PDT/PSA pilots hiring to mainline

[a320av8r]

Date: Wednesday, 12 September 2007 13:35 ET
To: USAALLALL.PLT
From: BULAR.E
Subject: Hiring

By the end of 2008, US Airways anticipates hiring more than 350 pilots to
replace retiring pilots and fill vacancies resulting from the delivery of 19
additional E190 aircraft.

In addition to these new positions, we're delighted to announce that we expect
to return all 140 pilots currently working at our regional carriers under the
Jets for Jobs program by April 2008. With these returns, we will have offered
recall to all 1700 pilots who were furloughed during pre-merger US Airways'
bankruptcies. We've eagerly anticipated reaching this milestone, and it's a
testament to the success of the US Airways-America West merger and the
phenomenal efforts of our pilot workforce.

After returning J4J pilots to vacant positions primarily on the B737 and A320
aircraft, the remaining new first officer positions will be on the E190, B737
and A320 aircraft. Our strong preference is to offer as many of these new
positions as possible to pilots currently employed at our wholly-owned
subsidiaries, PSA and Piedmont.

Obviously, though, we need to be sensitive to our subsidiaries' ability to
recruit and train replacements for pilots who choose to accept mainline
employment. While there are no agreed-to contractual flow-through provisions
yet, US Airways expects to preferentially hire in seniority order from the
wholly owned pilot ranks. At this time, we anticipate offering up to 25
percent of Piedmont and PSA pilots the opportunity to join US Airways as first
officers by the end of 2008.

Flow-through meetings with the companies and ALPA groups are being scheduled
tentatively for early October. If an agreement is reached, then those flow-up
provisions will be applied to any eligible Express pilot under the negotiated
terms.

If those discussions don't produce a flow-up agreement by the time US Airways
is ready to begin accepting new hires, Airways will still proceed and offer
preferential hiring to any PSA or Piedmont pilot. Should that occur, any
flow-up agreement reached after new hires are brought on board will apply to
any PSA or Piedmont pilot accepted under preferential hiring provisions as
provided for in the flow-through agreement.

 

[etops1]

good news. i bet someone is gonna turn it into bad in a few minutes.

 

[EMBFA]

Great news and hope we do the same for F/As when the time comes.

 

[BoeingBoy]

i bet someone is gonna turn it into bad in a few minutes.

How's this - it's not a single seniority list for mainline and the W/O, or even a flow through.....LOL

Seriously, though, it is good news, at least until the flow through gets approved - that will be even better news and both have taken far, far too long to materialize.

Jim

 

[WSurf]

How's this - it's not a single seniority list for mainline and the W/O, or even a flow through.....LOL

Seriously, though, it is good news, at least until the flow through gets approved - that will be even better news and both have taken far, far too long to materialize.

Jim

True, Management wants to use preferential hiring (Right out of Kirbys mouth), I just hope the Unions fight to make it a full flow-thru!

 

[Phoenix]

Date: Wednesday, 12 September 2007 13:35 ET
To: USAALLALL.PLT
From: BULAR.E
Subject: Hiring

By the end of 2008, US Airways anticipates hiring more than 350 pilots to
replace retiring pilots and fill vacancies resulting from the delivery of 19
additional E190 aircraft.

How's this...

Hiring is due to over 800 mainline pilots resigning.

 

[Crzipilot]

Not sure if a full unadulturated flow through will ever come to existance. It's been whispered that even though AAA/PSA/PDT have had productive talks, and agreed on the major points, that management is whispering that they want some control of who and when people can go from Express to ML. Not sure if it's true or not, but just whispers...

 

[BoeingBoy]

that management is whispering that they want some control of who and when people can go from Express to ML. Not sure if it's true or not, but just whispers...

Well, one could make the case that if management doesn't want a W/O pilot flying passengers at mainline, they shouldn't have hired them at the W/O in the first place. Plus, a flow through should improve the quality of new hires at the W/O since it would mean a sure path to mainline (although considering the shape US is in a flow thru might be a detriment.....).

What I could see is an equipment freeze or a hold for training just like when a mainline pilot changes equipment/seats.

Jim

 

[LGA / 037]

Jim, could this be a move on ALPA and AIRWAYS to get some scope relief for the Q400? Finally, a farm system of some sort to promote advancement as PDT will park 4 DH-100s through next May ( in addition to 2 parked now) until the PDT pilot level is brought back up as 100 PDT pilots are available to to leave to Mainline.

 

[Crzipilot]

Jim,

I agree with you on those points. It's just that in the past, there has been little "oversight" into who the
WO's hired. Sure there is some screening, but I'd fathom to say, it's a whole lot easier to get hired at a regional than it is at a major........Wonder why?

 

[BoeingBoy]

Jim, could this be a move on ALPA and AIRWAYS to get some scope relief for the Q400?

Could be, but I have a hard time making the connection at this point in time. With no mainline furlough looming (apparently), the flow through would have no immediate benefit for the mainline pilots to entice acceptance of additional scope relief. Until demonstrated otherwise, I'm assuming that the mainline MEC's see the flow through as "the right thing to do."

It's just that in the past, there has been little "oversight" into who the WO's hired. Sure there is some screening, but I'd fathom to say, it's a whole lot easier to get hired at a regional than it is at a major........Wonder why?

The regionals always see the "quality" of applicants fluctuate more than the majors - when the majors are hiring the regionals have to drop their requirements just to fill the seats and when the majors are furloughing the regionals have plenty of experienced applicants to choose from. It's just the natural order of things when there's the differences in regional vs major pay/benefits/lifestyle/etc.

As I said before, in theory a full flow through (get hired at PDT/PSA, keep your nose clean, guaranteed a job at mainline) should aid recruiting at the W/O. In effect, it'll create a rough equivalent of probation pay or the B scale at the majors - neither of which had a significant effect on the "quality" of applicant at the majors because they were relatively short-term drawbacks with a percieved payoff down the road. Call it the "short term pain for long term gain" effect. Just looking back at the example of PI with the F-28 and B scale (the equivalent of today's PSA pay and fleet), there was not a shortage of well qualified applicants during a period when every major was hiring. I was involved in both "scoring" the applications to determine who would get an interview as well as the interviews themselves during that period, so I know what kind of applicants PI was getting as well as accepting.

Jim

 

[Phoenix]

... I'm assuming that the mainline MEC's see the flow through as "the right thing to do."

LOL. When did ALPA and the MECs get religion?

As I said before, in theory a full flow through .. should aid recruiting at the W/O.
Jim

I know guys that went to Eagle based on the flow through. So I agree in theory it should help recruiting until everyone has a flow trough. (Which will be soon since ALPA has religion now. )