The Hammer wrote:
I would get that in writing as your oldest NG is now 11 years old and many of them (approx 50%) are leased aircraft (rates mostly likely dependent on year of delivery). Your statement matches what Mapleflot pilots were told about DC-9 flying when the air Ontario, etc dash-8's showed up in YSB, YYB, etc in 1986.
Simple things like same benefits contrib. 30% vs 50% and 10% vs 20% ESP are small company savings that tend to be a festering wound over time with employee groups and highlight 2nd class feelings. It makes simple, easy comparisons that even a pilot can figure out. Pilot's seem to accept the smaller airplane = smaller cheque mentality better than the previously mentioned savings even if the total renumeration package is the same cost to the company. Why I do not know?
Hopefully this is just a negotiating tactic by mgmt.
We did get it in writing, the MOA includes a
guaranteed block hour for the 37's. The 37's will be redeployed to additional markets that will be stimulated by feed from the regional side.
I'll be honest, I was extremely sceptical of the 80% of market median and benefit contributions as well. But, after attending the town hall meeting and talking to our EVP's I'm actually pretty confident that the benefits package will be industry leading and in NO way lowering the bar. The 80% is actually a minimum and could be as high as 100%, and when you factor in the benefits that the regional employees will receive then you'll be hard pressed to find a regional airline that could compete. And people have to remember, you'll be working on the regional aircraft NOT the 37's, so obviously the compensation package will be less. But you'll have flow through opportunity that NO other airline offers, you'll celebrate in our successes in the form of profit share, you'll have a pilot group and pilot association on your side that has a trusting and honest working relationship with WJ executives (I've witnessed that firsthand!), you'll have a winning product on your side that'll be profitable for years to come (job security), and I can go on for hours. These are things that you can not but a dollar value on and I hope people would see that.
I usually don't get wrapped up in the warm fuzzy westjetness or buy into some of the fluff, but guys, if you actually had the privilege of being at one of these town hall meetings...WOW! That's all I can say. I was extremely inspired at the dialogue that took place between management and our pilot group. The open and honest questions from our pilot group. The open and honest responses from Gregg and his team. It was ground breaking and also something that you'll never find in another airline. Priceless!!
It sure is easy to focus on one number, i was guilty of that as well, but it truly is flawed thinking.
I think Gregg said it best when he said, we could go down the road of a CPA, that would be cheaper for us as a company but we decided to do the right thing, spend more money, do this ourselves and make it possible.
That had me thinking about CPA's as well, where I believe my thinking might have been flawed. I actually thought a CPA would have been the smart decision and I guess in a economics stand point it was, but....
Wouldn't contracting the lowest priced CPA lower the bar more than this arrangement? Don't most tier 3 companies involved in CPA's actually win these contracts by lowering costs on the backs of their employees?? I could be wrong, but aren't we raising the standard by creating this product ourselves?
