Coach67

Thank you USMC - SGT for the very polite Situational Awareness ... I would have classified it as a "Gross Navigational Error" but a "bit of drift" goes down better!

usmc-sgt

You're welcome. Thats why APC pays me the big bucks.

slyguy

I don't post much here. I rather just try to watch and learn. I read a lot of the posts in all the threads. I hope to make it some day to a major, thats why I keep a tight lip. But I must admit, seeing how a few people went after mshunter for posting an opnion on how guys can't/won't fly for a regional because of a pay cut? I don't understand?

gettinbumped

Well, we are supposed to be drifting away from that part of the thread, but the basic problem is that mshunter's understanding of the major airline pilot's position is way off the mark. If she had posed a question, as you have, there would probably not have been the snarky replies. Instead she chose to tell us (inaccurately) how we feel.

Since we are going back on topic here, if you would care for a further explanation feel free to PM me, and I'll explain

T333

Just couldn't resist this......

I just flew into ORD and saw a bunch of RJs parked there too. At our gates!!!!!

LandGreen2

SWA FA's flying their tails off and maximizing workrules can make upwards of $100K

Coto Pilot

There are a lot of pilots furloughed from major airlines that have been flying for a long time. I have been with 5 airlines over 23 years and have 6 type ratings and over 12,000 hours. There are plenty with more experience than me. A lot of us are not willing to sell short what we have accomplished and are not willing to move backwards in our career progression. Going to the right seat of a commuter was something I did for a long time a long time ago. I miss the hell out of flying and look forward to the day I am paid to do it again, but I am not going to participate in the race to the bottom when I can get paid well to do something else.

slyguy

Thats why I don't understand. I thought you guys were saying the same basic thing. I don't fully understand contract negoations, but don't you vote on things like scope and pay? I am not also sure I fully understand exactly what "scope" means.

kc135driver

No, they are very different things. Not to pick on mshunter any more or get this thread back off track, but there is a lot of ignorance out there. In a nutshell, it is not as simple as the senior rich greedy taking all for themselves at the expense of the junior. Nearly every contract which we voted (and remember, if you are already furloughed you get no vote) was concessionary, with nothing good about them.

I started making 16K a year in the 90s then went to UAL in 99 and have been furloughed twice. I cannot and will not stomach going back to those wages and work rules. The difference is I have a family and a mortgage now. We live in a rural, cheap area of the country in a very (less than 120K house), but I still cannot afford to go back to the commuters plain and simple. Luckily I have the military to fall back on, but many of my fallen brethren do not. While I do not begrudge anybody who currently works at the regionals, I have a real problem with the fact that I am laid off while some Embraer captain at Republic or wherever thinks they have landed a career because they now get to fly a left seat of an 70+ seater. Its not personal, unless you are on the end where, yes, ALPA failed, and the only hope now is to reverse the losses in scope. I will not shed a tear when/if they lay off at Republic or anywhere else when the lay offs come. I mean nobody any harm but when you have collected unemployment for awhile, and then offered to essentially do your old job for 1/4 the cost, it is insulting. Those who can't understand that are woefully confused.

Anyway, thanks for asking questions and being willing to learn here. Anybody can have an opinion and shoot it of in the wrong place. Everybody, including myself, can learn something new at any time.

Peace-

KC

Coto Pilot

Scope is what is covered by the contract including what flying has to be done by pilots covered under the contract and what flying can be done by pilots at another airline. At United, this includes flying that is done by United Express in jets and turbo props up to seventy seats, as well as flying that is done by other alliance partners like Lufthansa, US Air and others. The company was very successful in reducing this coverage during bankruptcy and the pilots now want it returned to where it had been prior to that. The MEC chairman at United signed a letter of agreement with the company without the consent of the pilots that allowed an almost unlimited number of regional jets to replace United flying. This along with other ALPA endorsed things like increaing the FAA mandated retirement age from 60 to 65 has cost many of us our jobs. At Continental the scope language prohibits the company from flying any jets larger than 50 seats. The pilots from United and Continental are now negotiating a single contract that will cover both groups after the integration is complete. The pilots are pushing to get 70 seat flying back and the company wants Express to be able to fly 90 seaters.