JustAMushroom

[QUOTE=CaptainNameless;853116]I just don't understand the mentality of SKW pilots as far as wanting to remain non-union. Is it really that great?[QUOTE]

If you have to ask... then you will never understand.

But I will try to enlighten you. Non union folks tend to have wages at or near their union peers,( due in large part to the battles their union peers have fought in everyones behalf.)

Non union companies are able change rules, pay, benifits, as well as employment numbers very quickly. The employees tend to accept this risk because they TRUST their managment to have the entire companies interest in mind. They also believe management will be able to grow the company quickly and in the short run the employees will advance quickly and all will be better off.

It is difficult to get a union on property when the company is growing, people feel advacment is within reach (as long as they don't "rock the boat"). If managment every breaks this TRUST or the good times come to a stop ( in '07 they stopped at SW) union representation becomes more likely.

The 2% is only a small factor in a workers decision to join or not. The real question is... Is it better to stick with the devil you know (mgmnt) or the one you don't (ALPA)

My guess is ALPA would fail at SKYW but an inhouse union would have more then 50% support. No one at SKYW wants to get in bed with the folks who have run XJET and ASA so brilliantly into the ground.

TheBills

Why wont anybody talk about the health care changes at Skywest? The fact is that Skywest got a lucrative long term contract signed with United and Delta. It was all timing. Point is, management will come for, or already has (Skywest Helath Care), come for concessions, and you will have nothing in writing to protect you.

TonyWilliams

Well, maybe close enough for government work? I was about 570 from the bottom of the list in August 2008, which was 2 months after the last new hire at SkW.

The ALPA drive was in full swing when I was hired in Feb 2007.

C5Pilot

My only question is why would sky west pilots not want XJT work rules and ASA heath care guarantee, their "employee benefits" suck, Mesa has better heath care, always amazes me how cats won't hurd, sky west pilots are paid less when combined with the worse work rules than either XJT and ASA. Don't join ALPA and pay us 1.4% not to vote, stups!!!!!!

TheBills

You dont drink tequila and fly the C5 do you?

Dash8Pilot

I can't believe that I'm actually agreeing with Slaphappy on something, but I am. I'm a junior RJ FO out west, and just spent the last four days bouncing around LAX and SFO. The vast majority of pilots I spoke with about the merger had the same sentiment: "Thank God we're not involved in that".

Pilots out west are afraid of senior XJet and ASA pilots bumping them out of their domiciles or knocking them down the list in domicile. While there will be some from SKW that will want to set up shop in IAH or ATL (both former domiciles), the majority just want to keep the status quo.

Secondly, the FOs are mostly against any sort of merging of lists for seniority progression. Right now there's a strong feeling that hiring and upgrades will begin no later than next spring. The FOs that have stagnated for the last two and a half years have been waiting for a chance to have better schedules and possibly upgrade. They don't want to see their progression cut by 2/3 because the XJet and ASA pilots are upgrading into SKW aircraft.

Simply put, most at SkyWest want nothing to do with a merged seniority list. As for the union talk, right now I think a vote would be a crapshoot. If a single seniority list is forced on the pilot group, I think they turn strongly anti-union just to spite the Xjet pilots.

BHopper88

Ask some of the bro fo's about the almost 3 year stagnation. For me personally I would welcome a single list, union rep (would hope our sapa reps would be alpa reps if we ever did go alpa), and a contract. Yes there are some that are afraid of merger, but for most I have flown with would welcome the chance for a fully integrated and unified pilot group. Right now Inc has the 4th largest passenger pilot group in the us, with about 65% of the united flying under a ua/co merger.

Slaphappy

I can mirror what Dash8Pilot has said, I've also been speaking with f/o's around our system and yes even bro f/o's and they all agree that merging would be very bad. What is even more interesting is that some were on the fence or pro alpa and they have since taken a step back in the past week. They worry about losing seniority in any merger and they know that a 5 year upgrade will turn into a 15 year upgrade if the xjet/asa pilots get their way in poaching our seniority list. If anything this "merger" has turned people against alpa. The xjetters, (who btw should be thanking asa/skywest for basically bailing them out) are making it worse with their screams for "one list at any cost". The whole “skywest will be used to whipsaw asa/xjt” argument is false. History has shown since skywest has owned ASA there has been no whipsaw what so ever. If there had been one then ASA would not have gotten UAL flying, 10 900s, 4 700s from horizon and 13 700s from comair. Skywest airlines has only gotten 18 700s as replacements for bros and 15 200s for the failed Midwest contract. Also when the deal to buy xjt was announced it was also stated that there would be growth of 15 aicraft for cal for xjt/asa. So tell me where is the whipsaw?

Those talking points are right out of the ALPA handbook. They have all the buzzwords that they train their organizers to keep using. Words like "unity" "unified pilot group" "representation". They are a fantasy words that look good on paper but in the real world they are nothing more than fluff used to lure the easily persuaded into voting for an organization that institutes a TAX on everyones pay. The only unity that exist in airline unions are the top 25% that throw everyone junior to them under the bus. They don't care if an airline is stagnant as long as they are compensated the most. What do you think is more important to an F/o on year 3 of reserve? Being at an airline with competitive costs and able to acquire more growth or having an aero medical hotline incase he gets a heart-attack at the age of 25?

CaptainNameless

How do you "poach" a seniority list if everyone keeps their relative seniority regardless of hire date? If a single list was agreed to based on maintaining relative seniority, how does upgrade become more difficult at all? Please explain this to me because I want to understand.

Are SkyWest pilots afraid that because you operate the E120, that those crews will be cast down the integrated list because they are "lowly" turboprop pilots and should expect to have a lesser position in the merged list due to that factor? I think you would be wrong. We are all the same class of pilot working for the same type of airlines with essentially the same career expectations.

What is the difference between being pilot number 1400 of 2800 at SKW or
number 3500 of 7000 at SKW+ASA+XJT? Seriously, I don't understand. Please educate me on how having the same percentage of pilots above and below you on a larger list will harm your career progression? If anything, you will end up with a slightly MORE JUNIOR (longevity) top end due to XJT and possibly greater movement out from the list above you when majors start doing a lot of hiring and those guys have a tendency to leave more eagerly than the senior guys above you today at SKW now who aren't going anywhere. Did you ever consider that angle?

What I am saying is it will not be a date of hire integration, if that's the big fear.

hemaybedid

I'm confused what happened to my last post on this thread which was quoted in part above?