non-union Skywest.

 

[ReportCanoa]

Nobody is, nor is anybody advocating, "doing it for free". In fact, under our current 8 year old contract, I am in the top 10% of W2 earners in this country. That is far from free.

The longer we go without a new contract, the more that percentage slips. What ASA is offering is simply not enough for what we endure on a weekly basis. We are the ONLY thing keeping this operation moving, legal and safe. I will get paid, and if it means the company fails and SKyWest tears it down, then fine. I'm prepared- and frankly ready- to leave.

 

[HelloNewman]

He said you guy's picketing SGU was hilarious. Everybody got a good laugh.

I think some thanks are in order for ALPA. They actually gave the media down there something to do that day. I'm sure they all laughed their butts off as soon as ASA left. It's not all bad though, at least they got their day in the sun and a small moral victory. That is the unfortunate thing now a days, ALPA is limited to only being able to give moral victories and nothing much else. Maybe someday things will change but not in our lifetime. Oh I'm sure everyone still remembers the picketing. For most people it was probably like going to a carnival watching the clowns do their thing.

 

[JoeMerchant]

The longer we go without a new contract, the more that percentage slips. What ASA is offering is simply not enough for what we endure on a weekly basis. We are the ONLY thing keeping this operation moving, legal and safe. I will get paid, and if it means the company fails and SKyWest tears it down, then fine. I'm prepared- and frankly ready- to leave.

Your correct that the longer we go, the more that percentage slips. However my pay would go up with the last offer from management - it wouldn't go down. There is more wiggle room to improve that offer even more, but it involves BOTH sides making some real moves. The longer we hold out for a 28% increase in payroll costs, the longer we all will go without a payraise.

 

[crjskipper]

canoa - that pic looks like lane daily - we are not the only ones keeping it running. we were painfully understaffed this summer - but the guy who ran the ramp is gone and has been replaced by someone who I have met and respect. there are a lot of good people on the ramp who busted their butts to keep it running at all this summer, good people. we have top notch maintenance also. i also met andy gees (sp) the new guy helping run the people at the airport - he is cleaning house where it needs to be done and seems to have been given orders to do so hastily.

there were many times this summer when working for asa was a great embarrassment - more so than in the past. but it has gotten better and hopefully will continue to. do i wish we had a new contract - of course, slowing the operation down only screws our pax more and the other employees who are trying - making much less than me.

 

[ReportCanoa]

My question is how many new managers, new procedures, new incentives have come along and failed in the last decade. The only solid, reliable asset this company has is the pilot group. Forget the altruistic notions of saving other employees. There are some fine people here, but they are the exeption, and I cannot be held responsible for every catering, cleaning or gate agent job. I get people from A to B within the context of the law and company procedure. And that's more than enough to fret over.

I'm out of options. Not that it really matters to you anyhow.

 

[flylowman]

canoa - that pic looks like lane daily -


Watch it. It might look like you. What is your problem? I think it looks like your wife. I heard she was a beast. I guess she is, so you have to make fun of another pilot on a public board. How about leaving personal names out.

 

[Andy Neill]

I do! We (myself and my 8 wives) were watching WSLC-TV when the news came on...we burst out laughing.

You mean you were LISTENING to WSLC country radio out of Roanoake, VA?

 

[atlcrjdriver]

The only solid, reliable asset this company has is the pilot group.

A bit arrogant don't you think. W/o all those other little people none of the a/c we have left would ever leave the ground, late or on-time. Is the ATL operation perfect, no and far from it. Has there been improvements made in the last several months, yes. As the staffing levels come up and eq reliablity come up the operation will continue to improve.

As for the CNC, they must adjust the negotiating strategy to that of our new owners. The quicker they realize that we are not negotiating w/ DL the better off we will be. ALPA has spent allot of tx in SLC for the union drive but have they talked w/ SAPA on negotiating tactics and strategy or simply tell the pilot group to sign here?

 

[JoeMerchant]

As for the CNC, they must adjust the negotiating strategy to that of our new owners. The quicker they realize that we are not negotiating w/ DL the better off we will be. ALPA has spent allot of tx in SLC for the union drive but have they talked w/ SAPA on negotiating tactics and strategy or simply tell the pilot group to sign here?

When Skywest purchased ASA, SAPA tried to start a dialogue with the ASA MEC. The ASA MEC did not accept the offer under advisement from ALPA national. This was partly due to advice from the UAL MEC which is not a big fan of SAPA because SAPA didn't bend over and give United pilots any super seniority when they hired furloughed United pilots.

 

[atlcrjdriver]

When Skywest purchased ASA, SAPA tried to start a dialogue with the ASA MEC. The ASA MEC did not accept the offer under advisement from ALPA national. This was partly due to advice from the UAL MEC which is not a big fan of SAPA because SAPA didn't bend over and give United pilots any super seniority when they hired furloughed United pilots.

If this statement is true then this can be added to the long list of mistakes made by our current MEC. What harm could it have been to open a dialouge with the people that have negotiated w/ JA for years. Change has been made ot the national level and now change must be made at the local level.
I thank them for there service and getting us this far but four+ years is long enough...

 

[ReportCanoa]

What harm could it have been to open a dialouge with the people that have negotiated w/ JA for years.

They don't negotiate, they concede.

 

[atlcrjdriver]

Conoa, think of it as getting the latest intel on your opponent. You may not like the people you are getting this info from but having the info never hurt and may even help you in the long run.

 

[Speedtape]

A bit arrogant don't you think. W/o all those other little people none of the a/c we have left would ever leave the ground, late or on-time. Is the ATL operation perfect, no and far from it. Has there been improvements made in the last several months, yes. As the staffing levels come up and eq reliablity come up the operation will continue to improve.

As for the CNC, they must adjust the negotiating strategy to that of our new owners. The quicker they realize that we are not negotiating w/ DL the better off we will be. ALPA has spent allot of tx in SLC for the union drive but have they talked w/ SAPA on negotiating tactics and strategy or simply tell the pilot group to sign here?

Actually, Delta is in the picture! Salaries are a flow through cost according to articles posted about the marketing agreement. Skywest is not paying your salary.

SAPA is a puppet association, manipulated by MGMT. From what I have heard, the pilot group does not elect them; MGMT selects them.

 

[John Pennekamp]

Your correct that the longer we go, the more that percentage slips. However my pay would go up with the last offer from management - it wouldn't go down. There is more wiggle room to improve that offer even more, but it involves BOTH sides making some real moves. The longer we hold out for a 28% increase in payroll costs, the longer we all will go without a payraise.

Listen to John. He knows what he's talking about. He'll be our CNC chairman after Lynn wins. He's had "face time with the NMB".

 

[atlcrjdriver]

Yes, DL is a factor in the equation but the guys in SGU are the ones we are negotiating with. They own us and thus the contract w/ DL.

As I stated in my post, its about gathering info. Take it or leave it...

 

[John Pennekamp]

When Skywest purchased ASA, SAPA tried to start a dialogue with the ASA MEC. The ASA MEC did not accept the offer under advisement from ALPA national. This was partly due to advice from the UAL MEC which is not a big fan of SAPA because SAPA didn't bend over and give United pilots any super seniority when they hired furloughed United pilots.

I call BS. I challenge you to back this statement up.

According to Newie, they refused dialogue with SAPA because talking to SAPA is like talking to management. SAPA is not a union.

 

[John Pennekamp]

If this statement is true then this can be added to the long list of mistakes made by our current MEC. What harm could it have been to open a dialouge with the people that have negotiated w/ JA for years. Change has been made ot the national level and now change must be made at the local level.
I thank them for there service and getting us this far but four+ years is long enough...

I love it. No wonder y'all want to vote for the Lynn-Joe Merchant coalition. He comes on here and spewd total BS that he thnks he heard through the grapevine of his RJDC buddies, and y'all believe it without question.

Go ahead. Vote for Lynn and John. You can have them.

 

[atlcrjdriver]

SAPA is not a union.

So What, that SAPA is not a union. Does that make us any better than them? If they have any information that can help us end this four year tragedy then so be it...