Any Pilots from March 3 Cancelled Class
03-02-2020, 09:03 AM
#51
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2008
Position: 787 Captain
Posts: 1,512
Disagree.
It's not 1994 anymore, it's 2020.
IF these pilots were told on Friday (as I'm hearing from a few people) that the class was still on, then this was a poor move by SOMEONE in management.
When Sean Archuleta was killed (Atlas 3591 crash in Houston) last year, someone in the company 'understood' the meaning of compassion AND how it would look to the outside world.. to do the right thing.
Putting his name up in the class, sending his wife Wings.
It's the little things.
If the coronavirus continues to trend bad, I get canceling classes. But to cancel a new hire class a few days out is just a dick move. There's no other way to say it.
We live in a very different world these days than 1994, or 2001. Social media is a player now more than ever.
Will this cancellation of a new hire class of 23 affect the bottom line or cause a massive social outcry? Of course not.
But it's just another seed that will now be planted in every United Pilot who learns about it.
It will also be interesting to see when (if) Delta and American cancel their new hire classes.. and how far out.
How about all the Regional carriers?!
This was a mistake by someone in Management. No way of denying that.
FS, FP & FtC
Motch
It's not 1994 anymore, it's 2020.
IF these pilots were told on Friday (as I'm hearing from a few people) that the class was still on, then this was a poor move by SOMEONE in management.
When Sean Archuleta was killed (Atlas 3591 crash in Houston) last year, someone in the company 'understood' the meaning of compassion AND how it would look to the outside world.. to do the right thing.
Putting his name up in the class, sending his wife Wings.
It's the little things.
If the coronavirus continues to trend bad, I get canceling classes. But to cancel a new hire class a few days out is just a dick move. There's no other way to say it.
We live in a very different world these days than 1994, or 2001. Social media is a player now more than ever.
Will this cancellation of a new hire class of 23 affect the bottom line or cause a massive social outcry? Of course not.
But it's just another seed that will now be planted in every United Pilot who learns about it.
It will also be interesting to see when (if) Delta and American cancel their new hire classes.. and how far out.
How about all the Regional carriers?!
This was a mistake by someone in Management. No way of denying that.
FS, FP & FtC
Motch
03-02-2020, 09:16 AM
#52
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2019
Position: B737 CA
Posts: 114
A lot of guys on here have never worked any other jobs (management or white color administrative) other then being a pilot. The company is trying to forecast if this is a short term hit or longer term. In the meanwhile every department has pressure to reduce cost to make up for lost revenue. Flight Ops is awarding 50hr months and cancelled a class of new hires to reduce its department cost going forward. This is preferable to continuing as is and furloughing 100 guys 3 months down the road. You have to consider it’s not just 20 pilots, it’s also not hiring 100 more agents, 50 more FA, 50 more rampers etc etc across the entire company by each department. Does it suck for those guys, Hell yes, but businesses are run for the best interest of their existing employees and shareholders. This too will pass.....What keeps me up at night is the Socialist candidates that want to end fossil fuels, shut down oil companies, dramatically raise taxes, and take my health insurance.
03-02-2020, 09:21 AM
#53
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: May 2007
Position: A320 Captain
Posts: 1,982
A lot of guys on here have never worked any other jobs (management or white color administrative) other then being a pilot. The company is trying to forecast if this is a short term hit or longer term. In the meanwhile every department has pressure to reduce cost to make up for lost revenue. Flight Ops is awarding 50hr months and cancelled a class of new hires to reduce its department cost going forward. This is preferable to continuing as is and furloughing 100 guys 3 months down the road. You have to consider it’s not just 20 pilots, it’s also not hiring 100 more agents, 50 more FA, 50 more rampers etc etc across the entire company by each department. Does it suck for those guys, Hell yes, but businesses are run for the best interest of their existing employees and shareholders. This too will pass.....What keeps me up at night is the Socialist candidates that want to end fossil fuels, shut down oil companies, dramatically raise taxes, and take my health insurance.
03-02-2020, 09:40 AM
#55
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2017
Posts: 2,141
A lot of guys on here have never worked any other jobs (management or white color administrative) other then being a pilot. The company is trying to forecast if this is a short term hit or longer term. In the meanwhile every department has pressure to reduce cost to make up for lost revenue. Flight Ops is awarding 50hr months and cancelled a class of new hires to reduce its department cost going forward. This is preferable to continuing as is and furloughing 100 guys 3 months down the road. You have to consider it’s not just 20 pilots, it’s also not hiring 100 more agents, 50 more FA, 50 more rampers etc etc across the entire company by each department. Does it suck for those guys, Hell yes, but businesses are run for the best interest of their existing employees and shareholders. This too will pass.....What keeps me up at night is the Socialist candidates that want to end fossil fuels, shut down oil companies, dramatically raise taxes, and take my health insurance.
It will be interesting to see at the next quarterly SEC filing and earnings call how many millions were used to buy back stock now that it’s at a low point. I’m sure some white collar management types are crunching those numbers as we speak.
03-02-2020, 10:09 AM
#57
Banned
Joined APC: Feb 2011
Position: 756 Left Side
Posts: 1,629
A lot of guys on here have never worked any other jobs (management or white color administrative) other then being a pilot. The company is trying to forecast if this is a short term hit or longer term. In the meanwhile every department has pressure to reduce cost to make up for lost revenue. Flight Ops is awarding 50hr months and cancelled a class of new hires to reduce its department cost going forward. This is preferable to continuing as is and furloughing 100 guys 3 months down the road. You have to consider it’s not just 20 pilots, it’s also not hiring 100 more agents, 50 more FA, 50 more rampers etc etc across the entire company by each department. Does it suck for those guys, Hell yes, but businesses are run for the best interest of their existing employees and shareholders. This too will pass.....What keeps me up at night is the Socialist candidates that want to end fossil fuels, shut down oil companies, dramatically raise taxes, and take my health insurance.
I'm not upset that we canceled a new hire class.
I'm disappointed that we told the new hires one thing and then a few days later, the opposite.
Over what?
A public fear that Corona is going to wipe us out?!
If the company is so afraid, then make an announcement that they are parking ALL the aircraft till this thing is over. Which of course they won't do cause the reality is.. just like Influenza and the common cold, this this will probably always be around now.
But not to drift off the thread topic-
Should I be quarantined? (wise ass remarks coming in .. 3, 2, 1)
In the last month, I have flown to areas where people have been sick. (unknown if they had the C19).
I have eaten Chinese and Italian food.
I have been close to people on aircraft that were ill.
It all comes down to where you and I draw the line.
In the case of Management.. someone drew a line on day X and told the new hires that the next class (that they were part of, in a few days/a week) was still on. Then a few days later, someone changed their minds.
As someone else mentioned, has United stopped ALL hiring? or was it just this one pilot class.
Mind you, hiring a ramper is a bit different that hiring a pilot.. with regards to their backgrounds.
And we were NEVER talking about furloughing 100 guys 3 months down the road..
We could have been talking about furloughing 23 guys in a few months IF it came down to that.
Worse case would have been delaying the 23 guys (and gals) training after Indoc. Or they just sat reserve and never flew..
23 pilots on first yr pay at 73 hrs is a pimple with regards to $$.. compared to the ill will the company is planting.
Cancelling the NEXT class would have allowed those pilots to stay at their current employers.
Was this a bad call by one individual?
Would be nice to see our Union come out with a statement about this
Just my opinion
FS, FP & FtC
Motch
PS) Seems we're still taking airplanes to/from HKG for maintenance.. so guess the sky isn't falling yet?!
PPS) See a 'familiar' name on one of the pairings.. LOL
03-02-2020, 10:20 AM
#58
You look like a nail
Joined APC: May 2012
Posts: 451
I can’t believe United management hasn’t done anything to fill the empty terminals around the system, overrule international travel bans, and quell the fears of a global pandemic. How dare they take preemptive measures to stem the red ink, the nerve! Where’s MY entitlement!? 
I think the phrase “We’re hemorrhaging cash” has been removed the the UAL PR playbook, but anyone remember what happened the last time it was used? There hasn’t been a sudden disruption in the business of this magnitude since Goodwin uttered that phrase to Wall Street. Whatever you believe about the corona virus, it has a marked and measurable impact on the operation. To see a management that can take quick decisive action is refreshing, even if inconvenient.
If this is your first downturn, you’re not gonna like it. Managment has no other choice as they’ve elected to bolster shares through stock buybacks at the expense of cash reserve. If you read the SEC filings you know that UAL doesn’t have the cash war chest to play this game for too long without drastic action.
If quarantines and empty airports last more than a few months, what you’ve seen over the last few weeks will be in hindsight the least drastic steps made by management.
I think the phrase “We’re hemorrhaging cash” has been removed the the UAL PR playbook, but anyone remember what happened the last time it was used? There hasn’t been a sudden disruption in the business of this magnitude since Goodwin uttered that phrase to Wall Street. Whatever you believe about the corona virus, it has a marked and measurable impact on the operation. To see a management that can take quick decisive action is refreshing, even if inconvenient.
If this is your first downturn, you’re not gonna like it. Managment has no other choice as they’ve elected to bolster shares through stock buybacks at the expense of cash reserve. If you read the SEC filings you know that UAL doesn’t have the cash war chest to play this game for too long without drastic action.
If quarantines and empty airports last more than a few months, what you’ve seen over the last few weeks will be in hindsight the least drastic steps made by management.
03-02-2020, 10:34 AM
#59
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,159
Not really. I am pretty familiar with China's NBC capabilities. I am also familiar with their lack of care in the lab. You know what you know, and you don't know what you don't know. I guess you can call it pathetic if you haven't been inbriefed.
03-02-2020, 10:39 AM
#60
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,159
The company doesn't offer any union positions......The company offers pilot positions. The company is your employer, and the union is your union. The company pays you and it's the unions job to make sure you get paid.
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