Clause 35.4 – Removal of GDOJ Integration => VARA seniority to stay, VARA jobs for VARA Pilots

They way I read it is they did away with the right of return when they decided to remove GDOJ.
But I’m speculating here.
The whole thing is a mess in regards to right of return at VAA. They signed a deed for right of return for Tiger and VAINZ pilots for up to 7 years. The deed for VAI wide pilots has been agreed to but not signed. Unsure of how legally binding that one is.
Plus it hasn’t been explained properly how it all works in regards to getting a position when it comes up. I.e a captaincy comes up in Sydney, is it the FO that gets it who is endorsed and current or the wide body captain who was made redundant. If it’s fleet balancing I think it goes to FO, if it’s a “new” position it goes to the Wide-body.
I’m sure there some one out there in the know who could explain it but from what I know it’s an absolute clusterf**k.

There are 2 GDOJ lists. One is specific to VARA, i.e. if or when a VARA position becomes available then the VARA list is used. That list prioritizes crew who joined the Virgin Group through VARA (or Skywest as it was prior to VA ownership). For example someone who joined VARA and then moved to an ATR position in VA and were thus made redundant last year, will have priority for a vacant VARA position over crew who have been in VA only.

sorry spider, Yes I did check, before I posted.

Not trying to upset anyone, I have a lot of history with Skywest and want to see it survive and cant see that happening with the current legacy agreement (even with the haircuts)

By “competitive” you mean engaging in a race to the bottom? Let’s see who can earn the least? Why is aviation one of the few sectors with diminishing pay prospects? That’s what’s sad!

I get it, but are you seriously suggesting its better to tell the company to get stuffed and go broke?

There is such as thing as living to fight another day.

No Airline in Australia has said to have failed because of Flight crew costs. They form a relatively small percentage of total costs (<10%). Far far more important are things like fuel and lease costs. Qantas (covid issues aside) are surviving just fine with their 'legacy' agreements.

If you built a house 20 years ago, and you try to build one today, you will notice that:

1. The price of the architect has significantly increased;
2. The price of the surveyor has significantly increased;
3. The price of the earth works has significantly increased;
4. The price of the concreter has significantly increased;
5. The price of the brick layer has significantly increased;
6. The price of the plumber has significantly increased;
7. The price of the carpenter has significantly increased;
8. The price of the electrician has significantly increased;
9. The price of the plasterer has significantly increased;
10. The price of the cabinetmaker has significantly increased;
11. The price of the painter has significantly increased;
12. The price of the landscaper has significantly increased;

And they all probably earn significantly more than a VARA pilot.

But in an aviation business, Arthur D thinks the pilots should be cheaper.

This nonsense needs to end now.

Don’t take any notice of AD, like many people on here they’re just looking for a reaction. Typical nobody who wants to be somebody on an anonymous forum.

Don't feed the trolls.

If wishing to see an airline I care about survive makes me a troll, then guilty as charged.

For some time now I have watched as Alliance and Network grow in WA whilst VARA has shrunk.

Logic would dictate that If it was such a wonderful business then either Virgin would keep it or it would already have been sold off.

But by all means throw rocks at me and stick your head in the sand.

Without a doubt neither the wages nor lease costs are varas issue the issue is the ineptitude of the current management and not just at the vara level the mainline mob are lost in a cutting mode when as per alliance and network it is time to grow, we could work for free and this mob will screw it up.....

Sadly, I don't think AD is far off the mark, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to see what's likely to happen, nor do I see there's anything the staff can do about it or in any way responsible. I'll be surprised if it it's still operational in any meaningful way beyond 2023

Not at all - if the company can’t pay their crew appropriately I’d suggest they have bugger issues - crew costs are single digit percentages of total cost - pilots aren’t the problem.

Don’t fall for the BS narrative the company want you to believe. It’s not the pilot groups problem to solve.

I don’t have skin in the game, but it irks me to see other pilots fighting to be cheaper “to save the company from going broke.”

Yes and the buggery only goes one way, not even a reach around.

Oops!

Would you believe I was using a Kiwi accent? :)

I would. I read it and thought 'must be a Kiwi, eh?'

Glad some of us have kept a sense of humour through all of this!!
:)