XJT AIP

There was a day trip in open time that I nearly picked up... With a deadhead it would have paid 24 hours after red flag. Pilots aren't the problem.
 
juxtapilot said:
It will when the industry changes. For that to happen UA and DL need to be told that their contractors can't staff the airplanes at current rates. I think the RJ industry is going to shrink dramatically in the next 5 years.
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I really, really don't want to be the one that says it, but the industry won't change. In fact, it's going to get worse, and you can lay all of the blame (after blaming the pilot groups of the late 90s for allowing RJ scope out the door to begin with) at the feet of Delta Management. They have been manipulating this all from the beginning. The rate reset they have pushed for and received in almost all their regional feed contracts kicks in over the next 2 years and in order to stay competitive on regional routes, the other majors are going to have to do the same thing, something we have already seen at American/Airways.

So, going forward the regionals companies (corporate) are going to get less money for every flight they fly. The question of course is, where do they make cost cuts in order to stay in business and like usual, the easiest (and sadly, sometimes only) place to save is with labor costs. Some properties will do this with or without the consent of the pilot group (Skywest, GoJet etc) and some places will dangle carrots (PSA, Eagle). Other places are going to do what ASA/XJet just did and put it out to vote with no carrot attached and rely on the fear of shutdown to get stuff passed.

How does it get fixed? Two ways. The easiest would be for ALPA National to step in and provide clear direction that substandard contracts will not be signed unless they are due to a bankruptcy court's demands. However, since the PSA deal was signed, that horse has already left the barn. Also, National is way too busy worry about the Sand People (that's a Star Wars reference, not a racist remark) to even think about what's happening back at home. The other way is through a grassroots effort to educate regional pilots to a) not take carrots that are attached to big sticks and b) not live in fear of being COMAIRed if you don't vote in a pay reducing contract. That's easy to do for junior guys who are going to be on the bottom pretty much everywhere, but telling a guy who has 15 years invested (and can't or won't go to a major if given the option) to risk slitting his own throat vs. taking a 5% paycut, is a very tough thing.
 
I agree with you Bob. The big take-away is GTFO. I thought if be at XJT, née ASA, for a career until the merger happened and I saw the writing on the wall.

Everyone I know has either left already or is trying like crazy to get out. Well...some of the instructor types are in for the long haul. I hope it works out okay for them.
 
BobDDuck said:
I really, really don't want to be the one that says it, but the industry won't change. In fact, it's going to get worse, and you can lay all of the blame (after blaming the pilot groups of the late 90s for allowing RJ scope out the door to begin with) at the feet of Delta Management. They have been manipulating this all from the beginning. The rate reset they have pushed for and received in almost all their regional feed contracts kicks in over the next 2 years and in order to stay competitive on regional routes, the other majors are going to have to do the same thing, something we have already seen at American/Airways.

So, going forward the regionals companies (corporate) are going to get less money for every flight they fly. The question of course is, where do they make cost cuts in order to stay in business and like usual, the easiest (and sadly, sometimes only) place to save is with labor costs. Some properties will do this with or without the consent of the pilot group (Skywest, GoJet etc) and some places will dangle carrots (PSA, Eagle). Other places are going to do what ASA/XJet just did and put it out to vote with no carrot attached and rely on the fear of shutdown to get stuff passed.

How does it get fixed? Two ways. The easiest would be for ALPA National to step in and provide clear direction that substandard contracts will not be signed unless they are due to a bankruptcy court's demands. However, since the PSA deal was signed, that horse has already left the barn. Also, National is way too busy worry about the Sand People (that's a Star Wars reference, not a racist remark) to even think about what's happening back at home. The other way is through a grassroots effort to educate regional pilots to a) not take carrots that are attached to big sticks and b) not live in fear of being COMAIRed if you don't vote in a pay reducing contract. That's easy to do for junior guys who are going to be on the bottom pretty much everywhere, but telling a guy who has 15 years invested (and can't or won't go to a major if given the option) to risk slitting his own throat vs. taking a 5% paycut, is a very tough thing.
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images
 
PhilosopherPilot said:
I agree with you Bob. The big take-away is GTFO. I thought if be at XJT, née ASA, for a career until the merger happened and I saw the writing on the wall.

Everyone I know has either left already or is trying like crazy to get out. Well...some of the instructor types are in for the long haul. I hope it works out okay for them.
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There are several Lifers on the FB page that say they are voting yes out of fear for their jobs.
 
Seggy said:
What did he do?
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Laid out the numbers if we're unable to refleet.

ERJ fleet will go from like 251 this year to 139 by 2017 if our contracts start expiring.

And he's not saying that the contracts won't be renewed, but, you know, sometimes contracts have accidents.

You can't prepare for that.

So if you don't want these CPA's to have an accident, and get sent to the bottom of the Hudson with Jimmy Hoffa, then you should consider this TA.

He's not saying to vote yes on the TA.

He's just saying that CPA's sometimes have accidents.


(Read all of the above in Jon Stewart's "New Jersey Guy" accent)
 
Bama said:
12-2-13
ExpressJet COO Brad Holt fires first warning shot.
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Yawn.

I'm not taking a pay cut because the company can't plan for things like maintenance costs, weather problems, etc. Those are all kinds of not my problem.

If they need a JCBA that badly in order to bid on work, they should have given us one that doesn't suck. With loads what they are and average stage lengths, I make less than a dollar per passenger per hour. My pay rate and work rules are not the problem. The problem is a management that cuts costs short term and then can't deal with operational issues when they arise because of it.

I smell bluffing.
 
Screaming_Emu said:
I smell bluffing.
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I wouldn't say the company is bluffing.

I would say that you guys are in a horrible position, the company knows it, the company doesn't really care (as they will make their millions either way), and wants to let the pilot group make a decision on your future.

The company will then use the pilot group as an 'excuse' on what happens next. It sucks
 
Screaming_Emu said:
Yawn.

I'm not taking a pay cut because the company can't plan for things like maintenance costs, weather problems, etc. Those are all kinds of not my problem.

If they need a JCBA that badly in order to bid on work, they should have given us one that doesn't suck. With loads what they are and average stage lengths, I make less than a dollar per passenger per hour. My pay rate and work rules are not the problem. The problem is a management that cuts costs short term and then can't deal with operational issues when they arise because of it.

I smell bluffing.
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Did you notice he also said that no major partner will sign a long term CPA with a carrier that has ALL their labor agreements open?

If we sign this TA, then that leaves 3 other labor groups with their contracts still open.

So somehow the pilots are going to come and save the day, and that'll be good enough for the mainline partner?
 
Was it another stupid weekly newsletter from Brad? You know, the ones that always guilt trip and blame the staff and never management. "Hi team, Im an idiot. How many more bullets are you all ready to take for the "team" so we can be successful?"
 
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Seggy said:
I wouldn't say the company is bluffing.

I would say that you guys are in a horrible position, the company knows it, the company doesn't really care (as they will make their millions either way), and wants to let the pilot group make a decision on your future.

The company will then use the pilot group as an 'excuse' on what happens next. It sucks
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Sounds like you're rationalizing to yourself
 
He's completely bluffing. Every regional fleet will be shrinking because of the demise of the 50 seater. Management is just trying to save some money by scaring the senior pilots out of a couple million, which they'll probably turn right back around and give to new hires in the form of signing bonuses etc etc. Their biggest problem won't be pilot costs, it'll be pilot recruiting. Skywest Inc has a plan and they are executing it right now. IMO, I believe they intend to merge the two companies within the next 5 years.
 
jtrain609 said:
Did you notice he also said that no major partner will sign a long term CPA with a carrier that has ALL their labor agreements open?

If we sign this TA, then that leaves 3 other labor groups with their contracts still open.

So somehow the pilots are going to come and save the day, and that'll be good enough for the mainline partner?
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I don't buy it.

You guys have kept basically every 145 that came up for renewal, we placed 11 delta RJs with American, and gained a few big delta RJs during this whole ordeal.
 
Seggy said:
I wouldn't say the company is bluffing.

I would say that you guys are in a horrible position, the company knows it, the company doesn't really care (as they will make their millions either way), and wants to let the pilot group make a decision on your future.

The company will then use the pilot group as an 'excuse' on what happens next. It sucks
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Yeah. We are all well aware on how you feel on the regional industry now that you've gotten yours.
 
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