A pilots best advocate is Michael Moore

[Jetjockey]

Since when are pilots "white collar"? Pilots are skilled labor. I was flying with a captain who was reading an article in the USA today with him bragging how he made more than most doctors. I pointed out how he needed his airline intact to make that amount. Airline goes away, he is no better than a $30 k/ year new-hire (assuming he wanted to start over after 25 years). Those doctors could leave their hospitals, or firms, and continue that salary elsewhere.

 

[westward]

Still on point.

I think you missed the point. As a pilot preparing to leave (and a former pizza dude); it is about entrusting the public to such a low paid, perhaps somewhat bitter professional. Eventually, the pilots you want flying will leave the profession and it will be "pizza dudes" navigating the friendly skies. This is great news for pizza dudes, but not so for individual with higher monetary career aspirations (which has some correlation to talent).

To be more blunt: they are using safety as a springboard to complain about their situation. They took a job thinking it would lead to a better job. It hasn't worked yet and now they are angry and disappointed.

You cannot convince me those pilots took a commuter job only to expose the commuter airline industry. It's only after things didn't work out their indignation begins.

It's no different than someone who buys a house next to an airport and then begins to complain about the noise. And if that doesn't work, they next say the airport is dangerous and needs to be closed.

No different in my view.

 

[samballs]

And what is a Barack and Dem controlled NMB doing about it – nothing of course. AA has three labor groups in federally mediated negotiations with no end in sight.


Last I heard from our union leadership was that we are way back on the back burner. Barack’s main concerns now are Health Care and the mid-term elections. The last thing he wants is to be burden down with some white collar pilots looking to improve their pay and quality of living.


So much for change!

AA767AV8TOR

At least their on the burner. Bush put them on the floor and then went and F'd up America.

 

[your_dreamguy]

I can't understand pilots who slam or hate Michael Moore on this movie. In his movie about Capitalism, Michael shows how difficult our lives have become and he interviews at least 2 pilots. Has making anti-Moore posts actually seen the movie?

 

[Cowboy75]

I don't think there is a complaint against the message. It is the person bringing this story to light who is devisive.

 

[Scope out RJ's]

At least their on the burner. Bush put them on the floor and then went and F'd up America.

They're, on the burner moron! Oh yeah, Bush F'd up America, this from someone who can't be validated by even comprehending the english language!

 

[relief tube]

Read for yourself. How have we let this job fall to a level of a school bus driver?

M

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/must-read/mikes-blog-1-pilots-food-stamps

How? Legacy senior pilots sold out everyone when they caved on scope, pilots that sign up to work for any airline that pays less than industry average, and $29 fares.

 

[inline]

Michael Moore is a seditious traitor. There are other venues for airing the low pay of pilots. If I had control this fat lying whale would never get on any plane I ever flew.

 

[waveflyer]

And we see another cause of our fall-
we disenfranchise ourselves. We get our money through collective bargaining and unionism- yet a majority of us do not believe in it or support it politically. Republicans don't care about us bc they stand against unions. Dems don't care about us bc we don't vote for them.
Obama certainly doesn't owe the conservative majority of pilots anything. Why would you think he does?
I do find it funny that conservatives among us argue against unions for everyone but us- yet propose no method that our careers could be set up in a more free market way.

 

[Grey Ghost]

Having spent years at one of the worst commuter airlines around, I understand how difficult the job is. What I still can't understand is how someone can complain after willingly taking such a job.

Before I went off to the commuters I knew the pay was crap. I knew the working conditions and hours were horrid. I also knew advancement to the best jobs in this unstable industry was no better than a crap-shoot. Who among the readers here would like to admit they knew none of this?

And then, to complain to someone as disingenuous as Michael Moore is simple insanity. This person who makes millions in the capitalist system only to turn around and slam capitalism? That makes no more sense than complaining about a job you willingly accepted. Moore is simply an opportunist trading on the dissatisfaction of others. Do you really want that type of person as an ally?

Good luck.

are you an FFDO also?

 

[AC560]

If that fooktard Glen Beck or that pill-popper Rush Limbaugh, or that skinny shrill wind-bag Ann Coulter engages in theatrics to make a point, you right-wing wackos are all hunched over in a corner pleasuring yourself to it.

The difference is the people you listed largely believe passionately in what they are doing. Michael Moore is a hypocrite.

 

[Huck]

The gist of the movie is this: the U.S. was based on democracy. One man, one vote.

It is now based on money. One dollar = one unit of influence.

Now, if you like that setup, great for you. If you'd rather we looked out for everybody, or at least the majority, instead of the 1% that own 90%, then the movie rings a bell for you.

The worship of money isn't found in the Bible. It isn't found in the Constitution. It came out of the Red Scare and thirty years of marketing. Oh and the decline of our schools.

But what do I know. I thought Sicko was brilliant too, even better, actually....

 

[pipejockey]

What I still can't understand is how someone can complain after willingly taking such a job.

And what I still can't understand is how people involved in this industry can't understand why other people in this industry complain! Wake up people and clean the freaking wax out of your ears!! Pilots didn't get involved in this industry to be 10 year FO's flying a barbie jet taking home 2 grand a month. They got involved in this industry to spend 5 years at most at the scumbag regionals and move on to a major airline where the vast majority of the flying and jobs were at. But management has destroyed that career path and has created a glass ceiling, so to speak, at the puss filled regionals. Many of us got involved in this profession pre 9-11 when a career path to a major was all but assured unless you had some serious blemishes on your record. It's like buying a Ferrari and getting a Pinto. Some of you self righteous SOB's who don't dare blame anything or anybody but themselves for their woes in life are out of touch. Heres another news flash for you folks.. sometimes it really is someone else's fault for your woes. Think about it.

 

[waveflyer]

Well said pipe!

One of my favorite FI posts

 

[nimtz]

And what I still can't understand is how people involved in this industry can't understand why other people in this industry complain! Wake up people and clean the freaking wax out of your ears!! Pilots didn't get involved in this industry to be 10 year FO's flying a barbie jet taking home 2 grand a month. They got involved in this industry to spend 5 years at most at the scumbag regionals and move on to a major airline where the vast majority of the flying and jobs were at. But management has destroyed that career path and has created a glass ceiling, so to speak, at the puss filled regionals. Many of us got involved in this profession pre 9-11 when a career path to a major was all but assured unless you had some serious blemishes on your record. It's like buying a Ferrari and getting a Pinto. Some of you self righteous SOB's who don't dare blame anything or anybody but themselves for their woes in life are out of touch. Heres another news flash for you folks.. sometimes it really is someone else's fault for your woes. Think about it.

Outstanding post! I pity anybody coming up now that loves to fly like I did when I was young. We always treated the ticket to the majors as worth the aggravation of multiple military deployments or 5 years of poverty wages w/6 legs per day. Through the magic of management we now wait far longer for that ticket (all be it doing former mainline flying of course) and in my case find the ticket is for a show called BOHICA!

 

[SEVEN]

Read for yourself. How have we let this job fall to a level of a school bus driver?

M

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/must-read/mikes-blog-1-pilots-food-stamps

Believe it or not, mainline pilots wrecked the industry by selling out on scope. Now every "puddle-jumper/commuter" pilot get's to fly a cool jet with an APU. There are lot's who disagree with this, but scope relaxation in the 1990's had a devastating effect on the industry.

 

[DH106]

Heres another news flash for you folks.. sometimes it really is someone else's fault for your woes. Think about it.

Beautifully said! I'm very tired of the anti-union stance among pilots who really think that it's always one's own fault if their career goes bad.

Like I said in my other post: while your seniority number is at risk of getting cut, someone out there is getting rich. Does it really make you feel better to rationalize that?

If you need an example, consider the abhorent factories and "company towns" of the 19th century. Without wage, safety, and fairness-in-the-workplace laws, workers were exploited while management got rich. Is that what capitalism was meant to be -- most have nothing, while a few have it all? That was actually more in-line with communism. Yet, that's what we've got here. Pilots have nothing, while the managements at these companies laugh all the way to the bank.

To complain about the "scope give-away" from mainline unions and the exploitation of pilots by managements is very valid. Ask yourself: does it really need to be this way?

 

[FlickerFade]

So, if not capitalism, what?! Anyone else got a system out there that will yield the freedoms and prosperity we enjoy in the US?

Michael Moore surely has benefited from capitalism. He would be jailed in his beloved Cuba, and would be an unknown pauper in Canada.

His formative relationship with the auto industry wound not even have existed without capitalism. There would have been no jobs to lose.

I'm thankful for the United States, its freedoms, and the riches our economic system provides. Guess that makes me a right wing wacko.

I remember when the transition from Carter to Reagan happened. When the last President who was ashamed of his country was replaced by one who was proud of his country. History seems to be on the verge of repeating itself, as we have a Carter clone as our current President.

 

[FlickerFade]

The gist of the movie is this: the U.S. was based on democracy. One man, one vote.

It is now based on money. One dollar = one unit of influence.
.

Not too familiar with history is he (or you?). This is not a pure democracy, this is a representative republic, there is a big difference now and it was even bigger 200+ years ago.

Michael Moore is a fiction artist. Never let facts get in the way of edited fabrications to reinforce your own biased beliefs (sigh).

 

[enuffalready]

The gist of the movie is this: the U.S. was based on democracy. One man, one vote.

It is now based on money. One dollar = one unit of influence.


....

I WISH that was the case... it should be 1 vote for every $5000 in taxes you pay. now that system would work great. no more sucking on the government teet