AirTran furloughs announced, concessions requested

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

By the way, the bonuses that our management "team" took over just the previous year would have paid for every single one of the 177 on the furlough/termination list to remain employed for an entire year. That doesn't even count the exercised stock options.

 

[surreal1221]

Shocking!

Makes me sick.

 

[SteveC]

Money brings security. Money gives your kids a decent shot at a good life. Money provides for health. Money does a lot of things that have nothing to do with material possessions. The saying comes to mind, "people who say that money isn't everything have never had to live without it." When jobs disappear, marriages are ruined, kids suffer through their parents' divorces, many people sink into clinical depression, etc... But management doesn't care about any of that. As long as they get their bonus, everything is well with the world.

Management's way of looking at labor: "If labor has something, then that means that I don't have everything for myself."

I'll stand by my last post.

By the way, I'd appreciate it if you were careful about reading more into what I wrote than is actually there. Both you guys tend to see things that you think I'm trying to say without really reading my words sometimes. If you're not sure what I'm trying to get at, I don't mind if you question what I'm saying. I don't mind typing more to explain myself. The flip side, though, is that I'm not so fond of people making assumptions that don't match the facts.

Words mean things.

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

Not sure what you're saying here. What exactly did I "read into?"

 

[derg]

Very often

Cash rules everything around me.

Got the money, dolla dolla bills y'all.

 

[surreal1221]

Words mean things.

Yes, yes they most certainly do.

For my part - where exactly do you see me reading more into than what is there in your post in this thread?

I don't even recall making a comment about it. Much less having an opportunity to read more into it than is really there.

But - nevertheless - I'll give it a go now. Tell me if I'm wrong.

I find it sad that money means so much to so many people. Terribly misplaced priorities.


(sentence fragment intentional for effect )

You find it sad that money means so much to so many.

Hmm. . .well. . .not too sure what I could read into that, except that you think that people shouldn't be so focused on their income.

Perhaps?

I'll continue.

People are focused on their income because they have bills to pay, mouths to feed, people to take care of.

Unless of course you're trying to say something about the greedy ones about us who just want MONEY MONEY MONEY because they know no other happiness?

 

[SteveC]

For my part - where exactly do you see me reading more into than what is there in your post in this thread?

I don't even recall making a comment about it. Much less having an opportunity to read more into it than is really there.

Well, I suppose I could have misinterpreted as well, but I read this exchange:

So if/when management figures out that they screwed up, they can close the base and displace the workers, right? Or should they fire themselves and leave the base open so the workers don't get the fallout of management's errors?

It's clear to me that some of us are okay with being blamed for our respective management's poor business decisions.

...as insinuating that "I" was the "some of us" that "are okay with being blamed...".

<shrug>

But - nevertheless - I'll give it a go now. Tell me if I'm wrong.



You find it sad that money means so much to so many.

Hmm. . .well. . .not too sure what I could read into that, except that you think that people shouldn't be so focused on their income.

Perhaps?

I'll continue.

People are focused on their income because they have bills to pay, mouths to feed, people to take care of.

Unless of course you're trying to say something about the greedy ones about us who just want MONEY MONEY MONEY because they know no other happiness?

My take is that people's happiness comes from inside of themselves, not from outside. The inside has to be *right*, or it matters not what happens outside. Examples: miserable rich people and happy poor people.

Money can help or hurt, no doubt about it. I would much rather have too much than too little. That still doesn't change my post.

I find it sad that money means so much to so many people. Terribly misplaced priorities.

First things first. Money doesn't rate first in my life and I think I'm much better off now that I've put a different priority on the almighty dollar. YMMV.

 

[surreal1221]

Todd. . .any other info you can pass on besides this?

No Pilot Will Be Left Behind!

Today your NPA leadership unanimously voted to ratify a Letter of Agreement ensuring the recall rights and benefits of your fellow probationary pilots. In response to the position by Management that the probationary pilots would be terminated in lieu of furlough, the Association reviewed its legal options and decided that the right thing for both parties was to sit down and negotiate. To that end, the Negotiating Committee was tasked with the objective of trying to achieve a consensual agreement. We will never leave our probationary pilots behind and were fully prepared to respond should it have been necessary. We hope that this issue is resolved once and for all.

While we are glad to move this matter off the front burner and to bring some closure, there is still much work to be done to improve the quality of life for our pilots. Your BOD is committed to addressing those concerns and will be focusing our efforts in that regard. Although the parties are in Section 6 negotiations, nothing prevents us from reaching agreement with the Company on quality of life improvements outside of Section 6 - just as we have done with this issue. As always, we will keep you informed of any new developments. The LOA will be published on the NPA website at www.npa-atl.org accompanied by a summary of the agreement, including an explanation of long-term leaves of absence, the new voluntary displacement provisions, furlough and leave benefits, and the addition of a zero-time line option for the bid period.

In Service,

Your NPA Board of Directors

Looks like moving in the right direction . . . terminated vs. furlough with recall rights that is.

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

Todd. . .any other info you can pass on besides this?



Looks like moving in the right direction . . . terminated vs. furlough with recall rights that is.

Don't get too excited yet. Most of us are pretty pissed off about this development. We wanted the NPA to stand firm and refuse to give the company an inch on Section 17, which requires the company to get rid of the retired instructors in the training department before furloughing any line pilots. From what we're hearing, the NPA gave up that language, and possibly other items. The membership isn't exactly in a "giving" mood right now. What most of us want is something similar to what the UAL MEC is putting out, and so far we're getting the exact opposite. I'll post an update after the full LOA language is put up on the union website.

 

[surreal1221]

Rog. . .

 

[Trip7]

I think Kanye West said it best "Having money's not everything, NOT HAVING IT IS"

My dad was having dinner with a top Chinese govt official and he said, "I've been rich and I've been poor, and you know what...I like being rich"

My personal motto is Money doesn't buy you happiness, but it sure as hell helps!

 

[derg]

Thanks for the update, PCL, keep 'em coming.

 

[surreal1221]

I think Kanye West said it best "Having money's not everything, NOT HAVING IT IS"

My dad was having dinner with a top Chinese govt official and he said, "I've been rich and I've been poor, and you know what...I like being rich"

My personal motto is Money doesn't buy you happiness, but it sure as hell helps!

Don't mind the haters. . .they're just drinking Haterade.

Right right!?

 

[Cruise]

Mmmmmm, Haterade! For that deep-down body loathing.

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

Well, the LOA made its way out to the pilot group, even though the union is still trying to keep it under wraps. Guess they have a leak somewhere. Anyway, the retired pilots in the training department have indeed held on to their jobs. In return, we got......well, I'm still trying to figure that out. Best I can tell, we got just about nothing in return.

 

[Cruise]

From what you're saying, sounds like another fine example of the senior guys pulling up the ladder and letting everyone else drown.

NICE!

 

[SpiceWeasel]

And ALPA is great how? For making secretive LOAs that help one set of people in the same group. Same as agreeing to concessionary contracts.... ever..... etc.etc.etc.

 

[surreal1221]

Uh. . .

 

[TheOneMarine]

From what you're saying, sounds like another fine example of the senior guys pulling up the ladder and letting everyone else drown.

NICE!

The high seniority at another regional airline knows all about pulling up the ladder on the juniors as well.... :banghead:

 

[kellwolf]

And ALPA is great how? For making secretive LOAs that help one set of people in the same group. Same as agreeing to concessionary contracts.... ever..... etc.etc.etc.

Aroo? Last time I check Airtran wasn't ALPA.