Anyone at a Regional had their company block them from being hired at a Partner Major(s)?

[PHL_Approach]

Has anyone at a Regional ever been blocked or known someone who is was blocked from being hired at a partner carrier? I'm almost certain it just happened to myself and as well as several of my co-workers. I'm going to try to not mention my carriers name. Some may have already been able to piece together where I'm at or maybe even seen me drop the companies name... It all started about last Jan/Feb when Delta posted a hiring. We had several folks apply from varying backgrounds and experience levels. Anywhere from 3 years to 8 years and some with degrees. Some from the CRJ side and some from the ERJ side. Now the CRJ side is connected to DL and the ERJ side is not. Usually more often than not the CRJ side gets a few people picked up due to their roots with DL. ERJ side had been operating severely shorthanded at the time of the opening and had for a year prior as well.

Moving on, it wasn't long before a rumor trickled down and onto the floor that the Management picked up their Bat Phone and spoke with Commissioner Gordon down at Delta (we have many high ups in our management that are Delta retirees so they still have connections and strings at DL) and straight up told them "DO NOT hire any of our ERJ dispatchers because we are understaffed". Three of our ERJ dispatchers wound up getting interviews after passing the tests. None of them got it. A few more tested but did not get past that to interview. I think about three CRJ dispatchers got hired... Coincidence?

Ok, well we had to move on. No evidence of such block happening. Out of our hands. I felt bad for the people that applied and felt something shady happened but I didn't care as much since I didn't apply (didn't meet the min reqs).

So fast forward to mid September. As some may know, United posted openings for a class. I met reqs and put in for it as did about 5 ERJ dispatchers and 1 CRJ dispatcher (all that I know of).Everyone that I know of had internal recommendations from dispatchers both sCO and sUA including myself. Exactly a month later I get contacted by United "Talent Acquisition" for an interview at Willis Tower in two weeks. I go out by an incredible suit, and get real cleaned up cause after all to me this is the interview of a lifetime. At this point United had been my #1 Goal for a year or so. I fly up, interview. Did good on the test even though they did say this is not graded and it's just a knowledge test but when they went over it in front of me. I did just fine. Then the panel... Which I feel I also did great in. Felt extremely confident. After all I know I had to, since like I said. This was a very important interview to me. So this was right at the end of October and by this time there were ramblings that the class would start January 7th. WEEKS go by. Nothing. I start hearing word from friends (you know everyone knows someone though a friend or whatever) that a former co-worker of hers got called for the job. Then I hear indirectly of another two people that get picked up. All three of these first three people were from defunct regionals that went under in the same month. Good timing for me....

Still nothing weeks and weeks later. Then I hear of someone else getting a call. A co-worker used to work with this guy at his last regional. I still did not loose any hope... Not until I get that No call or email. Oh wait, gotta back it up. I decided to call my assigned HR rep around the first week of December and after days of not being able to get a hold of her she picks up and was really shocked that interviews had been going on since October. But she assured me "Calls will be going out next week (2nd week of December)". Even though I know some got calls. But she does say "You'll get a call even if you are unsuccessful, the hiring manager will be calling all applicants that interviewed and didn't get it and will tell you why you were unsuccessful". Ok well that's at least nice of them to learn what you did wrong. Yea... that didn't happen and class starts tomorrow (January 7th).

Getting back on track now. Really nothing after that call to her but like I said I still wasn't losing my hope. But through it all. Out of those people that applied from my company. I have anywhere from 1/4th to 1/8th of their experience and yet I was the only one to get an interview... Maybe I was lucky? Who knows. A coworker that applied whom like me UA has also been his goal for a long time and he applies to every Dispatch opening there got to thinking with me that it all comes back to that so called blocked Delta hiring. At first I said no way. But just a few weeks ago I rang my recommendation in dispatch up there and asked in if he heard anything about other people being hired. He said no, however he said "The rumors are rampant on the floor up here that [my company] called United and told them don't hire any of our dispatchers". I just find it hard to believe that after all this time, the whole blocked rumor that had been at our company stretched to the United NOC. There really is no true bridge... Me thinks that someone in United management is likely friends with a dispatcher and told them that and then it pretty much hit the floor. But the moment I heard that. It both infuriated me and saddened me. Granted, I really shouldn't put this past my company because my boss has been heard saying "I've got to get a contact at United like we have at Delta"

Of course a company that is a contractor for a larger desirable company can easily tell big brother "Don't hire our dispatchers or maintenance controllers because we can't afford to loose any". When I first started here, Delta hired a ton of mechanics from the Main hangar at a hub. Said regional was stretched so thin after DL hired all those guys that they had to lease them back from the mother ship. Rumor has it from mechanics still working in the hangar that DL has not hired a single mechanic from this regional since that incident. Sorry the story got so long. But has anyone at all ever thought that a regional could just continually tell a major don't hire our people and even though I'm almost certain that is a massive violation of labor laws there just is no evidence or proof that it happened. I just feel like I don't know what to do. I really never wanted to go from a regional to a regional since my company has pretty good pay and going to another regional would mean a cut. But I meant at this point... at least those other regionals don't block their employees from excelling in their craft and continuing to climb the ladder. And also sorry I kind of don't feel like proofreading. Gotta get some shuteye. Oh and not that I have any desire to go there. But you can add AA to the list of airlines we'll be blacklisted from.

Signed,
A very disgruntled, hopeless, Regional Dispatcher

 

[TomatoFlames]

First, I am very sorry to hear this, if true. I have seen similar at a former company of mine with regard to moving into other departments within the company and being blocked.

I guess due to budget constraints and the time it takes to train, dispatch deartments are often understaffed.

I wish I had so.e advice for you, but it is tough without proof. Otherwise you could sue.

 

[F9DXER]

Sorry to hear about that, I have heard of stuff like that happening amongst the airlines and it is hard to prove but it does happen.

I remember when Frontier was being forced to move from DEN to IND, Jeppesen was doing a massive hiring of dispatchers and they took 5 from Frontier and had plans to take another 5 a couple of months later. Frontier had roughly 22 dispatchers total, between the dispatchers and SOC managers, so losing half would have hurt. Rumor has it Republic asked them to hold off on the possible others, Jeppesen basically told them to stick it.

Personally I think it is BS, because what would they do if a majority of their dispatcher just one day decided they were done dispatching and put in their 2 weeks notice? Not a darn thing.

 

[pljenkins]

I can certainly understand your frustrations.. Trust me, I can. I know when this keeps happening you start to wonder if there's some nefarious plot to ursurp your ambitions, but while fearing the worst, consider the following:

United is your dream job, but I submit it is also the dream job of a significant percentage of other dispatchers. Delta, Southwest etc. Same thing.

Because of that, you are one of hundreds of applicants that your prospective airline has in front of them.

In addition, the supplemental airlines are pretty much all sucking wind at this point, and failure or aggresive draw down of at least a couple in the near future is extremely likely. Most of these airlines have dispatchers with well over half a decade of experience as well as wide body and ETOPS credentials. These dispatchers see the water rising in the boat they're in and are jumping on the opportunities you are also applying for.

Add a good percentage of AA dispatchers to that list, given the new contract I saw.

Having worked for any amount of time, I doubt I need to remind you about rumors in the airline industry.

I doubt seriously that if you were blackballed by your current employer you would have been given the opportunity to go and interview. You are one of only a small percentage that had the opportunity to darken the door at the Big Willie. If someone actually did pick up the phone to 86 you your resume would have been placed in the round file.

A snazzy suit and a resume full of solid job history is great, but it only grants you an audience. As a hiring manager, I want to see someone who has the attitude I'm looking for. I will pick someone with a great attitude and determination before I pick someone with a stunning resume but a "how can you not hire me" attitude.

 

[PHL_Approach]

I doubt seriously that if you were blackballed by your current employer you would have been given the opportunity to go and interview. You are one of only a small percentage that had the opportunity to darken the door at the Big Willie. If someone actually did pick up the phone to 86 you your resume would have been placed in the round file.

I knew this would be asked and I am prepared to answer it because someone at work brought it up. "Why did I even get an interview?" Considering I was the only one given an interview it's clear they had to give at least one interview as to not make it look shady. My company and particularly the side I work for was a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental and worked on the floor below them in Houston for the better part of almost a decade. So people were always picked up by them. Even after the office was moved offsite to another building miles away. Just like the CRJ side dispatchers are often and still picked up by Delta. And this whole blocking thing only started when staffing went to crap and the company is fed up with paying to train new dispatchers due to attrition. Like or not the writing is on the wall. And regardless of resume or suit, I'd like to think I always pass off an infectious passion for this industry whenever I talk to someone. I'm a fast learner with a hunger to learn new things everyday in this business. If I wasn't able to pass that off in my interview than I don't know what else I could do. Also, what I'm hearing is there was a person hired from a United regional with just under two years experience and no degree. Should have been me. Only difference is that persons company (whom is based in Indianapolis) doesn't block their employees apparently.

I will of course continue to apply. They say this next class they'll be hiring soon will put us up to a full complement. Now LET me move on.

 

[MT]

Some of us didn't even get a call. Just remember that you at least got a fighting chance at the dream.

 

[belgiumania]

Should have been me

I understand you are frustrated but this kind of attitude will get you nowhere. A sense of entitlement is not something that will help you in this industry at all.

Furthermore I would be careful about what you're posting here, it would not be difficult to figure out the identity of the one person from your company called in for an interview during this opening. You do not want to burn bridges in this profession, it is far too small.

 

[manniax]

I did hear of calls being made before, but it didn't prevent the major from eventually hiring some dispatchers working for the regional. It probably did delay their hiring some. I did get hired by a major while working at a regional, but it was not one the regional had any sort of partnership with.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[PHL_Approach]

I understand you are frustrated but this kind of attitude will get you nowhere. A sense of entitlement is not something that will help you in this industry at all.

Furthermore I would be careful about what you're posting here, it would not be difficult to figure out the identity of the one person from your company called in for an interview during this opening. You do not want to burn bridges in this profession, it is far too small.

That didn't exactly come across the way I had wanted it to. Maybe should have worded it "Could have been me". And don't get me wrong. There is no sense of entitlement here. If you talked to me in person vs text you would be able to pick that up. It's more or so... If I fudged my chance, let it be my fault. I don't like people changing the outcome. For instance you remember the Seahawks/Packers endzone catch to end the game this past NFL season with the Replacement Refs? That dude changed the outcome. That's the frustrating part here. When you feel helpless because someone possibly may have changed the outcome that could have made your family's life better exponentially.

You are right about probably watching what I post. It took me the better part of 2 weeks to finally decide to do this. I wanted to just hear from others if this has happened elsewhere before. So be it that this comes back on me. Was meant to be then. But I'm not going to shut up about a company possibly doing bad by their employees. I used to talk up the company a bit and fill in people on what it's like to work here. Not anymore, I just won't say anything to them or I will say the horrible truth that the company doesn't want people to know where as before I would sugarcoat it. 75 flights a shift gets old after a while. I worked 96 flights on mornings during OJT here.... But I would kind of push that under the rug to outsiders. Let them find out about it after they get here since we needed people. But even getting people still hasn't done much.

And I knew when I posted this it would be viewed by many as "Oh, just trying to come up with an excuse as for why you didn't get the job". Our entire floor believes something out of our power was changed. I didn't make this theory up.

I did hear of calls being made before, but it didn't prevent the major from eventually hiring some dispatchers working for the regional. It probably did delay their hiring some. I did get hired by a major while working at a regional, but it was not one the regional had any sort of partnership with.

Well, that's sort of what I had been hoping for that it's just been delayed. That's because I have yet to get a "no" via email or phone (maybe it'll never come) that I still might be pulled for the following class cause I was a runner up in the last class.

 

[Hondo Calrissian]

For instance you remember the Seahawks/Packers endzone catch to end the game this past NFL season with the Replacement Refs? That dude changed the outcome.

How can any Packer fan forget those idiot who made that call? Not to give my two cents on that, three things went wrong there...it also screwed my Packers from getting a bye in the playoffs!!

Okay, on a serious note...I been overlooked for supervisor positions many times before at each of the three airlines I worked at but after being persistent about moving up, I was given the chance to prove myself and it worked out. No matter how many times I was turned down, it hurt but I kept on trying to better myself until It all paid off. Yes, it hurts and I have burnt bridges in the past but when I proved myself to everyone, it all worked out in the long run as they saw my full potential. I heard a saying from a few people in my airline career, "Good things come to those who are patient and have faith in themselves".


I know this is a different career path but I have a good friend who is a police officer here in Vegas, got on when he was 21, had a degree and is in the national guard....He wanted to move up with in the department when he was able too....it took him 6 years and a dozen times until he moved out of patrol and become a detective, he is now a sergeant of patrol.

 

[LawDXer]

I don't think your company can call a prescriptive employer and tell them not to hire your because they are short staffed. If you have good hard fact that this did happen, I suggest gathering the facts and maybe tackle it legally.

My boss told me this once...dispatchers are like pilots, they are just as hard to replace.