LeeFXDWG

As a former UAL guy, I will go on record as saying that there is nothing more important than scope. Any other issue is fleeting if you don't have the scope to keep it. That is a fact that hasn't been recognized to this point at UAL...at least by anyone in the MEC to this point that has presented something for a vote.

Yeah, "we had a gun to our head," folks love to say that.....my answer is you pulled the trigger.

Scope is the defining career answer. Without it you have no security and no upward progression. Been on that soap box for close to 10 years. Perhaps one day someone will realize that it makes any other CBA gain pale in comparison. And, that some ridiculous pay raise or other gain fleeting without it.

Frats,
Lee

pipe

So........... if Unical buys Trans States, DOH makes perfect sense to you? Your premise is only palatable in a scenario where every ALPA carrier has the same initial hiring standards.

PIPE

FurloughedX2

Here's my two cents.....I am a UAL '99 hire on furlough #2. 9/11 and the tremendous repercussions on my company and the industry led to furlough #1 in a horrible job market. Took a crappy corporate gig to survive. Went back to United figuring I did my time and checked that horrible box off in my career. If you have never been furloughed from your dream job in a tough job market, you just don't understand... Recession, SARS, $147 a barrel oil, can't catch a friggin' break. However, I feel the 2nd furlough was simply posturing the company for the merger. Parking UAL's entire 737 fleet was, IMHO, nothing more than shaping the company for the merger. All a backdoor deal between Tilton and Co. Furlough #2, job market is even worse.....I become stay home dad and am now completely unmarketable. (Well , maybe I could fly traffic watch in a 152.) It is human nature to want the best for YOURSELF and FAMILY! (My kids freak out if one of them gets more goldfish crackers than the others.) I am cool with us all being emotional about this whole situation, but, seriously, even if you adjust my DOH for all my "vacation" time, I am still a 2005-ish seniority, and would hope to be ahead of CAL 2008 hires, no? The CAL 2008 guys will say, FU , your lucky to get your job back douchebag, and, I certainly can appreciate that. There is no easy answer to this whole mess, and , I refuse to get my panties all up in a bunch over stuff I can't control and that hasn't even happened yet.....All I can hope for is that I can somehow get back to the job I love, with a decent contract and pay scale so that I can provide for my family. The projected retirements at CAL/UAL make it seem like we can all hope to salvage whats left of our careers barring any unforseen terrorist/world events. If that can happen, I won't be a bitter SOB about how and where I ended up in the SLI. (maybe a little...occasionally) But seriously, I hope more importantly for decent work rules and pay for a change, and yes, a worthy scope clause. Whatever happens, we will all be on the same team, and I would hope that there isn't any of the dysfunctional BS that is going on at US Air. It's not like we are deliberately doing this to each other, we are all just Smilton's Beotches. I have good friends at both companies and I say, let's just pray for a nice long upturn in this god awful industry for a change! Kumbaya Baby!!!!

T333

FX2....great post. I too am on furlough #2 and think that is one of the best posts I have read about integrating UniCal.

-T

kc135driver

Completely agree with your sentiment. A good JCBA can cure a lot of ills. What I'm most concerned about is furlough #3. Some of us will go back and being positioned behind all CAL minus the 147 they furloughed puts us in jeopardy. Better solution is to integrate all numbers by ratio (active and inactive) with the stipulation that no active CAL pilot can be furloughed just so a now senior UAL pilot can come back.

Twice furloughed should be the max any ALPA pilot should ever have to endure. Anything more should be viewed as an abysmal failure of our profession.

KC

teedog

As far as trans state goes they have no right to be put on the list. They are flying United routes and passenger not trans states. befor they would even be considered to fly a United aircraft 1437 furloughed pilots would have to be brought back.

Then they might think about the staple gun

EWRflyr

As a CAL guy, I am offended by that characterization. I loathe our contract and the FAR-like work rules that are in place. I don't like them one bit. Summer time flying where my lines are built to 97-hours with training which also reduces my days off because training is equivalent to being on vacation in management's view. Yeah, I prefer my higher guarantee than the low values you have in your contract. At least at ours, I can just scrape by financially, but that is not saying much for the rest of the contract and the lack of work rules.

I will second what a couple said above. I have not flown with one pilot who is happy with our contract. No one likes it and I don't see a lot of guys picking up open-time to work more hours. It's almost impossible with the line values we have, the minimum days off and the schedules we fly. Only a certain greedy segment here enjoys those pick-up perks.

oldmako

Sickening.

757Driver

Amazingly level headed post despite all the BS you've been through. Hope to see you back soon.

Mythbuster

What makes you think you would be put ahead of ANYONE already on the property after the SOC and the the JCBA are in place?