eaglefly

Eagle ALPA has no leverage to dictate to AMR Eagle who they hire. You are correct, in that it would appear the company is interested in people who have a better chance of completing new-hire training (i.e., those current) and happy to be flying an RJ, like someone fresh and new to the industry. These pilots will likely stay longer. The company is more concerned with return-on-investment then with morality issues about those who are more likely to bail sooner due to their previous regional time.

Eagle ALPA can't even defend a lot of our contractual issues, let alone order Eagle to hire pilots from XYZ and ALPA national is primarily concerned with their revenue stream , so yes, it appears your currently under the bus.

Welcome to the modern day profession of being an airline pilot,m where it's every pilot for himself.

NoStep

Continental MEC chairman Capt. Jay Pierce made a formal request this week to Continental management to extend preferential hiring for pilots from Midwest and ASTAR as those airlines ramp down flying and furlough pilots.

Pierce commented, “The brotherhood of ALPA runs deep, and a pilot group supporting another in times of need is just one example of how ALPA as a whole is so much stronger than the sum of our individual parts.”

Continental management approved the preferential hiring request and is in the process of drafting a letter, which will be forwarded to Midwest custodian Capt. Tony Freitas and ASTAR MEC chairman Capt. Pat Walsh.

AirTran MEC Chairman Linden Hillman announced last week at ALPA’s Executive Board Meeting that the AirTran MEC has requested and the company agreed to extend preferential hiring to former Midwest pilots.

“We didn’t join ALPA only to receive,” Hillman told the members of the Executive Board. “We joined ALPA to give.”

squawkoff

Have a questioned. Interviewed in May of 2008. Made it all the way but didn't make it past the Captains board. Have no idea why. Is there any chance I will get the opportunity to interview in the future? 3000 TT 1300 ME ATP Jet type. Current flying job on King Air and Hawker. No 121 experience.

Joepa84

Why would you leave a king air/ hawker gig? Maybe he thought you were mentally unstable! Naw, jk. But seriously why leave a job like that unless you lost it?

squawkoff

I knew that question would come up. It's just not a consistent gig. It's so sporadic I could probably do both.

OKDECS

Completely disagree with this line of reasoning, although you may be correct in assuming that's the logic HR is using.

Here's why I think furloughed guys shouldn't be thrown under the bus

1) We have a better chance of passing new hire training...I'm pretty sure that point is hard to argue

2) We likely have more relevant time than any other applicants (higher times in general, time in transport category aircraft, time in a multi-crew environment, etc). In an industry that is normally so obsessed with quantitatively evaluating resumes, I do not understand why this is suddenly worthless to Eagle

3) We are NOT more likely to leave the regional due to our previous airline experience. We are not furloughed by choice, and none of us want to bounce around from job to job reliving first year pay and reserve. We know what that's like from our experience...therefore I'd say we're MORE likely to stay.

4) If Eagle is worried about us jumping ship for a quick upgrade, then I don't see how having prior airline time makes that more likely. New guys are just as likely to dive overboard (again, maybe even MORE likely since furloughed guys are less likely to want to jump to first year pay/reserve for a third (or fourth or fifth) time)

5) The argument that someone with a current flying job is better qualified than someone who's been furloughed 3, 4, or even 12 months is total bull. I refuse to believe that I've continuously lost knowledge and skills that couldn't be jumpstarted in 2-3 sim sessions tops.

eaglefly

I didn't say I agree with it, just that it's a financial decision by them right or wrong. It's got nothing to do with whom SHOULD be hired, just whom IS being hired based on financial logic that may or may not be valid.

FL600

I just wanted to add that they are not "not hiring" furloughees. I am not a furlough from AE, but I am a furlough from a 135 company. I was laid off last year from a place where I had been for almost 2 years. I was hired at AE last week. I am also not a CFI right now.

PikeAV8R

How long ago did you send in your app, and did you do anything else besides the online application?

joethepilot

Word is that 3 furloughees interviewed today: 1 DHL 1 United and 1 Mesaba plus 5 guys that are CFI's at ATP