jtrain609
Antisocial Monster
I don't really think so.
If you're correct, then why didn't the contract get gutted when the 69 airplanes were taken away? Ream and the guys up top didn't even flinch when that happened.
Ready Reserve, Hot Reserve, Involuntary Reserve?
- Thread starter Airdale
- Start date
I don't really think so.
If you're correct, then why didn't the contract get gutted when the 69 airplanes were taken away? Ream and the guys up top didn't even flinch when that happened.
Airdale
Well-Known Member
I would hardly call the removal of 69 airplanes "financial trouble". Not saying that Xjet will experience serious financial difficulties, but if they did, the pilot contract would be the first thing to get hammered.
jtrain609
Antisocial Monster
Dude it was 25% of the flying that ExpressJet was doing. That means instant furlough.
I know you were not around back then, but A LOT of dudes jumped ship thinking it was the end of the world. Branded wasn't even a twinkle in Ream's eye (as far as the employee's knew) at the time and everybody thought they were gonna get canned.
But they didn't touch the contract.
I know you were not around back then, but A LOT of dudes jumped ship thinking it was the end of the world. Branded wasn't even a twinkle in Ream's eye (as far as the employee's knew) at the time and everybody thought they were gonna get canned.
But they didn't touch the contract.
FlyChicaga
Vintage Restoration
Actually, we voted in a contract extension to 2010. Our contract was amendable in 2008, but the company wanted "fixed costs" as it related to labor costs for negotiations with other airlines. We still get raises (not a pay freeze) but we didn't have to renegotiate.
Honestly, if they asked for another extension to 2012, with appropriate pay raises and some work rule improvements via an LOA, I'd seriously consider it. We have a great contract, and I don't see anyone else making major improvement that we can improve upon ours much.
I think it is great to be upset about poor pay and work rules. It means that we have the desire to improve things. However, complaining about it incessantly just makes your life that much more miserable. There are many things I wish we could improve at my company, and I keep them in mind at all times. However, I also look at the positives that come from my career choice, and there are many of them. When the time comes to enact change, then I'll be ready. In the meantime, I'm not going to make myself miserable. I'll just make best of the situation as possible.
Trying to be happy with your current situation is not a sign of weakness. I think it a sign of a strong individual. An even stronger individual makes the best of their situation, then when the time comes, makes the effort to improve upon it.
This career is just too much fun to ruin it by making ourselves miserable.
Honestly, if they asked for another extension to 2012, with appropriate pay raises and some work rule improvements via an LOA, I'd seriously consider it. We have a great contract, and I don't see anyone else making major improvement that we can improve upon ours much.
I think it is great to be upset about poor pay and work rules. It means that we have the desire to improve things. However, complaining about it incessantly just makes your life that much more miserable. There are many things I wish we could improve at my company, and I keep them in mind at all times. However, I also look at the positives that come from my career choice, and there are many of them. When the time comes to enact change, then I'll be ready. In the meantime, I'm not going to make myself miserable. I'll just make best of the situation as possible.
Trying to be happy with your current situation is not a sign of weakness. I think it a sign of a strong individual. An even stronger individual makes the best of their situation, then when the time comes, makes the effort to improve upon it.
This career is just too much fun to ruin it by making ourselves miserable.
Airdale
Well-Known Member
Dude, I was around back then. Sure, loosing the 69 planes was a big deal, but Xjet was in a position to remain above the water. Luckily, the managemant over there has proven that they have half a brain.
All I'm saying is that NO pilot contract at ANY Airline is written in stone. All it takes is a big screw up by management, maybe even a trip to the court, and the pilot contracts are the very first thing to get hammered to save the company. Do you think the CEO's would cash in their huge bonuses to save the company? It hasn't happened before.
ready2fly
Well-Known Member
Airdale: I can empathize with you regarding having to sit Ready Reserve. It's a practice American Eagle loves.
Sucks when you are sitting in the airport knowing that you're only getting paid 3.45 hours (as is the case here at Eagle)...no doubt about that.
Unfortunately, it's a part of this beast we call the regional airline that hasn't been lopped off...and needs to.
The argument for Ready Reserves is that it prevents delayed departures in cases where a crewmember gets sick (or is otherwise unavailable). However, Eagle still has one of the worst on-time records in the industry...and that's with Ready Reserves.
AA does slightly better and they don't have any sort of standby or Ready Reserve. Their schedulers simply do better work IMHO.
Personally, I'd LOVE to see Ready Reserve taken off our contract and I've expressed as much to our Union reps, but I don't expect anything to be done about it.
Sucks when you are sitting in the airport knowing that you're only getting paid 3.45 hours (as is the case here at Eagle)...no doubt about that.
Unfortunately, it's a part of this beast we call the regional airline that hasn't been lopped off...and needs to.
The argument for Ready Reserves is that it prevents delayed departures in cases where a crewmember gets sick (or is otherwise unavailable). However, Eagle still has one of the worst on-time records in the industry...and that's with Ready Reserves.
AA does slightly better and they don't have any sort of standby or Ready Reserve. Their schedulers simply do better work IMHO.
Personally, I'd LOVE to see Ready Reserve taken off our contract and I've expressed as much to our Union reps, but I don't expect anything to be done about it.
kellwolf
Piece of Trash
We don't have RR in MEM, so I don't see it on the pilot side much. When we do, it's only for like two or three hours to cover the last bank of flights. What I DO see is the FA RR, and scheduling has no clue how to use them.
Me: "Hey, our FA is sick. When can we expect another one?"
Scheduling: "Well, we just called someone in. They'll be there in an hour and a half."
Me: "Well, we leave in 45 minutes, and there's a RR in the crew room that wants to fly. Can't we just use her?"
Scheduling: "Uh....no. Then we won't have a RR."
Me: "Whaaaaat? Uh, isn't that what they're THERE for?"
From what I hear from the old timers, the same used to happen with pilots. Guys what get called in from home reserve only to see about 3 or 4 RR guys playing cards waiting on a phone call. Sounds to me like our scheduling here burns the home reserves before going to RR, which is stupid, IMO. Then again, we're only projected to have 9 MEM FOs on reserve next month, so it won't take long to burn through those. Heck, after they assign open time to them, we probably won't have ANY reserves.
RR is a necessary evil at an airline, and I can understand why management needs it. It just needs to be used PROPERLY.
On the contract issues, I think XJT probably has the best regional contract out there right now. If Pinnacle were to drop that contract in front of our pilot group for a vote, It'd probably pass 95% (there's always that 5% that'll vote "no" just b/c). The reason our upgrade is so fast here is b/c people get abused and leave. If we had a better contract to keep the people we have and attract the talent he need, things would be better for sure. I don't go around lamenting about how much it sucks here, though. I leave that to the senior CAs.
Honestly, though. I only stress myself out about the things I CAN control. Pay and QOL is not something I can control on a daily basis.
Me: "Hey, our FA is sick. When can we expect another one?"
Scheduling: "Well, we just called someone in. They'll be there in an hour and a half."
Me: "Well, we leave in 45 minutes, and there's a RR in the crew room that wants to fly. Can't we just use her?"
Scheduling: "Uh....no. Then we won't have a RR."
Me: "Whaaaaat? Uh, isn't that what they're THERE for?"
From what I hear from the old timers, the same used to happen with pilots. Guys what get called in from home reserve only to see about 3 or 4 RR guys playing cards waiting on a phone call. Sounds to me like our scheduling here burns the home reserves before going to RR, which is stupid, IMO. Then again, we're only projected to have 9 MEM FOs on reserve next month, so it won't take long to burn through those. Heck, after they assign open time to them, we probably won't have ANY reserves.
RR is a necessary evil at an airline, and I can understand why management needs it. It just needs to be used PROPERLY.
On the contract issues, I think XJT probably has the best regional contract out there right now. If Pinnacle were to drop that contract in front of our pilot group for a vote, It'd probably pass 95% (there's always that 5% that'll vote "no" just b/c). The reason our upgrade is so fast here is b/c people get abused and leave. If we had a better contract to keep the people we have and attract the talent he need, things would be better for sure. I don't go around lamenting about how much it sucks here, though. I leave that to the senior CAs.
Honestly, though. I only stress myself out about the things I CAN control. Pay and QOL is not something I can control on a daily basis.
JBUCREW
Well-Known Member
Ya but the the pilot group has to agree to some form of hammering.... XJT has all but stopped hiring and furloughed there training guys back to the line. That means one of 2 things to me either they are fully staffed and there wont be much more additions to the branded stuff, Or they sense trouble down the road with the branded flying. If the branded flying starts to take a dive and they have to start making deep cuts into it there will be a furlough unless they pick something up quick (ie more contract flying). The problem with XJT picking up more contract flying is that there rates are so high...The big boys today dont care that XJT has a good product and is one of the better regionals, they just care that Mesa will do the same flying at half the rate. This is how it started at flyI... but flyI was all branded and XJT isn't that what I think will save there butts...