GoJet?

[Mrs.Alchemist]

My DH has been furloughed from xjet and will not go to a place like GoJets that was created specifically to get around another company's contract.

Amen.

[Imachickadee75]

I've followed this thread mostly out of morbid curiousity, but I have to comment on how judgemental some of the comments have been. Sure we can all agree that what is going on with TSA/GoJet is WRONG, but I'm really struggling with pounding on the guys/gals who make the decision to keep flying (or go to them). Not a single one of us knows what its like in their household. And the most vocal of you DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN. I think this is a very important distinction. Its one thing to lay your financial security on the line when its just you and maybe a spouse, but its a whole 'nother matter when you have children you are responsible to. Sure ideaologically, going to Gojets in the long run is bad for our children's future, but what about their today, tomorrow and the next day? Its one thing to crash at a friend's house or go back to your parents if you can't afford your own place when you're single or married without kids. Its one thing to go without medical care for ear infection, toothache, or strep throat when its just you but a whole other ball game when you're watching your child hurting (and I don't want to hear about free clinics and Medicaid for kids b/c in my experience, my income alone disqualifies us for public assistance but we can't live on it -pay our mortgage (which is moderate to low for our area), buy gas, food, electric- alone).

Its like the fact that I still shop at WalMart. Do I like their practices? No. Are their prices SIGNIFICANTLY less than the other options in town. Yes -I've comparision shopped. Its the difference between being able to feed my family appropriately or not so I still shop there.

I don't know, I'm just having a really hard time with the personal attack. Be upset with the company, and do what you can to change that. However, do not attack people for the very difficult choices they make for survival. You simply don't know what their reality is like.\

Jackie

[Mistress Trista]

I whole heartedly agree. My dh and I have this arguement all the time. If it wasn't her husband, it would be someone else. There's always pilots out there desperate enough for a job that they'll go there. For some, their career is the number one thing and they'll do anything, go anywhere to achieve their goals. Some may do it for family. They can't get a job anywhere else and feel they don't have any other choice.

They always say, go work at walmart. Know what happens when you don't fly for months at time? The longer you go without flying, the harder it is to find a job with the airlines. What do you think those little boxes on the applications are for that ask how many hours have you flown in 3 months, 2months, 1 month. Eventually, you will have been grounded too long and will no longer be current. Unless of course you can rent a plane and keep yourself current. Think you're goign to do that on walmart's salary?

You have no idea what's going on in their household or why they made the descisions they did. If it were my dh at gojets, I would be thanking god he had a job as well. If he didn't, we would be in a serious world of hurt.

As chickadee says, hate the company, but don't hate a man fro doing whatever he has to to take care of his family.

[Mistress Trista]

<<There's probably thousands of families in this country right now who are in the same predicament - needing food, healthcare, etc...they are not taking the low road because they are hoping that by sticking it out the situation will get better for everyone. Am I right Emily and Sarah?>>

If you were about to lose your house and your child was sick, but you couldn't afford to take him to the doctor, or they cried because they were hungry, but you had no money to buy groceries, would your first concern really be other pilots? Would you really be worried about their future or your children's present? I would hope it would be your children.

[Mrs.Alchemist]

Okay, I do have something to say, and that is that there are always other options. No matter where you are and what is going on in life, there are always other options...

My personal example is that my husband went back to his old aerial mapping job, which I know that he was lucky to be able to do, but, even in this economy, he turned down another flying job with a different company to do the aerial mapping again. (It was a tourist company in AZ.) He was on unemployment for awhile, too, waiting for the aerial mapping season to start. (I was happy to have him home for awhile!) Of course, he'd love to be flying a jet still, but he's just happy to be flying.

If you'd like to say that I don't understand, here's your ammo: We do not have kids, and I have excellent health insurance through my job (that I work very hard for!) for the both of us.

Everyone makes their own decisions, and everyone has to live with the decisions that they make. I would never personally attack anyone, and I certainly haven't, it's not my style. We're on this board to support each other and lend an ear. Being a pilot's wife is difficult enough as it is!

[HeffsRah]

I whole heartedly agree. My dh and I have this arguement all the time. If it wasn't her husband, it would be someone else. There's always pilots out there desperate enough for a job that they'll go there. For some, their career is the number one thing and they'll do anything, go anywhere to achieve their goals. Some may do it for family. They can't get a job anywhere else and feel they don't have any other choice.

They always say, go work at walmart. Know what happens when you don't fly for months at time? The longer you go without flying, the harder it is to find a job with the airlines. What do you think those little boxes on the applications are for that ask how many hours have you flown in 3 months, 2months, 1 month. Eventually, you will have been grounded too long and will no longer be current. Unless of course you can rent a plane and keep yourself current. Think you're goign to do that on walmart's salary?

You have no idea what's going on in their household or why they made the descisions they did. If it were my dh at gojets, I would be thanking god he had a job as well. If he didn't, we would be in a serious world of hurt.

As chickadee says, hate the company, but don't hate a man fro doing whatever he has to to take care of his family.

Alright. Then I apologize for the "personal" attack. I just find it really hard to be ok with it when I know people who have lost their job at TSA and people going to GoJets is not helping those people get their job back. DF's best friend is getting married on New Years Eve...they just bought a house, and had their wedding planned and in the midst of it all, he lost his job at TSA. Now their struggling to keep their house. I feel awful for them, but there is no way he would go there.

You're right, I do not know what it is like to fight for my child's survival. BUT, if you're saying that you would do whatever it takes, why not do something that isn't hurting others? I'm sure GoJets is not the only place that is offering employment. Trista, you also said that not flying for a while makes it harder to get a job later on --- might it also be hard to find a job with GoJets under your belt? I don't get it.

I'm the wrong one here, obviously -- even DF disagrees with me--he had lunch the other day with a group of GoJets pilots during one of his breaks in LGA. I was mad at him and I know I'm wrong for that, but I'm not going to pretend that I don't feel that way. I disagree with hurting others to gain for myself. I agree with survival of the fittest to some degree, but I can tell you that I would do everything I could to survive in a way that wouldn't put others in dire situations.

I understand why everything I said would make some people upset -- but I also find it just as wrong that she came on here, on a board where there are other women who's husbands have lost their jobs and are also struggling to make it. If you need to go there to be able to make your family survive, why come back and talk about it amongst others who are upset about the situation?

I'm sorry for making lots of people upset...you're right, I don't know what it's like to live in their household, I don't know what is happening...but I know what's happening in other people's households who are hurting from this situation and I think this is making it worse for them.

[HeffsRah]

If you were about to lose your house and your child was sick, but you couldn't afford to take him to the doctor, or they cried because they were hungry, but you had no money to buy groceries, would your first concern really be other pilots? Would you really be worried about their future or your children's present? I would hope it would be your children.

Obviously I would be most worried about my child's present condition, but I would also be thinking about DH's future and my child's future and I would do everything in my power to help my child and our family in anyway possible that wouldn't cause us more problems later on.

[HeffsRah]

Okay, I do have something to say, and that is that there are always other options. No matter where you are and what is going on in life, there are always other options...

yeah, that.

[danish1978]

Go Jets is THE reason your DH lost his job in the first place!!! And you know what? My DH has been furloughed from xjet and will not go to a place like GoJets that was created specifically to get around another company's contract. GoJets is taking away all the TSA flying and pretty soon, TSA will cease to exist DUE TO GOJETS! Your husband is helping put HUNDREDS of other pilots out on the street. We're getting unemployment right now and my DH is pursuing his backup career. He's on a COBRA from xjet's insurance and I get mine through private companies. So yes, I have been there (am there currently) and I still can't belive that your DH went to the company that cost him his job in the first place.

UAL flying on the TSA side has actually increased, so dh didn't lose his job b/c of gj. And while you may think you know what it's like, we cannot afford COBRA (at 1000$/month for the family). A job is a JOB, and Walmart wouldn't hire him. Believe me, GJ was a last resort, but now that he's there, he's pretty ok with it. I'm sorry if you don't understand, but we have a child to care for. And yes, we both will do whatever it takes to make sure she is cared for.

[skibum515]

That's the exact same logic that is used by scabs who cross picket lines. Just looking out for mine and ours. Never mind that it's undermining HUNDREDS of other people and their ability to feed their families.

GoJets is not the only place in this industry that is hiring right now. Mesaba is hiring. So why didn't he go there?