9-1-04 Alpa Code-a-phone Update

[Bud8EE]

N924PS...

By the way, in September, a SWA B737 Captain is expected to earn $179/hr. The latest USAirways management proposal would have a USAirways Captain at $105/hr for doing exactly the same work. The pay those wages and make a lot of money. So where do you think the problem lies Pussycat?

A SWA captain is working the average of 85 hours per month. A US captain has an average of 56 hours a month. Who deserves more?

If you doubt the figures I have spoken, go call crew sked and ask them. They will be more than happy to point out your shortcomings.

You have to work to make money, and you have to make money to earn money. But I suppose that doesn't apply to a US pilot, right? Cushy work rules, lax training rules....why you can just live the life of reilly as a US pilot, right?

Listen, you want $179/hr flying the line? Fine. But get rid of the crappy work rules you have, and start actually flying for a living. And I don't mean some, I mean ALL pilots. Right now, you have the senior guys doing the bare minimum a month, while there are some who blow over the limit for the month easily. You can't have that and expect to run an airline correctly. You will run into crew issues, and have end of the month staffing problems, which is what US has.

Full pay to the last day? How about Full pay for full work?

[post="174877"][/post]​

Herb has been quoted as saying he would give his Pilots any Duty Rigs they ask for. Why you say? Because his management team knows how to schedule an airline and they would never kick in and Luv wouldn't pay a cent of soft time. Along with that $179/hr are monthly schedules with 15 days off because LUV has figured out to schedule their crews with 7 hours of Block Time a day. Nothing prevents UAIR from doing it tomorrow except a lack of intelligence and passing the buck.

 

[Dizel8]

I sense pilot envy!

 

[BoeingBoy]

Someone else said it best - I just wish I could remember who so I could credit them....

Never get into a debate with the ignorant. They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

With every post, El shows his experience with the inaccuracies in those posts.

Jim

 

[tadjr]

Everything is going rotten for US Airways, workers are also part of the reason why. $20/hr for a lousy ticket clerk? $18/hr for a freaking aircraft cleaner? Six figure salary for a 737 captain? You don't pay those kind of wages and expect to make any money.

[post="174853"][/post]​

How many times do you have to be corrected before you can remember? WN agents make MORE THAN US right now. Over $1 more an hour topout and in two years will make $4 more an hour. That is unless the company gets us to $13.10/hr then they'll make $11 more an hour than US. But I guess thats how they make money and US doesn't. By paying their agents c$(p wages right?
:blink:

 

[Furloughedagain]

I can't quite figure out the problem with a six-figure salary for a 737 captain.

AirTran and Southwest seem quite capable of affording a six figure salary for their captains.

Even large regionals pay six figures to their 50 and 70 seat RJ Captains at the top of the scale.

Just out of curiosity, what do you believe is reasonable pay for a 737 captain?
a 737 f/o?
a regional jet captain?
a regional jet f/o?
a Saab340 captain?
a Saab340 f/o?

 

[BoeingBoy]

Not to interrupt the discussion of what anyone is worth, but I heard this as a rumor last night, and today it was confirmed by one of the instigators on the ALPA site.

Seems there's a movement afoot to rule the PHL captain rep's proxie invalid, which would disenfranchise the PHL pilots he represents and shift the balance of power on the MEC to the other side.

Jim

 

[Dizel8]

"Seems there's a movement afoot to rule the PHL captain rep's proxie invalid, which would disenfranchise the PHL pilots he represents and shift the balance of power on the MEC to the other side".

Is that legal? Seems like that would leave the PHL pilots with no representation!

 

[oldiebutgoody]

If a few ALPA members get away with it, the pilots need to get it off the property NOW! Who knows, maybe this is the company's plan after all?

 

[BoeingBoy]

Dizel8,

I don't know. Presumably they might be able to come up with some argument that the proxie wasn't executed properly or some such.

oldiebutgoody,

No disagreement there. Just goes to show the lengths to which some are willing to go.

Jim

 

[Dizel8]

Well, let me see if I get this right.

The PHL is asking for something better from the company, so the powers that be is upset. So now, they will try to endrun the PHL rep.

Somehow, I think the proxy would be found in perfect order, if the PHL rep changed his mind.

Seems like the "junior" boys is about to be sold down the proverbial river, again!

 

[BoeingBoy]

Dizel8,

With the mixing up of ages and seniority (junior isn't necessarily younger and older isn't necessarily senior), I have no idea if there is any way to divide along traditional lines.

The one that admitted starting the process to invalidate the proxie is junior (mid-level 320 series f/o) and young (for our group at 43).

Jim

 

[Dizel8]

What was his reasoning for initiating this action, does he think the terms from the Co. is acceptable?

 

[BoeingBoy]

No clue. He was posting on the ALPA site when someone asked if he submitted the applicable motion and his answer was to the effect of "D*mn right."

To go further would be pure speculation on my part.

Jim

 

[N924PS]

N924PS...

By the way, in September, a SWA B737 Captain is expected to earn $179/hr. The latest USAirways management proposal would have a USAirways Captain at $105/hr for doing exactly the same work. The pay those wages and make a lot of money. So where do you think the problem lies Pussycat?

A SWA captain is working the average of 85 hours per month. A US captain has an average of 56 hours a month. Who deserves more?

If you doubt the figures I have spoken, go call crew sked and ask them. They will be more than happy to point out your shortcomings.

You have to work to make money, and you have to make money to earn money. But I suppose that doesn't apply to a US pilot, right? Cushy work rules, lax training rules....why you can just live the life of reilly as a US pilot, right?

Listen, you want $179/hr flying the line? Fine. But get rid of the crappy work rules you have, and start actually flying for a living. And I don't mean some, I mean ALL pilots. Right now, you have the senior guys doing the bare minimum a month, while there are some who blow over the limit for the month easily. You can't have that and expect to run an airline correctly. You will run into crew issues, and have end of the month staffing problems, which is what US has.

Full pay to the last day? How about Full pay for full work?

[post="174877"][/post]​

El Gato:

You still don't get it. Duty rigs are supposed to encourage the company to schedule more efficiently. Do they? No.

Many trips have 1 leg on the first or last day. At one time that paid 5 hours minimum if scheduled for less. So that MIN DAY was given up in the last TA.
Have they changed the trips to be more productive since they have relief to do so?
No, theyhaven't. Is that the Pilots fault?

And once again, you are misinformed. The senior pilots are flying their tails off to pump up the DC Retirement Plan. Due to changes in the reserve system, time balancing has made reserves more efficient.

The company tries to offset miscalculations in manning by offering the world famous POTA (Priority Trip Assignment). That means any lineholder is at peril to fly on a day off even if it means losing time on a scheduled trip in their line of flying.

Also, what do you perceive to be "lax training rules"?
Do the SWA Pilots train for "free"? I don't think so.

Another consideration: While USAirways has stagnated and retreated from a 400 plane fleet to 279, Southwest has over 400 planes now. That means lower seniority workers for pay and vacation. That has a direct effect on productivity issues too.

No one at USAirways is afraid to work to make money. It would be nice to do it in 14 or 15 days a month like your benchmark SWA Pilots do. But alas, USAirways management is unable to schedule its resources in the same manner. Basically that means USAirways crews have to be at work 4 or 5 days a month more to meet the same hours as SWA. I ask you again: Who's fault is that?

I could go on and on about scheduling inefficiencies but I hop you get the gist of the problem now.

 

[mlt]

Jim,
I read the same thread on ALPA's board. It appears to be classic shenanigans for reps who are voted out of office and can't let go.

By the way:
Chicken Little has once again misled the readers on this forum. He has all but crucified the PHL rep for not attending the meeting on Sunday and giving his proxy to the Sec/Treas. He made it seem as if the negotiations were not important to the PHL rep. Guess where he was? Having surgery!