2015 Pilot Discussion.

[Claxon]

924PS was also a big fan of Munn's badly misnamed "Pilots For Fairness" group. At its peak, there were about 3 members, one of which was Munn.

924PS would have gotten a nice pay raise out of it and an end to his coast to coast commute. Munn would have gotten the raise and a loyal voting bloc in Phoenix for his imaginary future as a union officer. Our F/Os would have gotten a permanent lockout from Group II left seats and Group IV right seats as newbies with up to 17 years less service were stapled in front of them forever.

They mocked Stephen Bradford's noble quest as a "fool's errand." The brilliant Lee Seham set forth a plan that ultimately had them eating their words.

Guys like Ray would have completely locked out east pilots.
Munn was ready to cave to Leonidas. He and 700UW turned out to be totally wrong.
Bradford is a complete genius, and led the way. Big brass ones for sure.

 

[Deleted member 14439]

https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/...-airlines-ground-workers-plan-protest-of.html

 

[dariencc]

Support from the APA is much appreciated!

Back in the ALPA days, we had a national organization led by corporate wannabees that were angling for their post-retirement lobbying gigs. The APA leadership seems to understand that we are a labor union and need to stand together. It's about time.

 

[dariencc]

Guys like Ray would have completely locked out east pilots.
Munn was ready to cave to Leonidas. He and 700UW turned out to be totally wrong.
Bradford is a complete genius, and led the way. Big brass ones for sure.

Ray thought Chip and his "Pilots For Fairness" group were going to hijack the USAPA Board of Pilot Representatives and deliver a big win for the West. Our Eastie F/Os would have been permanently fu**ed but Chip would have been a hero to the PHX voting bloc.

It never happened and that no doubt led to Ray's burning resentment. Ray says he has "moved on" but we can all see the evidence to the contrary. He was probably channeling that psychotic rage as he imagined that the Eastie pilots had locked him into the A330 bunk room. A pilot in a normal state of mind would simply have used the interphone to call the cockpit. Instead, Ray went berzerk and ended up damaging the lower lock bolt, requiring maintenance attention at the next station.

Ray's anger level is obviously not helping his receding hairline situation. He probably thought that after joining Chip in the new pro-Nic USAPA leadership, he would be co-starring in the NuHart Clinic's next 30 minute hair replacement infomercial.

Neither one panned out. Talk about life being a sh** sandwich.

 

[EastUS1]

100% Support our mechanics. Another absolutely necessary part of the airline. I have many mechanic friends, and they have invested considerable time and energy in procuring their skills. They need to be compensated commensurate to this high standard.

100% Agreed here. How many times have we all discussed mechanical issues with them and ever afterwards felt we were "lied to" in any way, for company (or even personal) convenience/whatever? For myself that would be ZERO times. How many times have we all, with fully proper trust accepted their signing off on work done/parts replaced and cheerfully taken off sans any serious doubt? How many times have we conversationally pressed a mechanic to explain just WhyTF this MEL/whatever should be carried, versus fixed "right-here-right-now" and NOT gotten an honest explanation in return?...."Well, I agree this is BS but the company's decided"/etc? In 40 years now military and airline flying, I've NEVER experienced any mechanic-sometimes-essentially-magician causing me any intended grief aloft. Those folks fully deserve appropriate compensation and respect not only for their skills and efforts, but for what I've always observed to be a degree of moral compass we all depend on whenever accepting any aircraft for flight...I've never seen any mechanic "hand me" a plane they themselves had any real doubts about per safety of flight. I can't put any price on that much properly established Trust myself, but I'd like to see it somehow reflected in their compensation.

P.S. I mean seriously folks, we have people in "management" that I wouldn't personally trust to even walk my dogs (much less babysit grandchildren, unless VERY closely monitored by actual adults) who pocket mega-millions for themselves, so those that actually make the planes fly, that I/we can honestly Trust with both our and our passengers very lives, and make "management's" mega-millions even possible just "maybe" should get at least a few more crumbs off the cookie....Just imagine the below buffoons trying to even so much as collectively change a tire for proper laughs and perspective:

 

[Black Swan]

Yes, the Mechs. need back up for sure.
All of us together, or we all get picked off one by one.
Looking at the need for trained mechanics, they are in the drivers seat.
Good luck to them, support them all the way.

 

[Black Swan]

100% Agreed here. How many times have we all discussed mechanical issues with them and ever afterwards felt we were "lied to" in any way, for company (or even personal) convenience/whatever? For myself that would be ZERO times. How many times have we all, with fully proper trust accepted their signing off on work done/parts replaced and cheerfully taken off sans any serious doubt? How many times have we conversationally pressed a mechanic to explain just WhyTF this MEL/whatever should be carried, versus fixed "right-here-right-now" and NOT gotten an honest explanation in return?...."Well, I agree this is BS but the company's decided"/etc? In 40 years now military and airline flying, I've NEVER experienced any mechanic-sometimes-essentially-magician causing me any intended grief aloft. Those folks fully deserve appropriate compensation and respect not only for their skills and efforts, but for what I've always observed to be a degree of moral compass we all depend on whenever accepting any aircraft for flight...I've never seen any mechanic "hand me" a plane they themselves had any real doubts about per safety of flight. I can't put any price on that much properly established Trust myself, but I'd like to see it somehow reflected in their compensation.

P.S. I mean seriously folks, we have people in "management" that I wouldn't personally trust to even walk my dogs (much less babysit grandchildren, unless VERY closely monitored by actual adults) who pocket mega-millions for themselves, so those that actually make the planes fly, that I/we can honestly Trust with both our and our passengers very lives, and make "management's" mega-millions even possible just "maybe" should get at least a few more crumbs off the cookie....Just imagine the below buffoons trying to even so much as collectively change a tire for proper laughs and perspective:

That video is very telling. Play cool, pocket extreme cash, fight labor.
What a joke.

 

[Deleted member 14439]

Gentlemen, THANK YOU! A sincere thank you to the APA for your support at todays picket! Approximately 1600 union members for the morning session and i`m guessing about half that in the afternoon heat. Thank you, Semper Fi - Hog

 

[conehead777]

Thanks for your support for us amts

 

[Deleted member 14439]

 

[EastUS1]

View attachment 11914

Never forget that without you guys not even a single aircraft could so much as turn a wheel to move. Best wishes in negotiations and stay strong in your position. I'm sad to say that our "almighty pilots" group virtually surrendered at almost every level during the last round. Don't do anything even close to the same in a time of previously unimaginable industry profits.

 

[swamt]

I know this is old news but wanted to ask about the possible closure of St Louis. Flights are from 417 down to 42. I have been hearing of some expansions by Southwest at St Louis this year and next year. I know how big St Louis was for TWA, and ever since AA took over TWA is seems that they have just been dismantling St Louis. Also heard of some other airlines expanding St louis this year and next. Could St Louis be on the chopping block as far as a Pilot's base is concerned? I think it could very well be even if the company in this article below says that "there are no plans to do so". Then turns around and makes the comment; "but if we were to close the Pilot base, we would still have flights there." I hate to say but I see St Louis being closed down as a Pilot base some time in the near future. Just 42 flights remain and could be less by next year. Just how many flights will AA hold on to a Pilot's base with such a minimum of Pilots stationed there? Good luck to all you Pilots in St Louis. But I see this ruling going away is just the beginning of changes in St Louis. Soon all the AA Pilots will be back on top of previous TWA Pilot's, and then this is when the company will kill the Pilot's base and everyone will have to relocate to another base by seniority after these new changes are enacted. All just my opinion, but that's how I see it coming down the pike. Just another screwing to the TWA Pilots well over 15 years after the merger. It just never stops does it?

U.S.St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Ruling eliminates seniority protections for ex-TWA pilots in St. Louis

 

[Al Legheny]

I know this is old news but wanted to ask about the possible closure of St Louis. Flights are from 417 down to 42. I have been hearing of some expansions by Southwest at St Louis this year and next year. I know how big St Louis was for TWA, and ever since AA took over TWA is seems that they have just been dismantling St Louis. Also heard of some other airlines expanding St louis this year and next. Could St Louis be on the chopping block as far as a Pilot's base is concerned? I think it could very well be even if the company in this article below says that "there are no plans to do so". Then turns around and makes the comment; "but if we were to close the Pilot base, we would still have flights there." I hate to say but I see St Louis being closed down as a Pilot base some time in the near future. Just 42 flights remain and could be less by next year. Just how many flights will AA hold on to a Pilot's base with such a minimum of Pilots stationed there? Good luck to all you Pilots in St Louis. But I see this ruling going away is just the beginning of changes in St Louis. Soon all the AA Pilots will be back on top of previous TWA Pilot's, and then this is when the company will kill the Pilot's base and everyone will have to relocate to another base by seniority after these new changes are enacted. All just my opinion, but that's how I see it coming down the pike. Just another screwing to the TWA Pilots well over 15 years after the merger. It just never stops does it?

U.S.St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Ruling eliminates seniority protections for ex-TWA pilots in St. Louis

If this management is going to close STL as a crew base they will deny it right up to the time they announce it. I would expect to hear this closure on the 3rd quarter conference call to the Airline Analysts in mid October. The closure will be for early 2nd quarter 2018. That's my bet.

 

[swamt]

If this management is going to close STL as a crew base they will deny it right up to the time they announce it. I would expect to hear this closure on the 3rd quarter conference call to the Airline Analysts in mid October. The closure will be for early 2nd quarter 2018. That's my bet.

Thanks for the reply. That was very close to my guess as well. I tought the announcement would come at end of year during 4thQ conference, and implemented by end of 2ndQ 2018. So not that it won't happen, a matter of when? I do know AA (in the past) has brought on layoffs, rifs and station moves right at or near the holidays so it would not surprise me to see something at least mentioned by the Thanksgiving and X-mas holidays...

 

[dariencc]

Looks like it's time to stick a fork in this ridiculous forum. It's over.