Summary of Capt. John Prater message to SKYW pilots

mrivc211

Well-Known Member
I'm gonna do my best to remember and I'll hit the key points.

We've taken hits over the last 5 years in this industry. I've made my message clear to the CEO's of all the carriers, that we're not gonna take it anymore. It's time we took it back. We've sacrificed too much. We've carried these airlines back to profits on our salaries and our backs.

We'd like to setup a national compensation rate across the board for regionals. This is to prevent the under cutting that is taking place currently.

We've met recently with the head of the FAA Blakley over concerns that piltos are being hired with too little experience. We're in discussions for the FAA to mandate either higher minimums or longer mandated training by the hiring airline.


Thats about most of what I can remember. I spoke to capt Prater for about 15 minutes and he listened to everything I had to say. I told him what I liked most about his message was the hardline stance he was taking. He wasn't afraid to go after what we all want.

I had a chance to sit down and talk to the DELTA MEC Chairman and discuss our process of organizing thus far at Skywest. He was amazed at some of the things that take place at here. i.e. violations of seniority, not paying for cancelled legs, no breaks throughout the day, etc.

We had the Vice Chairman of America West for ALPA there as well. Several ALPA representatives were present. Everyone from their safety committee, to their communications department.

Overall, we had a VERY good turn out. A lot of guys that were on the fence came to see what was being said. A few anti-union guys that came to hear us out. Many, many many, new hires!

If your a skywest pilot and would like to get involved and help in this organizing effort, please pm me.
 
Thanks for the summary. I'm enthused to see an effort at taking strides to make the regionals a professional place to work...and am glad to see ALPA taking the effort to the FAA.
 
We'd like to setup a national compensation rate across the board for regionals. This is to prevent the under cutting that is taking place currently.

We've met recently with the head of the FAA Blakley over concerns that piltos are being hired with too little experience. We're in discussions for the FAA to mandate either higher minimums or longer mandated training by the hiring airline.


How realistic are either one of these? I think the pay thing would be a great idea but impossible to enforce. It would kind of put Gulfstream types out of business.

With the training, I am from the crowd that thinks if you have a solid training program, low timers can be as safe as anyone else, they may need more training time though. I think not just the airlines, but aviation as a whole, has always faced this problem. Other than a select few rich guys that get taken by flight schools, everyone wants to get the training done in the fastest, cheapest way possible.

I went through some technical classes at a part 121 operation and although fast, they were taught very well! Hopefully that is the same across the board.
 
Well, I think they mean with ALPA carriers. That would keep CHQ from undercutting XJT for flying or Mesa from undercutting PCL, etc. The regionals would compete for flying based on performance rather than price, which I agree with. Now, if Skywest stays non-union, that could get kinda ugly. If they went union, that leaves you a very, very few non-union carriers out there. The only loss IMO of Gulfstream going out of business would be the CAs there finding other jobs. The FOs....well, they might have to come up with another way to buy their time.
 
no breaks throughout the day

Get ready for a ton of breaks in ORD. There's nothing like having a 3 hour airport appreciation break before the last roundtrip of your 4 day. :)
 
Get ready for a ton of breaks in ORD. There's nothing like having a 3 hour airport appreciation break before the last roundtrip of your 4 day. :)

Get ALPA on property and then you can have a scheduling committee in place to prevent this from happening!
 
Get ALPA on property and then you can have a scheduling committee in place to prevent this from happening!

I doubt it, but long breaks in the day don't really make up any of the reasons I can think of for having union protection.
 
Do you have duty rigs? how about a 4.5 hour sit without hotel rooms or anything beyond a terminal or a broom closet to wait out the sit?
 
I doubt it, but long breaks in the day don't really make up any of the reasons I can think of for having union protection.


What I am saying is get a union on property, create a scheduling committee and then they work with crew planning to create lines so you don't have these four hour sits the last days of your trips.

Did you send in your card?
 
I'm gonna do my best to remember and I'll hit the key points.

We've taken hits over the last 5 years in this industry. I've made my message clear to the CEO's of all the carriers, that we're not gonna take it anymore. It's time we took it back. We've sacrificed too much. We've carried these airlines back to profits on our salaries and our backs.

We'd like to setup a national compensation rate across the board for regionals. This is to prevent the under cutting that is taking place currently.

We've met recently with the head of the FAA Blakley over concerns that piltos are being hired with too little experience. We're in discussions for the FAA to mandate either higher minimums or longer mandated training by the hiring airline.


Thats about most of what I can remember. I spoke to capt Prater for about 15 minutes and he listened to everything I had to say. I told him what I liked most about his message was the hardline stance he was taking. He wasn't afraid to go after what we all want.

I had a chance to sit down and talk to the DELTA MEC Chairman and discuss our process of organizing thus far at Skywest. He was amazed at some of the things that take place at here. i.e. violations of seniority, not paying for cancelled legs, no breaks throughout the day, etc.

We had the Vice Chairman of America West for ALPA there as well. Several ALPA representatives were present. Everyone from their safety committee, to their communications department.

Overall, we had a VERY good turn out. A lot of guys that were on the fence came to see what was being said. A few anti-union guys that came to hear us out. Many, many many, new hires!

If your a skywest pilot and would like to get involved and help in this organizing effort, please pm me.

I know this wont be implemented anytime soon, but boy would this cause hiring woes.
 
Do you have duty rigs? how about a 4.5 hour sit without hotel rooms or anything beyond a terminal or a broom closet to wait out the sit?

You can get a hotel room with a >4 hour sit. Duty rigs are a 3:45 daily min guarantee and 1:2 credit on scheduled duty with 1:1 credit on scheduled duty greater than 12 hours.
 
Did you send in your card?

No I haven't. It's my opinion that probationary pilots shouldn't even be included in the eligible voter pool. I want to make a decision based on my personal experience at the company rather than a gut feeling. I'll send the card in when I'm ready to give ALPA my tacit approval.
 
No I haven't. It's my opinion that probationary pilots shouldn't even be included in the eligible voter pool. I want to make a decision based on my personal experience at the company rather than a gut feeling. I'll send the card in when I'm ready to give ALPA my tacit approval.


Well, your opinion doesn't matter in the eyes of the NMB!

YOU do have a say. Personal experiences differ at companies, do what is BEST for the pilot group.

67,000 Pilots are ALPA, 94% of airlines are unionized.

With that said, what is best?

Send in that card! Give yourself the RIGHT to vote!
 
You sound just like the automated AOPA messages I keep getting. Did you voice them? :D


No, I am working my A$$ off for something I believe in, raising the bar across the industry.

Why wouldn't you want to be a part of that?
 
No, I am working my A$$ off for something I believe in, raising the bar across the industry.

Why wouldn't you want to be a part of that?

It's very admirable that you are working hard while taking a risk to better your pilot group.
 
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