latest phx pilot crew news session

etops1

Veteran
Dec 6, 2003
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did anybody view the latest pilot crew news held in phx? i got so frustrated by all the whinig about the call sign and what did the west pilots gain from this merger and the same old we bought usairways b/s . grow the f up seriously. one guy was like you can't trust the east pilots . he got a little loud . there was so much east bashing it was humiliating to think that those guys fly planes for a living. we are all gonna have to start to try to work together here . sooner or later you will be in flight decks together wether you like it or not. west pilots ...most of our guys are retiring or close to retiring . this airline will be yours widebodies and all in about 5 yrs. you young west pilots really need to grow up. as this award has set a presidence and the same thing that is happening to our east pilots can happen to you in the future. stop thinking about what i want now and think about what i want in my future. our pilots are fighting so that you won't get screwed in the future becuase if this award goes through you better beleive that the next airline that buys usairways will slap your junior ass straight to the bottom of the list.
 
Not that I really have any business in this....but I would have to put myself in the shoes of the West pilots. They're contract negotiations have completely stalled....they came to the negotiating table last time while East pilots did not....East pilots are trying to force a new union on the West....East pilots (you can correct me if this statement is false) are trying to put West 757 captains as 737 first officers...East pilots and their representation did a crummy job with trying to negotiate the seniortity list and now once they lost the East is trying to get it thrown out....

Now thats not to say that the East didn't get screwed with the award and things that have come along with the merger. All I'm trying to say is that they have reason to whine, honestly. They must be frustrated....wouldn't you be? I know if I came into the merger thinking I was a senior pilot holding a good block etc., and then won the right to keep my position, then had another group try to bully the airline out of the award and union and negotiations, etc. I would whine like them, too. No one is right in this and it is going to take awhile and some major healing before this will all go away.
 
I just watched the crew session and I have to agree with Etops.....What a bunch of friggin cry babies.

One idiot claims that EVERYTHING as gone the East way and what has the West gained.

Well for one, you are now an international carrier and not the regional joke you once were.

And more importanty the West gained years of seniority that THEY DID NOT DESERVE!!!!!!!!!

All this crying over a friggin Call sign and this heritage bullsh!t has got to stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lick your friggin wounds and move on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Not that I really have any business in this....but I would have to put myself in the shoes of the West pilots. They're contract negotiations have completely stalled....they came to the negotiating table last time while East pilots did not....East pilots are trying to force a new union on the West....East pilots (you can correct me if this statement is false) are trying to put West 757 captains as 737 first officers...East pilots and their representation did a crummy job with trying to negotiate the seniortity list and now once they lost the East is trying to get it thrown out....

Now thats not to say that the East didn't get screwed with the award and things that have come along with the merger. All I'm trying to say is that they have reason to whine, honestly. They must be frustrated....wouldn't you be? I know if I came into the merger thinking I was a senior pilot holding a good block etc., and then won the right to keep my position, then had another group try to bully the airline out of the award and union and negotiations, etc. I would whine like them, too. No one is right in this and it is going to take awhile and some major healing before this will all go away.

East pilots are not trying to force a new union on the west. East pilots are doing what they feel is necessary for the east pilots, as is their prerogative. If the east pilots choice of an in-house union drags the west pilots along, that's just life. In a few years when the west pilots have the voting clout to have a do-over, then let them. If they think ALPA (if it is still even operating in a few years) can do a better job than USAPA, let them vote it in at that time. Time is on their side to take control of USAPA. My guess is that they will do so when they can and NEVER return to ALPA...which many (most?) never really liked anyway.

No one on the east is trying to make west 757 captains into 737 first officers. This is what the concept of fences is all about. No one from either side loses what they already have. The east pilots embrace this philosophy. The east pilots have been forced out of captain seats by circumstances brought on by bad management, and they know it hurts like hell. They would not inflict that on anyone, including the west pilots. But the east pilots who were profesionally injured through bad management, yet hung in there fin hopes or the better times that were sure to come, fully expect to enjoy some of those good times WHICH THEY BROUGHT TO THIS MERGER. In other words, when an EAST 757 captain retires, we absolutely will not countenance a west 737 first officer (with 4 years on the job) taking that seat in front of an east 737 first officer (with 17 years on the job.)
 
Wait -- did I miss something? So the callsign is NOT going to be Cactus?
don't know that yet. no decision has been made but the phx pilots are whining about it as if a desicion was made to keep it usair. bottom line is that it's either gonna be cactus or usair so one group is gonna have to get over it. i think it should be "heritage".
 
East pilots are not trying to force a new union on the west. East pilots are doing what they feel is necessary for the east pilots, as is their prerogative. If the east pilots choice of an in-house union drags the west pilots along, that's just life. In a few years when the west pilots have the voting clout to have a do-over, then let them. If they think ALPA (if it is still even operating in a few years) can do a better job than USAPA, let them vote it in at that time. Time is on their side to take control of USAPA. My guess is that they will do so when they can and NEVER return to ALPA...which many (most?) never really liked anyway.

No one on the east is trying to make west 757 captains into 737 first officers. This is what the concept of fences is all about. No one from either side loses what they already have. The east pilots embrace this philosophy. The east pilots have been forced out of captain seats by circumstances brought on by bad management, and they know it hurts like hell. They would not inflict that on anyone, including the west pilots. But the east pilots who were profesionally injured through bad management, yet hung in there fin hopes or the better times that were sure to come, fully expect to enjoy some of those good times WHICH THEY BROUGHT TO THIS MERGER. In other words, when an EAST 757 captain retires, we absolutely will not countenance a west 737 first officer (with 4 years on the job) taking that seat in front of an east 737 first officer (with 17 years on the job.)

Agreed on all counts sir.

As for the whining festival? = Better people vent than not I suppose, although it does seem idiotic to do so over such things as a call sign, but there's clearly frustration enough to go around on both sides of the Ole Miss.
 
The airline is using 2 separate call signs for the time being, because it does make sense to do it. There are too many other things to be resolved before it becomes necessary to use 1 call sign. I agree with that--but of course, the airline eventually needs to start using 1 call sign.

That being said, it was announced a long time ago that Cactus WOULD be the call sign of the combined airline. So why is there NOW a dispute? Probably because the east complained enough to have management reconsider. Are they reconsidering? Nothing has been said offically that they are. But in the crew news, Scott said "I didn't say it WOULDN'T be Cactus" ..then again, he didn't say it WOULD be Cactus either.