Skywest, ASA, Expressjet Merger?

bike21 said:
I ain't buying ;) Like I said it would be nice get some facts on some of this.
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I just called my union reps, you may consider doing the same...oops :)

But for real, don't buy the hype; this is not finalized. Don't believe anybody that tells you it is. There are too many parties involved, and there are too many details to work out before this is done.
 
Cav said:
Personally I'm not sure why the Skywest pilots are so terrified of integrating seniority lists.
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We aren't. You have only witnessed one today that is perpetually against unions.

Trust me, there is a lot of interest in combining the three. :beer:
 
bike21 said:
We aren't. You have only witnessed one today that is perpetually against unions.

Trust me, there is a lot of interest in combining the three. :beer:
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You are correct sir I didn't mean to generalize.
 
Call me naive, or just call me stupid, but how does having a couple of regional airlines with 3000-7000 pilots good for this industry and our career movement? Yea it reduces the whipsaw, but overall how is this good? Guess, I'll just fly a CRJ for the rest of my career.
 
Clocks said:
I've always heard the same about ASA folks. My only fear is mama-SKYW pulling the puppet strings...not sure what to think.
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While ASA was acquired by skywest before my time, I'm told it is a night and day difference between when we were owned by DL. Really up until recently (right about the time we furloughed) things have been getting better here. But as soon as we furloughed the first time it seemed the company was out to screw us, morale went in the toilet, etc.

So while it does suck having another company controlling your life, I guess what I'm saying is there could be worse ones out there.

I am glad that we're merging with XJT instead of a few other carriers. What little I've interacted with them in IAD and ORD they seem to be a very professional group.
 
nc1982 said:
Call me naive, or just call me stupid, but how does having a couple of regional airlines with 3000-7000 pilots good for this industry and our career movement? Yea it reduces the whipsaw, but overall how is this good?
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I think it is a 'lesser of evils' perhaps. Regionals will likely still be stepping stones, but at least with better bargaining power we can make our time here less painful. I think it is safe to say it beats having different groups owned by one holding company with the ability to whipsaw each one.

I dunno, hard to work out the ramifications of the 'mega regionals' at the moment.

Guess, I'll just fly a CRJ for the rest of my career.
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Lets hope not. Uggh.
 
FlyChicaga said:
Can I keep my Chicago base please?

ASA/SKYW, how is your IT department? How long do you have to wait on hold with scheduling? Do you have 8-hour four day trips? If these things improve, I'll go pick up my silver epauletts tomorrow.
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How about you keep your ORD base and I get an IAH base? :)

I for one hope that XJT wins arbitration on one list for all three companies!
 
Trip7 said:
Punch to the stomach? You'd rather keep competing with XJT rather than join forces with a strong ALPA carrier with similar pay and workrules?
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Yes. Punch to the stomach. This, in my mind, has very little to do with combining with another excellent ALPA company and more to do with economies of scale. While I'm certainly happy to continue my career change, I'm not too thrilled about the increasing possibility of having to hit the street again in 16-17 months. That said, you can not relate and you're protected, so I wouldn't waste your time trying to relate to my opinion.

Trip7 said:
If its the threat of refurlough that worries you, I'm sure both ALPA groups will manage to put in a no-furlough clause for the new SOC contract. And a nice payraise as well.
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Sure. We'll see all about this. Beyond the initial emotional hit and the increasing risk that I'm now placing my family in - again - more details will certainly be coming.

I'm hoping for the best, expecting the worse.

Still like 5 year fences, perhaps even 3 years, no-furlough clause for ALL on the active seniority list, required hiring of previously furloughed XJT pilots ahead of off-the-street hiring for ASA (if XJT does not recall their remaining furloughed pilots), and a fair and equitable increase in wages for our respective pilot groups, just as we enter into section 6 negotiations.
 
I think your all forgetting that Skywest pilots voted to unionize with ALPA last year and they voted NO by a large majority, it wasn't even close. And why would they? they are already the best paid in the regional industry, probably because their management knows if they're not well paid, then they're going to want to unionize and Skywest management doesn't want that. IMO that's the main reason ASA and Skywest has no plans to merge, one is union, the other is not, and personally im perfectly happy it stays separate, Skywest pilots and ASA pilots have a different mentality, it would be like Northwest and Delta merging... oh wait that already happened.... either way there are no plans to merge Skywest and ASA least thats what management keeps telling us and Im perfectly fine with that.

I'll also add that Skywest buying us is probably the best thing that has ever happened to ASA, its like night and day around here from 3yrs ago. Jetways, ACARS, happy pilots, first class seating, United flying!? who saw that coming? not me!

Lastly, there are several people who already have made flying RJs a career, I can think of a dozen at least who have been at our regional for 25yrs+ its WAY better at the regionals than it used to be, jets, glass, first class seats, jetways, 800miles plus legs, international flying, its getting to the point where the only difference is the number of seats.
 
Snow, you may want to check out the new representational voting requirements. No more counting non-votes as a No.
 
Snow said:
Lastly, there are several people who already have made flying RJs a career, I can think of a dozen at least who have been at our regional for 25yrs+ its WAY better at the regionals than it used to be, jets, glass, first class seats, jetways, 800miles plus legs, international flying, its getting to the point where the only difference is the number of seats.
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And the number of dollars....which is the important part. I could care less if I have a jetway, first class, fly long legs (would prefer not to in an RJ actually). I'd fly a cessna 152 if the pay and QOL was right.
 
To all the people saying there will be a petition filed. Maybe you should talk to your reps because XJT mec has said that what skywest did was legal and there is nothing they can do.
 
bike21 said:
This. When we have a fair vote, it will finally put the issue to rest one way or the other.
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We've always had a fair vote, the new rules are unfair. I'm not worried because most people who voted for the union in 07 aren’t here anymore and those who voted against it are still here. If the vote were taken again today I bet it would be less than 40% for the union and above 45% against. We may never know because Alpa has said they have no desire to try again at skywest.

Now with the merger of xjt and asa I think people at skywest will be even less inclined to vote for a union as it would be 100% certain of a merger with those two and a loss of seniority for almost all skywest pilots. We will probably get a big raise to keep us in sync with asa and we will benefit from any kind of issues. Let us not ruin a good thing we have going here by inviting in union to ravage our seniority list.
 
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