Good to see Eagle MEC has balls

Gonzo

Well-Known Member
Furloughed Pilot Support Program

May 29, 2009

Fellow Furloughed American Eagle Pilots,
It’s in a pilot’s nature to chase flying jobs in pursuit of the perfect job. In fact, our industry model is based
on pilots’ moving from carrier to carrier seeking jobs closer to where they live and bigger paychecks.
Traditionally, pilots chased lower-paying jobs from flight instructing to cargo and corporate and then on to
regional airlines as they sought better pay and larger airplanes. A job at a major airline was the pinnacle
of many pilots’ careers, with the pay and benefits they had sought for years.

Unfortunately, airline pilot jobs are also, more often than not, subject to the cyclical nature of the airline
business and poor management planning. Unlike most careers, moving backward in status and pay is the
unhappy result, or sometimes even the loss of pilot employment through furlough.
Some airline managers have recognized this cycle and have tried to capitalize on it by building a business
model around it. One such airline is GoJet Airlines, an alter-ego carrier to Trans States Airlines, whose
pilots are represented by ALPA.

GoJet capitalized on pilots’ natural desire to fly larger airplanes by making itself the ultimate “stepping stone”
airline: a short-term job that promised fast upgrades while piloting the latest equipment for sub-par
pay and work rules. This business model, on the other hand, does not account for pilots who don’t use
this job as a stepping-stone.

GoJet was formed as a work-around to the APA’s scope language that prevented Trans States Airlines
from flying larger aircraft for other code-share partners while they were performing flying under contract
as American Connection. Simultaneously, but not coincidentally, the Trans States MEC was negotiating
rates of pay for large regional jet aircraft, but those negotiations fizzled as management found a way to
whipsaw the pilots and force them to accept substandard pay and working conditions.

GoJet was formed by four Trans States managers who became the initial cadre of pilots. To deflect
attention from the substandard working conditions and to attract pilots, these managers eventually
petitioned the National Mediation Board and, with the assistance of Trans States management, voted for
Teamsters Local 618 to represent them.

What Is Teamsters Local 618?

According to its website, Teamsters Local 618 represents freight carriers, auto dealerships, tank haulers,
rent-a-car services, Part Houses, Dial Corporation, parking garages, towing companies, service stations,
chemical companies, tire and rubber industries, flight attendants, and, finally, airline pilots. With 1.4
million members, the 150 GoJet pilots make up less than 1 percent of the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters’ constituency. Local 618 airline experience consists solely of their representation of the Trans
States flight attendants.

Why would GoJet management desire pilot representation by Local 618 instead of the more experienced
and stronger Local 747—the Teamsters local airline council that represents Great Lakes, Cape Air, North
American, Gulfstream, Omni, and Republic? Current and former GoJet pilots advise that Local 618
appears too closely connected with TSA management. We seriously question whether there will be very
meaningful representation from IBT 618. Yet moving to Local 747 is no longer a clear option for GoJet
pilots, since Local 747 has been placed into trusteeship for allegations of officer impropriety and faces the
threat of decertification from more than one member employee group.

Life at GoJet

GoJet pilots have characterized life at GoJet as harsh. According to these pilots, much power has been
given to check airmen, who obviously have great influence over a pilot’s current and future career.
Additionally, GoJet pilots tell us that many pilots end up with FAA Letters of Investigation (LOIs). We
encourage you to ask current and former GoJet pilots why they received these LOIs and whether it was
connected in some way to working conditions at GoJet. We encourage you to ask them why pilots have
been discharged at GoJet and whether those pilots stood up to or irritated management. It appears that
many or most GoJet pilots keep their heads down and hope they get an offer of outside employment
while they still have a clean record.

What does this mean to you?

The pilots at Trans States have tried for years to recapture the flying being done by GoJet and to
establish pay and working conditions that are on par with their peers. They also need to be assured of
future job security as management has moved most of the growth opportunities to GoJet.
As long as pilots continue to chase after sub-par working conditions at airlines like GoJet, it will be more
challenging for pilots at other airlines such as Trans States or American Eagle to get the type of contract
that makes flying for a regional airline a meaningful career position, not just a short-term stepping-stone.
The pilots of Trans States desire to achieve job security protections for themselves while addressing the
GoJet issue fairly and equitably for all, as this is in the best interest of not only the TSA pilots but the
airline industry at large. It takes the support of all ALPA pilots, not just the few.

Despite the fact that you have been furloughed and are looking for other opportunities, the Trans
States and American Eagle MECs request that you take the time to make an informed decision
prior to applying to GoJet Airlines.

Your ALPA Furlough Support Committee is here for you. Please make sure that you call with any
questions or concerns. You may also contact ALPA’s National Furlough Program coordinator, Larry Deist,
at 678-xxx-xxxx, or visit the ALPA Furloughed Pilots Support Program Website by going to
Crewroom.alpa.org and clicking the Furlough button on the left side.
If you need further details, please feel free to e-mail me at Spencer dot Rowe at alpa dot org or contact me by
phone at 787-xxx-xxxx.

Fraternally,

Spencer Rowe
EGL Membership Committee Chairman
 
This is the FIRST time an official ALPA statement has said ANYTHING about the level of suck over at GoJets. I'm ecstatic that somebody finally said something. I wish it was from the National Furlough Chair instead, but kudos to Eagle for stepping up. I tried to get something put out locally over where I am but for various political reasons it never happened.
 
This is the FIRST time an official ALPA statement has said ANYTHING about the level of suck over at GoJets. I'm ecstatic that somebody finally said something. I wish it was from the National Furlough Chair instead, but kudos to Eagle for stepping up. I tried to get something put out locally over where I am but for various political reasons it never happened.


There's new blood in the Eagle ALPA ranks.. and it's militant. :yar:
 
Did you read the letter posted?
Yes, several times. What I read was a letter written by someone who has taken half truths, propaganda and the facts as they may have been years ago to further an agenda of hate. This kind of energy could be better spent on other issues.
 
This is the FIRST time an official ALPA statement has said ANYTHING about the level of suck over at GoJets. I'm ecstatic that somebody finally said something. I wish it was from the National Furlough Chair instead, but kudos to Eagle for stepping up. I tried to get something put out locally over where I am but for various political reasons it never happened.

That makes two of us.

Would have been nice if our MEC had the spine to have written it back in January when - after our company announced our furlough - our System CP made an open offer to all 80 of us to have our resume walked right on into GoJets. GoJets HR even came down to Atlanta and interviewed everyone who had expressed interest in going to the company.

But, once again, our MEC was silent.
 
Yes, several times. What I read was a letter written by someone who has taken half truths, propaganda and the facts as they may have been years ago to further an agenda of hate. This kind of energy could be better spent on other issues.

I want to see some of your ideas. Why do you feel that way?
 
Well done, Mr. Rowe. About time someone had some balls!

This is the FIRST time an official ALPA statement has said ANYTHING about the level of suck over at GoJets.

Well, not quite. Back when GoJet was just starting, ALPA was pretty hard-care about it. Duane even went down to STL to picket with the TSA pilots to protest the creation of GoJet. The TSA MEC made up those anti-GoJet stickers, emails were sent out, etc... It died rather quickly, though, unfortunately.
 
This thread can serve no purpose. Regardless of why/how Gojets was formed their work rules and pay are no worse than some of the regionals that people on this board work for.

Sometimes it doesn't feel comfortable to hear the truth.

I wish we'd speak up more often, but I think the "powers that be" are ignoring the vast resources of the internet.
 
Well done, Mr. Rowe. About time someone had some balls!



Well, not quite. Back when GoJet was just starting, ALPA was pretty hard-care about it. Duane even went down to STL to picket with the TSA pilots to protest the creation of GoJet. The TSA MEC made up those anti-GoJet stickers, emails were sent out, etc... It died rather quickly, though, unfortunately.

No kidding considering there are dozens of United and Midwest guys at Gojet. United, an ALPA carrier even has some sort of agreement with Gojet. I have a strong feeling this is not ALPA's doing, just some regional MEC's.
 
This is a controversial statement and half thought-out. I think the reason we don't have more education about the situation is that in the back of national's head, they're maaaaaybe hoping to get these guys under their umbrella.

I pray I'm wrong, but the silence can be deafening.
 
This is a controversial statement and half thought-out. I think the reason we don't have more education about the situation is that in the back of national's head, they're maaaaaybe hoping to get these guys under their umbrella.

I pray I'm wrong, but the silence can be deafening.

If true, it wouldn't be an unprecedented move. National forgave CALs scabs in order to get back on property there. I imagine they'd do what they feel they need to in this case too, regardless of the moral implication. Not a slam, just an observation if your guess happens to come to fruition.
 
That will be the day when everyone forgive gojet as being an alter ego company

Politics has been known to make for strange bedfellows, young Jedi, from business..to international relations.

Always has in the past, always will.
 
This is a controversial statement and half thought-out. I think the reason we don't have more education about the situation is that in the back of national's head, they're maaaaaybe hoping to get these guys under their umbrella.

I pray I'm wrong, but the silence can be deafening.

What exactly is wrong with that? If they're ready to "repent" and join the rest of us in advancing the profession, then I have no problem with forgiving and forgetting. I would be happy to welcome them to the fold. We obviously haven't been able to get rid of them, so what exactly do we stand to gain by refusing them entry?
 
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