Consider these factors.
1. Current MDA agreements dissolve pilot senority. This is fact, signed off on by the MEC. And already implemented on those pilots flying there. 15 year pilots starting on first year pay.
2. MDA is operating on U's 121 certificate, but under a regional contract. Again MEC approved.
3. Current proposal by the company calls for out of senority furloughs, as needed and facilitated by ch-11.
4. Current proposal by the company calls for "other scope provisions as needed"
I read this to mean bigger airplanes at MDA.
5. Current proposal calls for aircraft reductions as needed.
6. Proposed cancelling on the MDA flowback for future furloughees.
Now the question to those who want to give the company this agreement.
What is to stop the company from furloughing all the Airbus drivers and then transferring all the busses to MDA and operating them at regional rates?
Pilots are not a problem, If the current mainline furloughees refuse the position there are plenty of RJ drivers out there that would have no problems with a Bus. All of which would be fighting over the positions since MDA pays better than 95% of the regionals in the country.
Same with mechanics.
Flight Attendants take a few weeks to train, no problem even if the current F/A furloughees don't take it.
But most important, the company rids themselves of the 20 and 30 year mainline pilots that are used to the way it was and are generally p/d at the world.
No retirement problems, Taken care of by the MEC last year.
Seems like it is a distinct possibility with what is already in place combined with what is proposed. It would only be a matter of later parking all the remaining Boeing products and 330's and voila!........Instant LCC airline without all the hassles of a mainline contract, all employees on first year regional payrates and no contract to speak of.
Seems like a wet dream for the company.
What am I missing here? No flames please, this is one of those what ifs that occured to me and I cannot find anything that would stop them if everything goes as proposed. There would most likely be a temporary shutdown somewhere in there to facilitate something that big, but it is no harder than what Independance Air (ACA) has done. And I cannot find a down side from the companies point of view. They become the low cost carrier they are looking to be and rid themselves of a lot of baggage, namely the senior employees.
1. Current MDA agreements dissolve pilot senority. This is fact, signed off on by the MEC. And already implemented on those pilots flying there. 15 year pilots starting on first year pay.
2. MDA is operating on U's 121 certificate, but under a regional contract. Again MEC approved.
3. Current proposal by the company calls for out of senority furloughs, as needed and facilitated by ch-11.
4. Current proposal by the company calls for "other scope provisions as needed"
I read this to mean bigger airplanes at MDA.
5. Current proposal calls for aircraft reductions as needed.
6. Proposed cancelling on the MDA flowback for future furloughees.
Now the question to those who want to give the company this agreement.
What is to stop the company from furloughing all the Airbus drivers and then transferring all the busses to MDA and operating them at regional rates?
Pilots are not a problem, If the current mainline furloughees refuse the position there are plenty of RJ drivers out there that would have no problems with a Bus. All of which would be fighting over the positions since MDA pays better than 95% of the regionals in the country.
Same with mechanics.
Flight Attendants take a few weeks to train, no problem even if the current F/A furloughees don't take it.
But most important, the company rids themselves of the 20 and 30 year mainline pilots that are used to the way it was and are generally p/d at the world.
No retirement problems, Taken care of by the MEC last year.
Seems like it is a distinct possibility with what is already in place combined with what is proposed. It would only be a matter of later parking all the remaining Boeing products and 330's and voila!........Instant LCC airline without all the hassles of a mainline contract, all employees on first year regional payrates and no contract to speak of.
Seems like a wet dream for the company.
What am I missing here? No flames please, this is one of those what ifs that occured to me and I cannot find anything that would stop them if everything goes as proposed. There would most likely be a temporary shutdown somewhere in there to facilitate something that big, but it is no harder than what Independance Air (ACA) has done. And I cannot find a down side from the companies point of view. They become the low cost carrier they are looking to be and rid themselves of a lot of baggage, namely the senior employees.
