Here are some facts, if thats what you want.
-just about our entire fleet has been equipped with wi-fi. Only a handful of airframes have yet to go through install.
-somewhere around 20 new hires on property in the last few months, including a few furloughed from other frationals and airlines.
-improvements in our technology systems, moving us towards a paperless cockpit.
-recent pilot offsite in PHX where every pilot was able to participate in face to face question and answer sessions with our company President, CFO, DO and CP. Where our president asked us "what about your job drives you nuts where we can do better to support you?" Action items are in progress, including pilot-scheduling team that will look at other options to improve our QOL over current schedule.
-Yes, the company stopped paying out OT last summer. But nobody was working for free. Any day worked above normal schedule was credited into a Paid Time Off bank. Pilots were able to get that time back, some going so far as dropping entire rotations. We were/are a small company that needed to make changes to get through this economic mess. Some companies furloughed 500 pilots, we took another avenue (unfortunately above the company-wide reduction in force of 2008). We've started hiring again and OT pay is back in play. But nobody was ever working for free without getting anything in return.
Are things here perfect? Far from it. Are we moving in the right direction? I think so...but only time will truly tell. With all the bad news out there about job loss, companies shutting down or re-locating, why not spread some good news if there's good news to be shed? I'd like to see #s too, but until we're a public company, I guess I'll just have to stick with the tangible changes I can see right in front of me.
