Eagle furlough likely

[RPM]

This industry sucks.. we aren't even overstaffed, we just have FO's in the wrong places. Some bases are overstaffed, some are critically understaffed (move people around, Its not that hard to figure out).. they are denying Leave of absence requests, WHY??...

================================================================

Taken from LEC 83 email blast.

March 26, 2009



Fellow DFW Pilots,

It has come to our attention that a furlough of some of our fellow Eagle pilots may be imminent. At present we do not know how many pilots will be furloughed. We do know that management hopes to make a decision within the next few days. Recently, Eagle management indicated that they believe our airline is “over staffed” by as many as 130 pilots. We feel that for the first time in a long time, staffing levels are finally what they should be in the jets! ATR staffing in DFW continues to be a disaster!

Doug and I also question the financial responsibility of furloughing pilots, training replacements generated by a displacement bid, and the retraining of returning furloughed pilots! The cost of retraining these pilots and maintaining staffing levels must be explained, especially if additional ATRs and/or CRJs are to arrive on property.

Sadly, if your Eagle seniority finds you on the bottom 100, please prepare yourselves for possible furlough. It is our sincere hope that management’s actions won’t cut this deep. Although we don’t have many answers at this time, we felt it was incumbent on us to give you as much heads-up as possible. If you have any questions, please contact the MEC office or VJ or DG.

 

[surreal1221]

This industry sucks.. we aren't even overstaffed, we just have FO's in the wrong places. Some bases are overstaffed, some are critically understaffed (move people around, Its not that hard to figure out).. they are denying Leave of absence requests, WHY??...

Because management's blood is different than ours.

 

[MikeD]

Doug and I also question the financial responsibility of furloughing pilots, training replacements generated by a displacement bid, and the retraining of returning furloughed pilots! The cost of retraining these pilots and maintaining staffing levels must be explained, especially if additional ATRs and/or CRJs are to arrive on property.

Agree with the bold, as well as all of the above. Management here wonders why they get little support, when they make pilots (and others in the company who get furloughed) pay for their lousy fiscal decisions, such as this one. Itd be interesting to see the pie-graphs justifying this cost.

 

[RPM]

the union ran the numbers several months ago and it made no financial sense whatsoever for the company to furlough short term..

 

[Firebird2XC]

the union ran the numbers several months ago and it made no financial sense whatsoever for the company to furlough short term..

Which means money may not be the reason. AMR's got to keep things in some sort of odd, dysfunctional balance between AA, Eagle, the APA, and ALPA.

End game? A lot of what goes on at the Death Star is all just smoke and mirrors.

Never mind the suffering of us pAAwns down at the lower level of it all.

It's just all part of the game.

 

[falconvalley]

Unfortunately, management does not consider the union's opinion on staffing to meet their financial needs. They look at were they CAN make cuts, not whether the staffing is HIGH enough. Expect the company to want the pilots to fly well over min guarantee to cover the furloughed pilots. That's life in a stuggling economy.

 

[RPM]

Unfortunately, management does not consider the union's opinion on staffing to meet their financial needs. They look at were they CAN make cuts, not whether the staffing is HIGH enough.

I'll tell you EXACTLY where they can make cuts.. how about starting at the top with the people running these places into the ground while taking huge bonuses for doing it.. a few FO's salary isn't even remotely the problem.. 296.5 million in totally undeserved bonuses are the problem..

 

[falconvalley]

I'll tell you EXACTLY where they can make cuts.. how about starting at the top with the people running these places into the ground while taking huge bonuses for doing it.. a few FO's salary isn't even remotely the problem.. 296.5 million in totally undeserved bonuses are the problem..

Yeah no kidding

 

[Firebird2XC]

This is doubly odd because AMR just announced that Eagle is ADDING ROUTES.

No major cuts elsewhere, either, as I understand it.

I think this is all just smoke... so the APA doesn't wet themselves in indignation.

 

[RPM]

I agree.. it has something to do with the APA negotiations or something else behind the scenes we are not privy too..

It has nothing to do with staffing levels IMO..

 

[ready2fly]

Read the bulletin and place emphasis on the key words:

furlough of some of our fellow Eagle pilots may be imminent

At present we do not know

Eagle management

believe our airline is “over staffed”

You could almost make a very badly stuctured sentence out of it and get the gist of the bulletin.

Basically - like anything at Eagle: Believe it when you see it!!!

Not telling the bottom 100 or so not to gird their loins, so to speak.... by all means, get ready just in case, but don't go running around yelling that the sky is falling either.

Just like the sale of Eagle - I'm with those who believe this is just smoke and mirrors to appease APA.

 

[derg]

Keep in mind that even Southernjets swings from overstaffed by 1000 to understaffed by 1000 with the swipe of a marketing pen.

They MIGHT be, and I'm just speaking purely from uneducated speculation here, but they might be getting a little "FUD" (fear/uncertainty/doubt) out there on the gossip circuit to try to squeeze some concessions out of AE to "mitigate furloughs". So basically, everyone feels good and mgmt gets a little swag along with their bonus.

If I ran the airline, I'd put on my Dick "Yellow cake in Niger" Cheney grumble and start talking about how costs are high, and how AA wants to bring more flying back to mainline or farm it out to a third party and shrink Eagle. BUT for the low, low cost of (whatever), we can keep those jobs and those jets right here.

 

[Firebird2XC]

Exactly what Stan and Doug said above.

I know even fairly recently we had folks looking to take the voluntary LOA's, and the company was denying them for staffing reasons.

Say wha?

Seems like those kids would be the first ones to get a chance to bail if this came around again.

It's all smoke and mirrors kids, and until you see it on paper, I wouldn't sweat it.

I kindly suggest you all spend your time appeasing the spouse or chasing the tail, as is appropriate.

(Yes, I'm aware that dividing those categories might not fit because nowadays sometimes the spouse is appeased by you bringing home new tail. Don't rub our noses in it. )

 

[killbilly]

Outsider question...

I recall that there were announcements a while back that AMR intended to sell off Eagle. Often when you start shedding assets/people you want your bottom line to look a little more cashflow-positive. Could they possibly have a buyer quietly waiting in the wings who said, "you need to be a little prettier before we make a serious offer" or something like that?

 

[kellwolf]

Outsider question...

I recall that there were announcements a while back that AMR intended to sell off Eagle. Often when you start shedding assets/people you want your bottom line to look a little more cashflow-positive. Could they possibly have a buyer quietly waiting in the wings who said, "you need to be a little prettier before we make a serious offer" or something like that?

Oh, god. Here come the "Pinnacle's buying Eagle" rumors again.....

 

[zmiller4]

"Properly staffed" at Eagle when I was there meant having no more than a reserve or two left at the end of the day. If Eagle ALPA says the staffing is where it should be, I have no doubt that management would like to furlough. Although I can't imagine how expensive the training events from displacements will get. Hopefully, it's all just rumor like the sale.

I know there's a lot of folks here who don't like Skywest's management, but they've really held on to extreme overstaffing for a really long time. I'm not sure how much of that is out of a desire not to lay off anyone and how much is due to how much it would cost to train displaced CRJ FO's on the EMB's, but they've definitely held on for a while.

 

[killbilly]

Oh, god. Here come the "Pinnacle's buying Eagle" rumors again.....

Heh. I don't mean to stir that pot or anything, but it was a legitimate question. And I never said Pinnacle, I just said "buyer."

 

[kellwolf]

Heh. I don't mean to stir that pot or anything, but it was a legitimate question. And I never said Pinnacle, I just said "buyer."

Oh yeah, but any time an airline is on the market, the rumors fly over here about how we're either gonna get screwed on a seniority list integration or everyone is gonna be a CA when the other airline gets stapled.

 

[Gonzo]

Oh yeah, but any time an airline is on the market, the rumors fly over here about how we're either gonna get screwed on a seniority list integration or everyone is gonna be a CA when the other airline gets stapled.

Just for S&G what is the DOH of #1, #50, and #100 on your list at PCL?
Here it is #1 10/73, #50 02/86, #100 10/86.

 

[surreal1221]

"Properly staffed" at Eagle when I was there meant having no more than a reserve or two left at the end of the day. If Eagle ALPA says the staffing is where it should be, I have no doubt that management would like to furlough. Although I can't imagine how expensive the training events from displacements will get. Hopefully, it's all just rumor like the sale.

I know there's a lot of folks here who don't like Skywest's management, but they've really held on to extreme overstaffing for a really long time. I'm not sure how much of that is out of a desire not to lay off anyone and how much is due to how much it would cost to train displaced CRJ FO's on the EMB's, but they've definitely held on for a while.

Must be a difference between Skywest Airlines management and the management of Skywest Inc. then.

They certainly didn't hold any punches "rightsizing" the step-child by 80.

Word on the street is that Skywest Airlines is well beyond being overstaffed by 80 (upwards of 300'ish?).

And here I thought we were getting some of the Skywest Airlines philosophy with BH.