USA JET Has Mass Layoff

[hvydriver]

That is a bummer W2B. Good luck to you and all there! I'll probably be joining you guys in a few months.

 

[canadflyau]

Your only prayer is that you might be able to consider parking the Falcon as a plant closure, if you can convince a judge of that you might have a case.

This precedent has already been set. ATA, Kitty HAWK, and more have been victorious with WARN ACT claims.

but who are employed for a total of less than six of the twelve months preceding the day on which notice otherwise is required.
WARN has a ninety day look back rule to capture non-WARN events which, in the aggregate, exceed the WARN threshold where separate employment losses occur within a ninety day period, each of which involves fewer than the number of employees necessary to trigger coverage, but which add up to the WARN minimum, WARN notices must be given to all employees who have or will suffer an employment loss.

As an ex-USA Jetter so sorry to hear about this. I highlighted the portion above. You are qualified with 6mos of full-time employment and will examine EVERYONE USA Jet laid off in a 90 period in the entire operation.

Look, don't limit your thinking! Get with legal aid if you must, but let someone else knowledgeable examine the wrong doing. They will either get you 60 days of pay, or USA Jet may try to settle with the grievants to make it go away. These types of actions do not come without recourse, and USA Jet does not deserve an exemption.

The other thing is to get in contact with Jan at the Wayne County MI Works. Tell her you just got laid off and a pilot looking for training. Heck, tell her I sent you. In a month, after jumping through a few hoops, you will be getting training.

PM me if you need more info.

So sorry to hear about this, Jason

 

[canadflyau]

This precedent has already been set. ATA, Kitty HAWK, and more have been victorious with WARN ACT claims.

Even CAL sent out 60 day notices to its potential Mass Layoff, to cover WARN ACT guidelines and NJ statutes.

 

[canadflyau]

Pilotyip is the next too go!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Randy is a great positive guy. A pleasure to work with and be around. Optimistic to a fault.

I haven't spoken with him in quite sometime, but I would have a hard time believing with good conscious that he will be sitting idly by and go along with or be a party with this course. This has to go against his grain and I bet he will be out by his own fruition.

Just my guess.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

No time to read the entire thread so maybe it's been said.

PilotYIP-

I hope your strong rhetoric will wane about not needing a college degree. If for only something to fall back on during times like this.

I won't turn this into a college or not hijack, but suffice it to say, ease up on prodding young guys to skip a few years of college so that they can be furloughed/terminated inside of a horrendous economy. And don't tell me about this is counter to gaining seniorty. The way things play themselves out, seniorty is not so secure anymore.

ARF.

 

[pilotyip]

nothing against college

No time to read the entire thread so maybe it's been said.

PilotYIP-

I hope your strong rhetoric will wane about not needing a college degree. If for only something to fall back on during times like this.

I won't turn this into a college or not hijack, but suffice it to say, ease up on prodding young guys to skip a few years of college so that they can be furloughed/terminated inside of a horrendous economy. And don't tell me about this is counter to gaining seniorty. The way things play themselves out, seniorty is not so secure anymore.

ARF.

It has been posted that I am anti-college degree. Nothing cold is further from the truth. The country needs all the college-educated citizens it can have, its raises the level of knowledge to keep this as the greatest country in the world. Real degrees in business, engineering, the sciences, math, and medicine provide a graduate with marketable skills. If you are going to go to college, get a real degree from a real university. Do not spend four years getting a degree in something that does not lead to a marketable skill. The college degree has nothing to do with flying an airplane. BTW Got my grandson who became a pilot on Monday talked out of going ot college, he wants the trade school route.

 

[avbug]

Let's clarify that your grandson just received his private pilot certificate, and he's talking about going to a military academy...to get a degree.

Correct?

 

[Way2Broke]

Look, don't limit your thinking! Get with legal aid if you must, but let someone else knowledgeable examine the wrong doing. They will either get you 60 days of pay, or USA Jet may try to settle with the grievants to make it go away. These types of actions do not come without recourse, and USA Jet does not deserve an exemption.

The other thing is to get in contact with Jan at the Wayne County MI Works. Tell her you just got laid off and a pilot looking for training. Heck, tell her I sent you. In a month, after jumping through a few hoops, you will be getting training.

Couple of points.

You mentioned that USA Jet might try to settle, and they already did that when they offered a severance package that works out to be about 3 weeks of pay. Here is my problem with seeking a lawsuit, for one I need the money now, not a year from now when it goes to court. Hell, USA Jet might not even be around by the time it makes it to court. I'm not saying that if there is a lawsuit to be had and your interested in pursuing it you shouldn't, I'm just saying that I believe my time is better spent finding work and getting trained on additional aircraft, because I believe in about 3 or 4 year the flood gates are going to open up again and I am hoping that by that point I will be at my career job. I have age on my side, and I am trying to position myself for the opportunities that will present theirselves down the road. This includes finishing my degree (Yeah I said it Randy) Building quality flight time, and getting type ratings to put on my license and resume.

When it comes to getting the money for training I am already working on jumping through those "hoops" to get the funds for training. I figure that since everyone else in Michigan is on welfare I should get my piece of the pie. Unemployment in Michigan it now at 8.5%. That is up 1.4% from this time last year. The best thing that could possibly come from losing my job at USA Jet is that I can move away from YIP to a place where you can feel more comfortable that your not going to get shot on your own front porch. I'm going to miss working along side the hardest working pilot group I have ever seen. Talk about a group of people that always went the extra mile to get the job done. Any employer would be stupid not to interview someone that "did time" at USA Jet. If you can handle the kind of BS that USA Jet could throw at you, you can handle anything this career can throw at you.

 

[canadflyau]

Look, I am no lawyer but this shows why you NEED representation as an airline pilot, but if you signed your termination that would pay you 3 weeks... um that is not a settlement. And yes, I think following recent precedent you would see an expedited WARN act claim. 60 days pay or 3 weeks, I understand your need for money now, but if even one of you lets the process take its course you may find a second rightful payment of the other 39 days.

No one will argue that how this went down was inexcusable and grossly negligent of your rights as an employee. It will simply be up to it being determined, on a case by case basis, exactly how many people were laid up to before, during, and after (90 day window) to parking of the DA-20's throughout the whole organization. I know I am preaching to the choir, but also realize that when you are blindsided with getting laid off and being asked to sign a separation paper to get 3 weeks pay will hardly stand up.. that is duress... Anywho, off my grievance rep horse...

Lastly, I think you live near me. I found the Washtenaw/Ypsi folks to be slow and incompetent about getting training. We all know the sooner the better, its time critical. I worked with both Wash and Wayne, and the Wayne folks, Jan in particular has sent hundreds of pilots to get types. Go with the previously paved route.

Good luck to all of you USA jetters.

 

[Way2Broke]

I think that if someone puts together a class action there will be no shortage of laid off USA Jet pilots to sign up for it. Furthermore, the agreement we signed isn't worth the paper it was written on when it comes down to Federal Laws. You can't have someone sign a piece of paper saying it is okay to murder them and then murder them. You still broke the law, and nothing releases you from that. Some people think that if you sign the walking papers and take the money that your waiving your right to sue, and that couldn't be further from the truth. There are people pushing this issue, and when it all comes together we will see what we have to work with.

Hell ya it went down in a completely messed up manner! The fact they are running a full dc-9 initial class is even more messed up! No warning at all sucks, and moreover the method that they used to cut the pilots does not make any since.

For those that don't know, they went by seat, by aircraft, unless you had previously been assigned to the DC-9 in which case you were put back on the DC-9. Even if your currency in the DC-9 was more than 2 years expired and you needed a full initial. Of course, they did lay off DC-9 people too. Seems like a foolish way to "save" money. They have not told us if and when they do recalls how they would recall, but it is widely thought that it will not be by seniority. I think IF, and it's a big if, they recall most people will turn them down. The saying goes something like, "If you fool me once shame on you, if you fool me twice shame on me."

Can you PM me with Jan's contact information? I am working with Ypsi. In fact I have already jumped through all the hoops and have a appointment next week one on one with a case worker to approve my funds. But your right, it does seem that Ypsi has more red tape than Wayne. My case worker has never worked with a pilot before, but so far that hasn't been a big deal. I guess I'll know more on Wed.