fwiw - i am one of the pilots who used to fly for u. i am now an employee of freedom. a previous poster was quoted as saying the employees of freedom are at the whim of management. this is incorrect. we have a pilot board that consists of 5 pilots. we meet monthly to discuss things from trip construction to uniforms.
at the last meeting, we agreed to jets for jobs as it was presented to us by our management. we see this as an opportunity for growth and to help the hundreds of u pilots looking for work.
also, the pay and working conditions per our employee manual are BETTER than any of the republics, midways, or amr eagles (MDA). we have a commuter policy, we have better hourly pay, and a jumpseat policy that rivals any major carrier.
we dont have a union - yet. if alpa wants us, they have a real funny way of showing it.
at the last meeting, we agreed to jets for jobs as it was presented to us by our management. we see this as an opportunity for growth and to help the hundreds of u pilots looking for work.
also, the pay and working conditions per our employee manual are BETTER than any of the republics, midways, or amr eagles (MDA). we have a commuter policy, we have better hourly pay, and a jumpseat policy that rivals any major carrier.
we dont have a union - yet. if alpa wants us, they have a real funny way of showing it.
Dea Certe
Veteran
- Aug 20, 2002
- 889
- 0
PineyBob, my love, we are fighting to stay alive. Every employee on the property has taken cuts. Hundreds have been furloughed. We are now considering more cuts. Cuts that aren't clearly defined, to be worked out later. Kinda scary, don't you think?
We, the employees who make the operation work, who give US some of the highest stats in the industry are doing our best to keep US alive.
On the other hand, we have your personal favorite, Ben Baldanza insulting our best customers and gouging you here and there. Can those pennies be worth the lost revenue? I read FlyerTalk and am deeply saddened by the loss of so many of our "good guys" the cockroach brigade! We, the employees don't want to lose you! WE understand who pays the bills around here. Also, you 'roaches give us the least amount of trouble, almost always willing to help the crew by changing seats to help a family sit together and seldom throw tantrums over trivial stuff. You guys generally have a good sense of humor and are a pleasure to serve. And you give us lots of money every week.
Then, we have Jerry Glass. He's the guy in charge of insulting and threatening the employees. Oh yeah, that makes us want to give our best efforts. But most of us do anyway because we take pride in our work. We want to survive.
And to complete the trifecta, we also have Dr Bronner. The guy who made statements to the media about us going Chapter 7 right before the holidays. Yes, that really beefed up our revenue.
So, do you really think this team is focused on revenue enhancements? Would not capitalism be better served if we have money coming in because we have a superior product and treat our pax right?
I think it's the better method, don't you?
Dea -- Queen of the Cockroaches
We, the employees who make the operation work, who give US some of the highest stats in the industry are doing our best to keep US alive.
On the other hand, we have your personal favorite, Ben Baldanza insulting our best customers and gouging you here and there. Can those pennies be worth the lost revenue? I read FlyerTalk and am deeply saddened by the loss of so many of our "good guys" the cockroach brigade! We, the employees don't want to lose you! WE understand who pays the bills around here. Also, you 'roaches give us the least amount of trouble, almost always willing to help the crew by changing seats to help a family sit together and seldom throw tantrums over trivial stuff. You guys generally have a good sense of humor and are a pleasure to serve. And you give us lots of money every week.
Then, we have Jerry Glass. He's the guy in charge of insulting and threatening the employees. Oh yeah, that makes us want to give our best efforts. But most of us do anyway because we take pride in our work. We want to survive.
And to complete the trifecta, we also have Dr Bronner. The guy who made statements to the media about us going Chapter 7 right before the holidays. Yes, that really beefed up our revenue.
So, do you really think this team is focused on revenue enhancements? Would not capitalism be better served if we have money coming in because we have a superior product and treat our pax right?
I think it's the better method, don't you?
Dea -- Queen of the Cockroaches
513...
I do not like what Ornstein is doing with Freedom, but please do not call it a scab airline. It is an alter-ego airline, and most ALPA contracts have language to prevent this. Why Mesa seems to not have this language, I do not know. Must you have "scab" defined for you again?
I do not like what Ornstein is doing with Freedom, but please do not call it a scab airline. It is an alter-ego airline, and most ALPA contracts have language to prevent this. Why Mesa seems to not have this language, I do not know. Must you have "scab" defined for you again?
Freedom is just like New York Air. Not a scab operation, but a direct threat to union members at Mesa and an indirect threat to other unionized carriers.
Freedom may have a liberal JS policy, but I don't think it will be reciprocated.
Freedom may have a liberal JS policy, but I don't think it will be reciprocated.
Freedom is in fact an alter-ego. The only reason this seems to bother some is that it was not the brain child of ALPA or formed so that the unionized top 20% would gain somehow for it....
Alter-ego carriers I can think of:
1. MidAtlantic, will shrink the WO commuters to nothing and offer them not one thing until the furloughed mainline pilots get theirs first. MDA will take mainline flying and place it in the hands of lower paid pilots who live by lesser work rules and fly smaller jets.
2. Patomac, shrunk Piedmont in routes and planes. Was OK with ALPA and the AAA MEC because they were after all only commuter pilots and it was for the greater good of the U-UAL merger. Right? Wrong, it was on its way to court and fell just short when the aircraft and routes were given back.
3. How about MetroJet? Flew older aircraft under lesser work rules for less money.......
Based on what I am hearing which is that only mainline pilots have the true right to fly the skies in search of commerce, isn't any RJ pilot a scab in definition? Aren't they limited in Career expectation by a little charm called a "Scope Clause"? Maybe everyone should visit the RJDC website.
If the Freedom guys are pseudo-scabs for not being union, what does that make the Mesa pilots who are now flying RJ's on the 737, F-100 & DC-9 routes of the furloughed U pilots? How is it that that Freedom is the evil job taker when in fact it was the Mesa MEC and ALPA National who cost every employee at CCair thier jobs after they had themselves voted in a conract which would have preserved their airline, jobs, and brought to them both an increase in pay and new RJ's?
Another thing which needs explaining is what is the difference between Freedom Airlines and Republic Airlines? Both started by the same corporate structure which already ownes a unionized regional airline with one major difference. Republic is being started for one reason and one reason only, to get around the CHQ pilots "no" vote for Jets4Jobs. Freedom Airlines was started to get around not the Mesa union, but the USAirways scope which prohibited them from flying in ANY LIVERY an aircraft over 50 passengers or 60,000 lbs. What this means is that when America West went to Mesa Air Group management and ask for larger RJ's, Mesa Airlines was prohibited from free enterprise due to their relationship with USAirways. The only way to retain certain routes out of PHX was to start a completely separate entity from Mesa Airlines.
USAirways MEC and ALPA created Freedom Airlines. Freedom exists because of scope and scope alone. I find it incredible that at a carrier which was created due to their own policy, the U MEC would even think of preventing over 500 of their own furloughed pilots from obtaining badly needed employment in a time when their ranks of furloughed pilots will grow to more than 1,800! USAirways is dying on the vine, will cease to exist without revenue which was ask for in the form of a significant influx of RJ's more than a year and a half ago. In that time and with not one single additional RJ, USAirways as parked more aircraft and furloughed more pilots than any other carrier....
To all I wish a happy new year! I toasted last night to brighter airline leadership, less radical union leadership, and for the travel bug to bite the american public very hard in 2003.
Alter-ego carriers I can think of:
1. MidAtlantic, will shrink the WO commuters to nothing and offer them not one thing until the furloughed mainline pilots get theirs first. MDA will take mainline flying and place it in the hands of lower paid pilots who live by lesser work rules and fly smaller jets.
2. Patomac, shrunk Piedmont in routes and planes. Was OK with ALPA and the AAA MEC because they were after all only commuter pilots and it was for the greater good of the U-UAL merger. Right? Wrong, it was on its way to court and fell just short when the aircraft and routes were given back.
3. How about MetroJet? Flew older aircraft under lesser work rules for less money.......
Based on what I am hearing which is that only mainline pilots have the true right to fly the skies in search of commerce, isn't any RJ pilot a scab in definition? Aren't they limited in Career expectation by a little charm called a "Scope Clause"? Maybe everyone should visit the RJDC website.
If the Freedom guys are pseudo-scabs for not being union, what does that make the Mesa pilots who are now flying RJ's on the 737, F-100 & DC-9 routes of the furloughed U pilots? How is it that that Freedom is the evil job taker when in fact it was the Mesa MEC and ALPA National who cost every employee at CCair thier jobs after they had themselves voted in a conract which would have preserved their airline, jobs, and brought to them both an increase in pay and new RJ's?
Another thing which needs explaining is what is the difference between Freedom Airlines and Republic Airlines? Both started by the same corporate structure which already ownes a unionized regional airline with one major difference. Republic is being started for one reason and one reason only, to get around the CHQ pilots "no" vote for Jets4Jobs. Freedom Airlines was started to get around not the Mesa union, but the USAirways scope which prohibited them from flying in ANY LIVERY an aircraft over 50 passengers or 60,000 lbs. What this means is that when America West went to Mesa Air Group management and ask for larger RJ's, Mesa Airlines was prohibited from free enterprise due to their relationship with USAirways. The only way to retain certain routes out of PHX was to start a completely separate entity from Mesa Airlines.
USAirways MEC and ALPA created Freedom Airlines. Freedom exists because of scope and scope alone. I find it incredible that at a carrier which was created due to their own policy, the U MEC would even think of preventing over 500 of their own furloughed pilots from obtaining badly needed employment in a time when their ranks of furloughed pilots will grow to more than 1,800! USAirways is dying on the vine, will cease to exist without revenue which was ask for in the form of a significant influx of RJ's more than a year and a half ago. In that time and with not one single additional RJ, USAirways as parked more aircraft and furloughed more pilots than any other carrier....
To all I wish a happy new year! I toasted last night to brighter airline leadership, less radical union leadership, and for the travel bug to bite the american public very hard in 2003.
From the ALPA BOD meeting:[BR][BR]"ALPA wants to operate collectively on behalf of North American airline pilots — as a single union, not individual unions for each pilot group now part of the association, nor individual unions representing "independent pilot groups." ALPA wants to develop a clear course - a plan of action - that all airline pilots can endorse and collectively work to achieve. ALPA wants to present a single voice for North American airline pilots - not a myriad of voices that get lost in the babble - so that opponents cannot drive a wedge into pilot's ranks or divert attention from ALPA's core goals. Collective muscle, collective bargaining, collective action — these are the means to truly protect the airline pilot profession and to accomplish pilots' goals."[BR][BR][FONT face="Arial Narrow" size=7]TOO LATE ALPA! [BR][BR][FONT size=5]Bye-bye, ALPA, you're headed for the dustbin of history![BR][BR]You are irrelevant by your own design.[/FONT][/FONT]
....and the U-MEC/ALPA has also DIRECTLY caused the creation of republic airlines. While Chautauqua pilots may not be represented by ALPA, they are fellow union brothers who are now being whipsawed by ALPA.
I speak for many regional pilots when I say that we would have welcomed the furloughed U pilots with open arms, given them 100% of the new pilot positions, waived the interview; i.e. bent over backwards to help U survive had ALPA not broken its' own ideals with this super-seniority $hit. ALPA has lost its' way, and any ounce of backbone it ever had.
I speak for many regional pilots when I say that we would have welcomed the furloughed U pilots with open arms, given them 100% of the new pilot positions, waived the interview; i.e. bent over backwards to help U survive had ALPA not broken its' own ideals with this super-seniority $hit. ALPA has lost its' way, and any ounce of backbone it ever had.
Rhino - we have the best j/s policy available. As many j/s riders as open seats. We dont use politics or other bs as a qualification to riding the j/s. We already have reciprocal agreements with CAL and are working on others. Will be submitting my Freedom ID card with the ALPA Inactive card with the j/s forms from all the j/s riders I have carried from the carrier in question for the last month. If I am refused a j/s ride, it will not affect my judgement on giving j/s rides. But the Captain who refuses my request will never know that.
US Airways JS policy is also as many open seats that are available in the back. This is also the policy of the WO's.
you are correct, USAirways allows one j/s rider for each j/s installed in the aircraft and that is the same system wide to include the express carriers as well....
[blockquote]
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On 1/1/2003 4:57:19 PM algflyr wrote:
US Airways JS policy is also as many open seats that are available in the back. This is also the policy of the WO's.
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[/blockquote]
When did that change? We at Colgan have always given any open seat as a j/s. Until Airways told us we can't. They said we must have the same policy as they do (one j/s, one j/s rider). If this has changed, I would love to start telling the agents that it can be done now.
BK
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On 1/1/2003 4:57:19 PM algflyr wrote:
US Airways JS policy is also as many open seats that are available in the back. This is also the policy of the WO's.
----------------
[/blockquote]
When did that change? We at Colgan have always given any open seat as a j/s. Until Airways told us we can't. They said we must have the same policy as they do (one j/s, one j/s rider). If this has changed, I would love to start telling the agents that it can be done now.
BK
I saw a memo dated to go into effect on Dec. 20 that we now allow as many jumpseaters as open seats in the back. I'm glad this has finally happened.
>>Below are excerpts from the ALPA Board of Director's Meeting in October. Let's see how well this holds up in the coming weeks.
"One Union, One Voice, One Mission," was the overall message delivered to nearly 500 delegates and attendees of ALPA's 39th regular Board of Directors meeting in the opening remarks of the Association's top officers. The BOD was held in Hollywood, Florida, October 21-25, 2002. [<
Just curious, was this before or after the breathalyzer tests
"One Union, One Voice, One Mission," was the overall message delivered to nearly 500 delegates and attendees of ALPA's 39th regular Board of Directors meeting in the opening remarks of the Association's top officers. The BOD was held in Hollywood, Florida, October 21-25, 2002. [<
Just curious, was this before or after the breathalyzer tests
