NWA Pilots...

I'll tell ya right now, "premium pay" will not fix the lack of pilots to cover the open time. It doesn't work here at PCL, so it's probably not gonna work at NWA, either.

As for the "perfect attendence" bonus. I'd like to see the fine print on that one. Does it include fatigue calls? I don't think it's a good idea to have a guy saying "Oh damn. I'm gonna lose $1000 if I call in, but I'm exhausted."

If NWA management thinks this is gonna magically fix their staffing issues, they're gonna be sorely disappointed....again.
 
kellwolf said:
If NWA management thinks this is gonna magically fix their staffing issues, they're gonna be sorely disappointed....again.
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Agreed. But they are heading in the right direction compensation wise. At least now they are making the connection between pilot pay and performance.
 
Maximillian_Jenius said:
Still don't think that NWA pilots should bid open time in the airlines current state of affairs!
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And while the union is fighting to have NORMAL pay restored to something resembling pre-bankruptcy rates, they'll probably suggest to their members NOT to pick up open time. NWA management is trying to get away with paying a premium for open time instead of an across the board raise. Management is reaping the post-bankruptcy cost saving benefits, but the pilots are still beat down. Kinda hard to say "Sure, I'll do that extra 4 day" when you're beat down but your management can take an extra vacation or two b/c of the financial wind fall they receive from bonuses and stock options.
 
I always say that if you're consistently flying open time, you best not complain about lack of upgrades or your relative seniority.
 
Doug Taylor said:
I always say that if you're consistently flying open time, you best not complain about lack of upgrades or your relative seniority.
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Exactly. They cancelled a couple of upgrade classes last year b/c we were "properly staffed." If we were properly staffed, why was there open time? Needless to say, said open time remained open.....
 
kellwolf said:
And while the union is fighting to have NORMAL pay restored to something resembling pre-bankruptcy rates, they'll probably suggest to their members NOT to pick up open time. NWA management is trying to get away with paying a premium for open time instead of an across the board raise. Management is reaping the post-bankruptcy cost saving benefits, but the pilots are still beat down. Kinda hard to say "Sure, I'll do that extra 4 day" when you're beat down but your management can take an extra vacation or two b/c of the financial wind fall they receive from bonuses and stock options.
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I dunno crap about this stuff, but could this be a veiled negotiating tactic?

They offer the premium pay, and then when no one picks it up, they say, "You had your chance to make more money and you didn't take it. Why should we pay you more when you won't even do your part for extra dough?"

Is this a tactical move?
 
Nah. Extra money for extra work is inconsistent with he "Mo Money/Mo Time Off" emphasis.

You throw in an extra four-day trip, chances are you've instantly evaporated over 30% of your family time.
 
killbilly said:
They offer the premium pay, and then when no one picks it up, they say, "You had your chance to make more money and you didn't take it. Why should we pay you more when you won't even do your part for extra dough?"
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Nope, not when the retort will be, because making that extra money means giving up more of my life to you.

Pretty simple and clean!
 
So I could be totally wrong here, but let me make sure I understand.

Northwest is offering some of the money back that they already took, but only for the extra hours beyond a normal schedule, which would essentially be the pilot group hoaring itself out to make up for the known lack of trained pilots?

Am I close, or just misunderstanding?
 
CRoper said:
So I could be totally wrong here, but let me make sure I understand.

Northwest is offering some of the money back that they already took, but only for the extra hours beyond a normal schedule, which would essentially be the pilot group hoaring itself out to make up for the known lack of trained pilots?

Am I close, or just misunderstanding?
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It's real simple.

Mo money...

Mo time off.

Mo money for less time off isn't the goal.
 
CRoper said:
So I could be totally wrong here, but let me make sure I understand.

Northwest is offering some of the money back that they already took, but only for the extra hours beyond a normal schedule, which would essentially be the pilot group hoaring itself out to make up for the known lack of trained pilots?

Am I close, or just misunderstanding?
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Sorta. They really aren't offering any more money back. They're just dangling a premium pay out there to get guys to cover the open shifts. Basically, they're offering what everyone else in the nation gets already: overtime pay. Before, if you picked up time on your day off, you got paid normal. If someone working at Kroger or Starbucks works more than 40 hours in a week, they get overtime pay. If someone at NWA worked over what they were required, they got no incentive to do so.

I'm sure there will be some people that do pick up the open time for their own reasons. Some guys are probably happy to see it since that means that might make that mortgage payment on the house they bought pre-bankruptcy or the alimony payment for the month thanks the the ex-wife from pre-bankruptcy. I'm betting a majority are gonna say "No thanks."
 
I was just thinking, if I were a NWA pilot I would not be too happy with other pilots that decided to pick up the open time for "overtime" pay. Doesn't that send the wrong message to management if you are ever so willing to bail them out of situations that they themselves caused? Or am going too far? Am I already taking too much of an anti-management stance, all before I even get to an airline?!? LOL I'm all for being a team player, but that would imply a two way street. That's all I'm sayin.
 
No, you're absolutely 100% correct.

That's a concept that even seasoned folks at my own airline can't grasp.
 
staplegun said:
It's all about being where the money and the time off curves meet...
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Actually, if you ask me, it's all about maximizing both the time off and the money!

If only we could get paid lots of money for sitting around and scratching our asses.:)

Seriously, though, I think the NWA pilots are doing the right thing here. You want to fill slots? Then hire enough people to do it so that you don't overwork your current employees.

Premium pay is a short term solution. It's one thing if you need it for a month or two -- a lot of companies hire people for their peak times and let them go as soon as those peak times are over and also make their permanent employees work overtime.

But to rely on it for a long term solution?

That's just idiotic.
 
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