winglets

By keeping pilots at your company on two separate seniority lists.

Skywest has 136 furloughed pilots that fly planes with ASA painted on them. Skywest should be recalling their pilots in seniority order and paying them accrued longevity instead of making them start all over again on year 1 pay.

There shouldn't be any hiring at Skywest until all the furloughed Skywest pilots are brought back in seniority order and paid accrued longevity.

Whipsaw issues.

Yes, they do. Skywest has been furloughing Skywest pilots that fly airplanes with ASA painted on the side. Now they won't bring them back first, before they hire, and bring back those on leaves, that fly on planes with Skywest painted on them.

PSACFI

Haven't you heard? ASA is apparently the red headed step child of Skywest

reelbigchair

Besides contractual agreements to hire UA furloughs, I believe ASA furloughs (or skywest inc pilots as you like to call them) are being offered preferential hiring over off the street... however seeing as we are no longer hiring this doesn't matter.

Edit:
also the VLA's maintained their benefits so there's significant cost to allowing those to continue. SkyWest will call them back first, as they should, before any UA furlough hires or ASA furlough hires.

winglets

Skywest should be recalling their furloughed pilots first

Bustin

I see what you're saying winglets. You are referring to Skywest Inc. Skywest Inc. is a company that owns two separate airlines. It makes no sense for them to merge the two when one is union, the other is not. ALPA at ASA isn't going anywhere and Skywest votes them down time and time again. It works fine for them to keep them operating separately. They're both profitable and there is no drama between the pilot groups. Skywest Airlines has no obligation to "call back" furloughs from a sister company who's seniority list is entirely separate. They do offer preferential hiring.

As for Skywest mistreating ASA, hasn't happened yet, to my knowledge. ASA has been improved on almost every level since the acquisition from Delta. Not to mention the CEO came straight from Salt Lake and he is generally liked within the system (unheard of!).

Believe me, you wouldn't be hearing any complaints from me if they merged the two companies. I would be bidding out of ATL within the hour! They just have no reason to under the present circumstances and I don't blame them.

winglets

That said, doesn't Expressjet have a Charter division? Those pilots are all under one list. What about Republic? Yes, they bought two new additions, but they are merging those in.

ASA is Skywest and if the two lists vote on ALPA together I'm pretty sure 51% would say yes.

As far as I see it Skywest furloughed its own pilots out of seniority that fly planes with ASA painted on them and offers them to start over on airplanes with Skywest painted on them. All Skywest pilots.

Look at the Pinnacle pilots that fly airplanes with Pinnacle painted on the side. They are getting screwed by management given flying to Pinnacle pilots with Colgan painted on the side and growth out of seniority order. Not to mention the upgrade bidding. Skywest could do the same thing to their pilots that fly with Skywest paint.

Bustin

Keep an eye on Republic. They have a HUGE mess on their hands. It's going to be a nightmare merging those groups. Why do you think Delta wanted to get an agreement between pilot groups BEFORE acquiring Northwest?

Ask US Air and America West pilots what they think of each other. It's downright hostile at times.

Fact is, it's entirely up to Skywest Inc. what they want to do. No one is getting screwed because Skywest Airlines and ASA were two different companies from the start. They may merge someday in a more merge-friendly environment. It just doesn't make any business sense right now. Both companies are in good standing as they sit. It would be a bold decision to shake things up when they're this stable.

rickair7777

I guess the bright spot here is that once you do get on with SKW, they have demonstrated time and again that they will do everything they can to avoid furlough.

Nevets

There is a reason why the don't merge the companies. And its not because they think its better for the pilots.

It is a business decision. There are cost savings to be had if they merged the companies but they fear unions. So they go against good business decisions solely on the basis of their fear that their employees may unionize.

Fact is that pilots, specifically ASA pilots, get screwed because of Skywest decides to run two separate companies. Nothing stops them from asking their pilots to come up with an integrated seniority list just as DAL & NWA asked their pilots to do.

And there is a cost benefit analysis on that as well. Probably has something to do with unions as well.

winglets

By furloughing Skywest pilots flying ASA paint first, to avoid the ones that fly planes in Skywest paint.