tom11011

I disagree with both of you. The Biden Administration will not interfere with us especially after the Railroad stuff. We are small and insignificant to cause any real transportation issues.

Margaritaville

This contract is likely to drag out beyond the Biden "administration", when the White House and both houses of Congress are likely being run by Republicans. I'm a Republican, but I'll be the first to admit that Republicans rarely side with labor.

Also, Congress and the WH only get involved after there's a release. I contend there will never be a release. That is the SOLE decision of the mediator.

tom11011

I believe she will conclude that she cannot help us because Allegiant doesn’t operate like the others and the pilots are simply asking for what everyone else already has.

Be Realistic

Marg and Tom, if it goes on for more than a year, there will be no G4 in its current existence. The attrition will reach unsustainable levels way before that. The share price will tank, and G4 will be snapped up by SC or Frontier. Bases will have closed, downgrades, and more shrinkage. 737's will be on property this year (2 of them) and more in the first 1/4 of next year. 320's will be parked. Scheduling with 2 aircraft types will be worse than ever before. 10 737's by march next year means 90 of our remaining pilots (we will probably be at around 900 by year end) will be taken up by 73 types.

The word will be don't come to G4 for anything more than a type rating. SWA will love our graduates and will be hold job offers to every body that walks out of ECTC with a new type cert. They should put a recruiting office in that patch of grass across from the parking lot!

G4's ability to sink or swim will be in MG's ability to get his head in the right place to offer a contract one day. And if that day isn't before the end of this year, then things will be unrecoverable.

Margaritaville

The monkey in that wrench is that the economy is finally starting to slide. Banks and high tech are starting to lay off. Other corporations will follow. The post covid irrational exuberance is coming to an end and there will be less reckless consumer spending. Less travel. The legacy carriers won't furlough but they will slow or stop hiring for a while. That again gives G4 a captive audience of pilots to abuse. Maury is brilliant to drag this out as long as he can and wait the economy out. Plus, most G4 pilots talk big about leaving but it's always 'I'll update my apps if XYZ happens". Most aren't serious about leaving and won't decide to get serious until it's already too late. This plays right into Maury's hand of course.

G4 pilots would be wise to put their money where their mouths are right now and get those apps in. Get in before the door slams shut later this year. Hiring probably won't pick up again for a year or two. This is your last chance for a while and if you're not already out there, you're going to miss it.

Squeakygreaser

I'd say Maury forecasts the value of an airbus pilot to decrease in the next couple years from where it is now. That's one logical explanation for his choice to delay on the contract. He puts out a brochure showing a willingness to pay more, knowing that our union won't take an offer with no work rule improvements, so he mitigates as much attrition as possible while not actually paying anything to do that.

He intends to weather this storm much like us pilots have weathered downturns in the past, sit tight, save your money wait for the market to get better.

Or, he may also be thinking that paying the same as Delta won't stop people from going to Delta anyway. Some pilots will still choose the larger more stable, more glamorous carrier regardless, even if compensation is roughly equal.

I don't think it would be my strategy if I was him, I think Allegiant should take former regional marketshare that's being given up right now. But I can see the logic of the choice he's making.

tailendcharlie

Yup! I think there's going to be a surprisingly moderate amount of attrition over the next several months....not insignificant but manageable. The "Mass Exodus" is likely a myth....other than the bottom of the list which is an acknowledged revolving door, the ones who are leaving - mostly already left. The rest is talk but they'll fall into Maury's trap of chasing moving goal posts...."I'll wait and see xxx and then decide...." That day will never come. This is a uniquely unmotivated underinformed pilot group.

captnate702

You do realize its not the Biden Admin that chooses when we are released? Its Eva Durham and the NMB. Eva's resume and her personal friendship with FH law firm is not likely to release Allegiant. The Biden Admin got involved with the railroads because the railroads negotiate collectively - not by individual companies.

You said it yourself, Allegiant is small potatoes - you think Biden Admin is gonna go out of its way to pressure Eva and the NMB to release us early because he wants to score some political points? Think about what you are saying, its ridiculous on just writing this that we would get released early - especially when MG can point to competitive rates and say "look we are willing to pay market rates" and then point out that Union is demanding 0% unstack or whatever for scheduling and no other airline has that. Those two factors alone will keep us from ever being released. I'm more concerned that she is gonna be so anti-union that she eats out of MG's hands and smacks around our culinary attorney.

tom11011

My post also said We are getting released down the road. In order for us to achieve an industry standard contract, not even industry leading, the company must change certain elements of the way they conduct business. Their business plan may be different then everyone else but that has no bearing on our achieving parity with other carriers pilots. I am sure their opening statements will go on and on about how they are different and have a different philosophy but the union will shrug its shoulders and say "that's wonderful but we don't really care". These extremes are the lines in the sand, where negotiations will start from. But if meeting in the middle of these two lines puts us below other carriers on total compensation and work rules its not going to work.

captnate702

What industry standard work rules do you want? because when this comes up, not a single pilot i speak to has said TAFB rig, or min duty pay, etc. What I hear is day trips must be guaranteed and more protection for reserves. Of the 25 or so pilots i have communicated with (via emails, text threads, training, etc.) not a single one has mentioned the "industry standard" work rules that the legacies have - they all want day trips to never go away (me included).

The most important things in this contract to me (and nearly every other pilot i speak with) are rates/retirement, LTD, and guarantee of day trips. The day trips is the work rule that is holding this place together at the moment. I cannot think of a single reason why any pilot would come here or stay here (assuming they have options) apart from the day trips. Of all the work rules management and the union like to talk about, day trips is the one that gets talked about the least. Management had their head in the sand when they sent out that mailer without the talking about day trips - they should know there is no other reason to be here.

I know my friends sitting reserve in FL must get reserve protections as well, the abuse they take is absurd - at a minimum they should be paid adequately. At least they will get paid in full for their LL deadheads but they need more than just money to put up with all that crap.

I don't understand why AR is not pounding this drum instead of unstack. Know your audience AR: we are only here because we don't have other options or because we want day trips/sleep in our bed at night. Please ppl, feel free to chime but why are you here if not for the day trips? what else does this place have to offer besides day trips?

I honestly cannot think of anything and I haven't heard an answer from anybody else i've asked this question to...