JB22

This is what probably happens when you mix vodka in with koolaid to numb the pain of working here.

Leroy Smith

About the only thing to seriously complain about at ASA (and since we are still two separate contracts, I cant comment on the other side) are the shenanigans that SKW, Inc continues to perpetrate. Lack of movement / shrinkage is the only true problem. Juniority sucks at the regional level. And ALL of our stagnation problems are directly or indirectly attributable to SGU. We have done some things to make being a FO and/or on reserve a little better, but the fact is that SKW, Inc has been cornholing us since 2005. If you truly think otherwise: break the seal on your sphincter, remove your head and try to see what is going on without the koolaid goggles.

Nevets

This is what I said earlier. On the ERJ side, there are no complaints about our contract, except when inc tries to convince us into concessions. The only complaint is about inc itself.

TonyC

CBA ...

Collective Bargaining Agent

or

Company-sponsored Begging Agent?




The pilots have chosen.






.

Squallrider

What I see is going on is the company I work for is thriving, our fleet is growing and Im enjoying a very high quality of life...sorry that Im not sorry about being happy at the company I work for...oh and this is all happening without a union *gasp*, the union thats constantly complained about on every thread that has one. Ill gladly join a union when I get to mainline where theres at least some semblance of teeth. And why pray tell is Inc corn holing you exactly? Im sure they love seeing a investment go to crap out of what ? spite? Amazing how they can have one company thriving and one under the same management not.

disillusioned

No offense intended Squall, but how many block hours were you awarded over the past couple months? I believe you have mentioned in the past that you are involved with training, so maybe that is helping improve your QOL? For the rest of us that don't want to work 95 hours per month, would like the ability to swap or drop some trips or maybe even transition into the 175 but are being bypassed, the QOL isn't so good.

And I am not calling you out specifically, but the mindset that we are gaining flying while ASA/XJT is not BECAUSE we are non-union is exactly what management wants everyone to think. The reason we are getting the flying is because we don't have the protections to stop them from loading our schedule to the max. They can force all this flying on us and make us fly it at straight time.

It's true the unions at mainline have more teeth, because we have had several regional airlines that have tried to hold the line and are undercut by someone willing to do it cheaper. But we shouldn't think we are going to break the company by making them financial liable when they don't plan accordingly. You want to run with 0 reserves? Okay be willing to pay 200% to cover the extra flying. Do you think they would finally consider some of the QOL items like proffering if it was costing them more to cover for the lack of reserves? Right now we have people tripping over themselves to fly it for 15% extra.

Until we are willing to come together as a group and make small sacrifices for everyone involved, it won't matter if we are union or not. Our leadership for the pilot group is non-existent. And I don't think it is fair to blame XJT pilots for losing money, when the contract they are flying was whipsawed by SGU themselves before they purchased XJT. SGU doesn't like the fact they have to play by the rules with our sister company, so they will continue to let the contracts expire and place the flying where it is cheaper. Management doesn't like to see their investment go to hell, but the ASA/XJT pilot group is not the only reason they are losing money. What if XJT hadn't matched the low rates that SW bid for the flying, and now we were losing money on those contracts? We don't have a union but we were flying horrible contracts that SGU signed. Would that be the pilot groups fault?

I'll send my bonus check back if it means that seniority would finally be honored here.

MrStl

Everyone I know at Skywest is pretty happy. The company has the best work rules for pay and pays near the upper level. Bonus is you don't pay 2% to the union. Company gets a little more flexibility as long as they are smart enough to keep most pilots happy. I get a kick out of unhappy people at other airlines saying how they would be happier if the Skywest pilots were just smart enough not to be happy.

I will never forget listening to a 26 year old upgrading to Captain on the 737 making 128 per hour *****ing about how much more he would be making if he were at Delta as a 737 captain.

Turbosina

Let me guess. You bid top 10% in base, or you're in the training department, or you're a CP or ACP. The only captains I've flown with in the past 18 months, who weren't desperate to GTFO of this place already, fell into the above categories.

Nevets

Sure, go ahead and ride the coat tails until you have no choice but to join a union when you get to mainline. Here is a newsflash for you, humanity is not "happy" unless it's striving for something better. That's what's created the technological, medical, etc progress in human history. It's not the bad thing you make it out to be. Sure, human depravity also manifests itself in individuals in a way that can be destructive. But that is the exception. We need people who are not satisfied with the status quo. Otherwise we wouldn't have aircraft.

As for inc, they negotiated a very bad CPAs with cal. That's the only thing that's changed, financially. Every single employee group is still working under a contract that was ratified a decade ago or more. In other words, the costs haven't gone up. The revenue went down and absolutely no front line employee is responsible for that! Also, the fact that management would rather it's own employees compete against themselves instead of everyone working on the same team, is deplorable, immoral, and disgusting. But I'll leave that for another conversation.

Nevets

Not even close to the best work rules. Your pay rates are good but total compensation is blurred by the vast productive you are forced into. I'll be happy to point out comparisons for you on work rules if you like in order to illustrate it for you. The company sure is smart...to play you just enough to keep a union off the property. Anyway, union dues would be whatever you decided it would be with an independent union. And union dues are tax deductible. ALPA dues are 1.9% but if you are in the 25% tax bracket, it'll be 1.425%. It's like insurance, nobody really enjoys paying it but you sure are happy you did when you need it.