rattler said:
Just curious, but is there any intention by managment to try to ask for concessions at Comair? With Comair being the highest paid operator of small jets, it would seem they might try. If so I hope the Comair guys hold tough, and hang on to what they worked so hard for just a few short years ago. With my airline in contract negotiations, we have set expectations to exceed the Comair pay by large margins. However it is tough to negotiate large pay increases when others are taking concessions. Wish us all luck.
Rattler,
I don't pretend to know management's "intentions" but common sense indicates that having asked before, they will ask again. This time the "asking" is quite likely to be more of a demand.
The Comair pilots' response to the previous asking for concessions was that negotiations/concessions were "premature". That resulted in the company (Delta) allocating growth aircraft to its other subsidiary and to its subcontractors. The carrot was "growth", the stick was stagnation punishment.
The Delta pilots have done everything in their power to "hold on" to their contract, but reality is that there
are limits to what any pilot groups can do. Delta is now in financial trouble. As losses continue to mount and other competing airlines, through bankruptcy, near bankruptcy, negotiated or imposed new "agreements", etc., have continued to lower their costs, the differential between Delta's compensation package and that of its competitors has continued to increase. While
the Delta pilots' pay is not the cause of Delta's troubles, the fact remains that the gap between a Delta pilots' compensation and the compensation levels at Delta's competitors has become so great that something has to give.
No one knows at this point what will happen at Delta, but whatever does, you can be certain it will affect Delta's subsidiaries and that includes Comair.
Apart from Delta mainline, and although Comair is profitable (according to Delta), in terms of pilot compensation Comair pilots have a problem that is quite similar to the problem of the Delta pilots. Since the last time the company asked Comair pilots for concessions, many airlines have signed new agreements. Comair compensation was not #1 originally, but other concessionary agreements (most unnecessary) have definitely made it so. Without exception, regional and mainline alike, are now flying similar equipment to Comair for far less money. We have been undercut at every opportunity for a variety of alleged "reasons".
The bottom line is that our current compensation package is substantially better than other airlines of our type. It is better than the new USAirways half-breed (MAA), and the latest Jet Blue announcement brings their 100-seat airplane in much below our 70-seat airplane. NW pilots are currently trying to capture 70-seat flying. To do it, they will have to accept rates that will wind up lower than Comair's. The Delta pilots are quite likely to do the same.
Any Comair pilot that believes the company will not seek concessions in the future is in for a surprise. It's coming.
Given what has been done at AAA, ARW, Mesa, Mesaba, MAA, CHQ and JBlue, our ability to "hold the line" at Comair is under ever increasing pressure. In my opinion, that pressure will only increase in the future. Where we were once ranked #2 or 3 in the compensation package game, we are now leagues ahead of everyone else. In terms of work rules, we are now better than United, let alone other regionals. In the next round when UAL, AA, DL and NWA loose their "A" plans, it will make our puny "B" plan and 401K look like grand theft.
As for those airlines currently in negotiations, about all I can do is wish you luck. However, common sense tells me that your aspirations to do better than Comair have been washed down the drain by the contracts that your union and others have seen fit to sign at competing carriers.
Ironically, the biggest "hit" so far to our pay rates does not come from other regionals, it comes from two so-called major airlines. USAirways pilots have agreed to fly the EMB-170/175 (a 76-seat aircraft) for "Eagle rates", but they have also agreed to give up their longevity. That means they will all start at MAA with 1st year pay of $58+ per hour. We do not have any 1st yr captains in the CRJ 70. With a few exceptions our CRJ 70 captains have 10 or more yrs. seniority. That makes our (10-yr) rate of $88+ $30 per hr higher than USAirways. Our top rate is $55 per hour higher; nearly double. Over at JB, they will fly the EMB-190 with 100-seats for $72 hr 1st yr. - $86 hr 12th yr. Again we have the problem of longevity. JB pilots will nearly all be at 1st yr pay. Since their airline is only 5 yrs old, none will be at 5th yr pay since all those guys fly the Bus. That leaves us paying $16 - $41 hr
more for a 70-seat airplane than JB will earn in a 100-seat airplane. When NW and DL decide to match those rates to get the flying, where do you think that will leave Comair? Answer = Up the creek without the proverbial paddle. I don't mean to be a purveyor of doom and gloom, but the handwriting is on the wall.
If this trend of "majors" flying for nothing to keep flying from regionals or to get more flying for themselves continues, regional pilots are going to have to PFF (pay for flying) just to keep their jobs. It ain't pretty. They (the majors) couldn't get our airplanes with the Scope clauses, so now they're going to take them with their low-ball pay. Meanwhile they will no doubt continue to tell us that our "cheap labor" is the cause of their downfall. Of course we could counter this by offering to fly the AirBi and the 737's for 90 bucks an hour, but that wouldn't be "cricket" would it? We live in interesting times.
That was a pretty long-winded diatribe to answer a question that could have been answered with one word, i.e., YES. Sorry about that; we all get our turn to rant.
I'm sure we'll try to hold on as long as we can at Comair. Just the same it would be prudent to plan for a hit and a big one.
