We may be descending into a recrimination and finger pointing festival between the pilot groups. Let's refocus for a moment. We all want to work for a reasonable wage and have protections from pilot abuse from the company. I have met many ERJ-XJT pilots for the past few years, and I have found this pilot group to be very down to earth and amicable. We all put up our team colors when we first meet in the van or on the ramp, but when that ritual is over I think we usually find common ground in our respective pilot cultures. I do admire the hard line stance that I detect from the pilots that I meet on the XJET side. I would like to see this attitude materialize on the ASA side as well. Let me be clear, it is there, it is just not as intense. Both sides need to understand that there is nothing wrong with being paid fairly. We are light years away from fair pay and work rules at the current moment. We are not even close, and the industry is exerting downward pressure on us. You can give in, like the slaves from the Ivory Coast, or you can say "pay me". I like free market economics just as much as the next capitalist, but let's not pretend that manual wage adjustments and demands don't exist and aren't at times necessary. Our wages are being artificially lowered by the mainline pilot groups. We do exactly the same job as they do. On many 4 day trips we fly more passengers than they do. Don't be played for a fool by mainline pilots and executives. Most pilots are men (over 90%). Use the testosterone that is produced in your testicles to embolden you and fight for your compensation. It's OK if you lose, because you finally got the opportunity to show that your testicles work. Over the next year you will hear certain phrases repeated, and you may see a pattern in dialogue when JCBA is discussed among us. You may hear things like, "those Pinnacle guys really screwed us", or "we are gonna get hosed on this one". This type of talk is really stupid. Don't blame Pinnacle guys for your concessionary vote choice. That's water under the bridge. They seem like a good group of pilots when I meet them. They probably just got scared. I get scared too. I don't want to lose my job and my career future. Nobody wants to lose their income for their family. However, there comes a point where it all has to stop; all the fear, all the rhetoric, all the finger pointing. How are you going to vote when a TA is presented to you? It's on you now. Don't blame other pilot groups, Don't blame the company. You have been running your mouth for years now, proclaiming that you are above such legal financial extortion. I like and respect most of the pilots that I work with. Most pilots that I meet and work with say that they will not accept concessions. I just hope they are being honest.
