Lvl410

why not just offer a retention bonus for every new hire coming through the door and every one on property.

RyanP

this was the email we got:

MEC Update
FO Retention Bonus Program Expanded to include more pilots
Eligible First Officers received a long awaited and well deserved extra paycheck this month because of the FO retention bonus. The next bonus eligibility window runs from June 1, 2016 through August 31, 2016. It is important to note that an FO who is eligible for the retention bonus also be employed on the day of payment, which is the 25th of the month following the described 90 period, effectively making each period almost 120 days.

In addition, MEC Chairman Sam Pool and Envoy Vice-President of Flight Ric Wilson signed a deal this week allowing those FOs hired earlier in the year who received a sign-on bonus of less than $15,000 will be given a true-up bringing their ultimate sign-on bonus up to the currently offered $15,000. The agreement also extends the retention bonus to FOs hired prior to June 30, 2016 and who have already commenced training. [The new agreement will be available on our website shortly.]

We would like to acknowledge the mutual benefit that will result from extending this program to the FOs hired since the original announcement through June 30th. The Company’s acknowledgement of our outstanding crews is not unappreciated.

Our pilots deserve a robust and competitive compensation package, one that further enhances the value of an Envoy career and brings our economics in line with industry peers. Our new pilots hired before June 30th will make nearly $50,000 at Envoy their first year. This first year pay makes the regional pilot career attractive (and is competitive with the industry) however, that same pilot will take a substantial pay cut their second year due to the loss of the $15,000 signing bonus. Further, pilots are hired or who commence training after June 30th will not receive retention payments. It is an understatement to say that reducing a loyal employee’s pay after a year of dedicated service is not an ideal model of compensation for the long-term.

Prospective pilot candidates are speaking loudly with their actions during the recruitment process. Envoy and other regional carriers are having a difficult time with recruitment because there are simply better options out there in a new hire’s eyes. The MEC continues to implore management to give these pilots a reason to come here by offering long term, durable improvements to our Collective Bargaining Agreement. These improvements must be offered to all of our hard working pilots. The MEC keeps vying for these necessary changes, and continues to impress on our management team that immediate action is needed to turn the staffing tides here. Our working culture must improve and the Band-Aid improvements must grow rapidly into a durable model – offering pilots steady pay that can sustain a family – in order to solidify Envoy as an industry leader.

It worked for Endeavor, and it will work here.

If Envoy were to combine industry leading pay with our industry leading flow-through, American Airlines will have a guaranteed source of pilots to staff their 175s, who will move through the ranks quickly at Envoy, upgrade, and flow over. We think creating a future where AA can ensure it never has to worry about staffing its largest regional is a sound investment.

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Hopefully now they will work on fixing the pay cut on the 2nd year. You would think they would but who knows.

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penaltybox

Because that costs money. AAG knows CAs are trying to leave and an additional $10k isn't going to keep them around. In fact they want CAs to leave so upgrade times will drop, this helps recruiting.

go skers

They will eventually

RyanP

second email from company:
--------------------------------

Vacancy Bid

Today we posted another vacancy bid, with 55 more CA positions.

With this posting you can see, that AAG intends to add more E175 flying into ORD. We anticipate that we will have enough block hours to begin building lines from ORD starting in the November/December timeframe. Those finishing training prior to the base opening will be TDY to DFW.


Flow to American

Latest forecast from American still shows the need for almost another 100 Envoy pilots this year. Classes are expected to increase starting in September. Similar to last year American does not anticipate to run any classes in December.


New Hires

New Hire numbers continue to increase quarter over quarter.

4QTR2015 – 39 New Hires
1QTR2016 – 49 New Hires
2QTR2016 – 68 New Hires
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vacancy/Upgrades:
55 ORD E75 CA
55 ORD E75 FO
20 ORD EMJ FO

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Jersdawg

We disagree on your first point.

Your second argument is not really the argument I'm trying to make. Unless they have changed the airline significantly QOL and pay wise (We've seen how this hasn't turned out), there will be zero new hires, None, if they mess with the flow.

Furthermore, the hiring environment will be completely different than when the 824 were in the longevity range that the PP are in. There are other places to go to move up and out, and those places will be hiring. We are seeing the LCCs get better contracts with better work rules and better pay. They will be hiring, as well as the other majors, the cargo carriers, and other attractive options. Waiting around 13 years (or whatever) for the flow isn't going to happen the same way anymore.

Mess with the PP agreement and gut the airline from the inside out. Wait until the flow shifts back to a slower rate with the later agreements, and ENY will avoid that disaster.

Lvl410

I really considered coming here, but deiced to go where the pay and QOL seems to be better. To much uncertainty at the moment, i will watch from the side lines

eaglefly

IMO, they prefer as few as possible leave right now as they need every able body to cover their increasingly ambitious willingness of covering others flying. In the past, yes, the "Dear Eric" mentality of trying to encourage senior captains to leave to bring down pilot costs was in play, but now they need every piece of flying furniture to burn. Let's face it, the money the company is throwing around is for THEIR benefit and not the pilots per se.

They know most pilots will leave anyway for a legacy or LCC, but not make a lateral move to another regional no matter how bad things get and most will blindly follow that delicious carrot -the flow, so throwing more money at present pilots is a waste, at least for now. In fact, most will focus so intently on the flow, they'd walk off a cliff in the process (and reading posts here and on EL, appear to be doing just that). Look at all this bonus money. It's for attracting new-hires (their conundrum) and NOT for demonstrating worth to those already on property (the pilots conundrum),

Even the bonus money for present pilots is an investment for them to get new-hires to Envoy for the most part. Once a pilot is at Envoy and rakes in all that $$$, they get slapped with a pay cut starting year 2. The shiny new baby airbuses are all going to new-hires (along with their better schedules), while more senior Envoy pilots suck eggs. I read Pool's letter and it sounds to me like it was penned by management and he just signed it. The extra $$$ is a nice thing, sure, as who doesn't want extra money, but make no mistake, from my POV, nothing has changed there and nothing will change their as the components needed for that just don't appear to be on the radar screen.

I really don't think it matters much anyway at this point as the well is too dry to make a difference and scraping a little more rusty muck from the bottom of the barrel wont materially alter the present course or destination.

eaglefly

Sorry, but I don't see any moves from anyone other then what they already are willing to do. I see that claim of sudden mass exodus as chest-thumping. Sure, there will be a small percentage of outliers, but the pilots already proved via Cujo's poll, they plan to ride it out at Envoy for the blessed flow unless another legacy gets them first or the case of some, an LCC. As for the flow to AA, IMO, most if not all the LCC's, will have better contracts then AA within a few years and AA will be the least financially lucrative airline among the other legacies and LCC's like Southwest, Jet Blue, Spirit, etc. all who will have higher narrowbody rates and better work rules and at least equal 401(k) pensions. We're going to be the "cheap seats" in 2020, IMO, so personally, I don't think the flow is as golden a ticket as most other places considering where we are and where we're going.

Just my .02............

N927EV

He's mad because he got fired from here and now he pretends to work at allegiant.