kellwolf
Piece of Trash
So, basically they want me to give up the equivalent of a car payment every month because our previous management team had no clue on how to budget or bid for contracts. Tuck fhat. There's no guarantee that if we give them the 7%, they won't still file bankruptcy and take ANOTHER 5-10 percent from us. We signed a new agreement less than a year ago. Sure, it included pay raises, but it also included higher insurance premiums for us. The 7% I'd be giving back is WELL more than what I gained between the 1999 agreement and the 2011 agreement.....and I get to keep my higher health care premiums as a bonus!
Now, I'm 100% working WITH management to get through this. As it is, it feels like management has come to us hat in hand begging for $$$ rather than even ATTEMPTING a plan to work with us. There was no "Times are tough, we need to work together. Here's the plan." They went straight to "We're hosed and need money." How about SHARING with us where our metrics are for bonuses under the Delta and United contracts? We've been shooting in the dark for years on where break even, loss and profit are. If we know we need X% in order to get a bonus for performance from Delta, wouldn't it be a good idea to let us know that, and then give us daily updates on where we stand? Everyone, go to flypinnacle.com, log on, and look at when the last "Weekly performance update" was done. Yeah, appalling. How are we going to know where we stand if our own management doesn't give us the information we need? You might have more guys willing to go the extra mile to make sure we get out on time if they know we're close to getting that bonus, especially if it means they don't have to take a pay cut. Why do you think a lot of places have profit sharing plans for their employees? The "Simply the Best" bonus program works well.....when we're not bleeding cash. But the pilots aren't in the plan, so we don't care that often. Tie it to our pocket books and watch the performance improve dramatically.
Rather than a pay cut, how about a pay freeze? Instead of trying to hit a home run out of the park and get all their $$$ in one shot with a 7% pay cut, how about a 2 year pay freeze? In the end they get the same amount of money, and guys don't have to go into debt (or into debt as much if you're an FO) in order to make ends meet. I'd agree to a 2 year pay freeze. A 7% pay cut? Never, unless after that year you had on paper that I was getting a 5-7% pay raise on the other end of it. A) that won't happen. B) If we wind up in bankruptcy anyway, any agreement like that isn't worth the paper it's printed on.
Finally, you're coming to the people that have been screaming ways to save money for the past 5+ years and saying "Crap. We're in trouble. We need money" after you ignored us. I know I've sent in multiple suggestions. Simple things that cost zilch, like COMMUNICATING WITH THE RAMP THAT WE NEED TO GET THE GROUND POWER PLUGGED IN. Don't just shoot off a memo and assume it's happening. Follow up. Use those middle management types that make money to make sure your front line employees are doing the job properly. If they're not, don't just slap them on the wrist. Find someone to replace them. I've been a ramper. It's not that hard to hit a button, drop the cord and have it ready to go before the plane gets there. My past three trips, I've sat there with the #2 engine spinning for an average of 5-7 minutes before the ground power was plugged in. Forget getting heat plugged in when it's snowing outside. That's a pipe dream.
If this management team had actually ATTEMPTED to work with the labor groups before asking for concessions, I might be a little more forgiving. As it is, we went from "We're okay" to "We need concession" with nothing in the middle. Forget it. You want concessions? Pay the money to a bankruptcy lawyer to get them. I'm not giving them over for free....and then likely watching you take more as the bankruptcy lawyer gets paid more anyway.
Now, I'm 100% working WITH management to get through this. As it is, it feels like management has come to us hat in hand begging for $$$ rather than even ATTEMPTING a plan to work with us. There was no "Times are tough, we need to work together. Here's the plan." They went straight to "We're hosed and need money." How about SHARING with us where our metrics are for bonuses under the Delta and United contracts? We've been shooting in the dark for years on where break even, loss and profit are. If we know we need X% in order to get a bonus for performance from Delta, wouldn't it be a good idea to let us know that, and then give us daily updates on where we stand? Everyone, go to flypinnacle.com, log on, and look at when the last "Weekly performance update" was done. Yeah, appalling. How are we going to know where we stand if our own management doesn't give us the information we need? You might have more guys willing to go the extra mile to make sure we get out on time if they know we're close to getting that bonus, especially if it means they don't have to take a pay cut. Why do you think a lot of places have profit sharing plans for their employees? The "Simply the Best" bonus program works well.....when we're not bleeding cash. But the pilots aren't in the plan, so we don't care that often. Tie it to our pocket books and watch the performance improve dramatically.
Rather than a pay cut, how about a pay freeze? Instead of trying to hit a home run out of the park and get all their $$$ in one shot with a 7% pay cut, how about a 2 year pay freeze? In the end they get the same amount of money, and guys don't have to go into debt (or into debt as much if you're an FO) in order to make ends meet. I'd agree to a 2 year pay freeze. A 7% pay cut? Never, unless after that year you had on paper that I was getting a 5-7% pay raise on the other end of it. A) that won't happen. B) If we wind up in bankruptcy anyway, any agreement like that isn't worth the paper it's printed on.
Finally, you're coming to the people that have been screaming ways to save money for the past 5+ years and saying "Crap. We're in trouble. We need money" after you ignored us. I know I've sent in multiple suggestions. Simple things that cost zilch, like COMMUNICATING WITH THE RAMP THAT WE NEED TO GET THE GROUND POWER PLUGGED IN. Don't just shoot off a memo and assume it's happening. Follow up. Use those middle management types that make money to make sure your front line employees are doing the job properly. If they're not, don't just slap them on the wrist. Find someone to replace them. I've been a ramper. It's not that hard to hit a button, drop the cord and have it ready to go before the plane gets there. My past three trips, I've sat there with the #2 engine spinning for an average of 5-7 minutes before the ground power was plugged in. Forget getting heat plugged in when it's snowing outside. That's a pipe dream.
If this management team had actually ATTEMPTED to work with the labor groups before asking for concessions, I might be a little more forgiving. As it is, we went from "We're okay" to "We need concession" with nothing in the middle. Forget it. You want concessions? Pay the money to a bankruptcy lawyer to get them. I'm not giving them over for free....and then likely watching you take more as the bankruptcy lawyer gets paid more anyway.
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