Didn't Pinnacle get a piece of mail in their box detailing how Express was going to lose flying because of their pay rates? That kinda crap doesn't happen around here. Maybe it does at other companies, couldn't tell ya. I think there was more corporate communication at Amflight than there is here, though.
You're also not in contract negotiations. You shoulda seen some of the stuff XJT management was tossing out to the rampers and CSAs about the pilots. Heck, I got asked in my interview for CSA at XJT how I felt about what the pilots were asking for! It's a different ballgame b/w non-negotiation periods and negotiation periods. I'm sure, despite how good management over there is, once you guys enter negotiations again, similar stuff will be circulated that will contain not-entire truths. Maybe I'm just jaded, but I saw it before when I was there in 04.
mikecweb said:
Merit what was your intent?
To smear the image of pilots going to certain airlines?
I think alot of guys got turned off by your posts because you made it sound like how could someone be so stupid not to make the same decisions that you made. I think you could ask that same question to all of us for going into a profession with such a bleak outlook and very high entry costs. We do it because we each have our reasons. We each choose an airline because we each have our reasons. No need to stomp on someones face because they chose a different path then you did.
That's about how I took it. Sounded like merit was calling out the guys that went to places like Mesa, Pinnacle, former ASA, etc and saying "You guys are killing my career." Not sure if that was the intent, but it sure sounded like it. If someone honestly doesn't know better (and I was damn near that person but for a happy Google accident when I was working on my instrument), how can you fault them? It's what they do AFTER they find themselves in that situation that you have to look at. I knew what I was getting into at Pinnacle, but I also knew contract negotiations were going on and I was hearing good things about progress from the pilots already here. At the time, sections were getting TA'd left and right, and it seemed a pilot contract (and I good one) was months away. Then it hit a stonewall and hasn't moved since.
Even MESA could be a good airline if the pilots wanted to work for it. Unfortunately, a good chunk of the pilots at Mesa are low timers that when they realize how badly it sucks, bail for other airlines as soon as they can. The turnover rate there is a prime indicator of that. The CAs that are sticking it out there probably can't afford the pay cut to go back to FO at another airline, so it's a better choice for them to stick it out and try to get on with a major, NetJets, etc. Now, if they're complaining and just being apathetic, I've got no sympathy for them or pilots that do the same at any other airline. If things suck, either do something about it or quit. Personally, I choose "do something." But I'll be damned if I let someone thumb their nose at me just b/c I fly for Pinnacle. I can get that over at FI.
