Merger of seniority lists - what is a 'fair' method. Any thoughts?
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It's a tough issue. Why should a pilot that got hired at a highly competitive/desirable airline take backseat seniority to one from an airline that whose hiring standards lower? In the case of AAL acquiring TWA, TWA's pilots were facing starting over, from the bottom, somewhere else at first year wages. At AAL, not only will they have jobs, but probably a 60% pay raise. Fences and some other provisions are probably in order, but strict seniority integration is very unfair to the AAL guys. This issue is best dealt with non-publically by the union leadership with inputs by the membership. AAL guys need to be reasonable, and the TWA guys need to realize that this is not a merger of equals - it's a lifeboat for TWA. There's a middle ground there, but strict seniority integration ain't it.
[This message has been edited by Roadtrip (edited 15 February 2001).]
[This message has been edited by Roadtrip (edited 15 February 2001).]
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So the TWA guys are not equal to the AAL guys, why is that then, did they all get their licenses out a christmas cracker? Can they be trusted to fly in our airspace, god, I'll be looking out for white airplanes with big red stripes from now on!
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Harry-
It's got nothing to do with technical qualification and experience. It's that seniority with one company does not translate into another, especially when it's not a merger. TWA has been on a downward spiral for YEARS. Why would anyone take a job or keep a job with them unless they couldn't get hired by the other successful majors. With all the pay cuts, even senior TWA guys make less than junior AAL pilots. All of the majors have many TWA guys who jumped ship over to a successful major -- and were happy to give up their seniority at TWA to do it. Financially, TWA's boat went to Davy Jones' locker at the end of January. AAL has thrown the the lifelines into the water and is in the process of saving the crews, but to be sure, they're swimming right now. But have no doubt, TWA as a company is history. Most of the TWA guys I have talked to are overjoyed that they're going to get jobs at all, and especially with American.
I wasn't aware that a pilot's license was a guarantee of equal pay, working conditions, and ability to get hired by the most best companies. Licenses are only your entry level ticket-- sort of like a college diploma. Don't complain, when you choose to work for a dying company, that you're owed a job with fully transferable seniority to someplace else that you couldn't even get an interview!! The profession doesn't work like that, in the U.S. as least.
BTW, don't UK airlines have seniority rules?
[This message has been edited by Roadtrip (edited 19 February 2001).]
It's got nothing to do with technical qualification and experience. It's that seniority with one company does not translate into another, especially when it's not a merger. TWA has been on a downward spiral for YEARS. Why would anyone take a job or keep a job with them unless they couldn't get hired by the other successful majors. With all the pay cuts, even senior TWA guys make less than junior AAL pilots. All of the majors have many TWA guys who jumped ship over to a successful major -- and were happy to give up their seniority at TWA to do it. Financially, TWA's boat went to Davy Jones' locker at the end of January. AAL has thrown the the lifelines into the water and is in the process of saving the crews, but to be sure, they're swimming right now. But have no doubt, TWA as a company is history. Most of the TWA guys I have talked to are overjoyed that they're going to get jobs at all, and especially with American.
I wasn't aware that a pilot's license was a guarantee of equal pay, working conditions, and ability to get hired by the most best companies. Licenses are only your entry level ticket-- sort of like a college diploma. Don't complain, when you choose to work for a dying company, that you're owed a job with fully transferable seniority to someplace else that you couldn't even get an interview!! The profession doesn't work like that, in the U.S. as least.
BTW, don't UK airlines have seniority rules?
[This message has been edited by Roadtrip (edited 19 February 2001).]
