kangs

What’s new on the rumor mill… anyone think the MEC will cut a deal for something before the term is up?

beech1980

Not sure what we have to offer. The company is the one short on captains. They need to improve QOL and pay for reserve to gain the captains they need to staff the 15 planes they have coming. They know what would do it. They have the experience and knowledge.

kangs

Should’ve clarified… I meant that they’ll cut a deal with the company to do things like improve reserve QOL in order to try and get re-elected. Cause from what I hear a large portion of the pilot group will not be voting for the current MEC

Noisy1

Company would cut a deal? They want to pay more and give reserves more days off so they can keep the union guys that are beating them up with lawyers? Promising QOL and reserve adds that never come has pit the reserves against the senior crusties who protect their open time. That is a free ride.

section19

This guy gets it. Way too many people at this airline playing into managements hands.

R0GER BALL

That's the crux isn't it. Deciding which side the bread is buttered on.

The fact is, however, half this pilot group has been here less then three years. Think about that. A majority of pilots only know a Sunny with Amazon- much less what life was like before the latest contract. And this silent majority of pilots is looking for results and casting their first ever Sunny (and probably first ever union vote) ballot with that in mind. Company is selling ideas. MEC is selling doom and gloom.

IMHO the company is waiting for the election to re-engage. Those Amazon A330s are dangling like a carrot on a stick and I believe communication with the current MEC is just too broken to carve a path forward. I'm casting no blame. Just observing from the trenches.

reeeeeeegional

The most tempting part of being in a union is the temptation to believe the other side in the hopes of a fast resolution.

Both parties have positions. It is best to learn the in-depth details of both positions before forming an opinion.

Staying the course requires resolve and determination. Expecting or panicking into fast agreements is a good way to be on the losing end of a deal.


For those who are new to the world of being in a union carrier, you should reach out to experienced pilots that you may know at a legacy ALPA carrier and ask them their take. You may find that they have been here before. The belief that wonderful things are right over the horizon if only the pilots would knuckle under are misplaced. This profession and the labor contracts that support it require a disciplined approach, and this often takes time and patience.

The best thing you can do is talk to pilots who have been through multiple contract cycles, furloughs, displacements, and concessionary contracts. It may be hard to accept that these old guys have real intel to share. All of this is more difficult than it may seem.

iLikeMoose

Any talk from the company or ALPA about the Hawaiian Amazon 330's yet?

PineappleXpres

HAL is getting more delivered and Amazon has the option to force more upon us (at HAL) unless Alaska wants out and pays whatever break up fee.

kangs

I highly doubt a situation where AS wants to continue that contract. Dunno that the stars will align with sunny receiving them, but we have already negotiated pay rates in the last contract so I think compared to any of the ACMI carriers, we’d be able to get it going the quickest (relatively)