But even if it turned out to be about the same what difference would that make? The NJA pilotgroup wouldn't do things the same way again, knowing how it turned out. They were underpaid waaay too long. I think all the fracs can learn something from each other. Likewise, I didn't know your plane burned 60% less gas. That's impressive. From an environmental aspect, especially, I hope it motivates other manufacturers and frac companies to follow suit. My apologies to those who misunderstood me; apparently I didn't express myself clearly enough. Best Wishes, NJW
C425, I'm only advocating that pilots speak up and seek credit for their contribution What makes you think we haven't? We just got a raise for our FO's - I guess that's not enough for you; how they interact with their management depends on the relationship they have. We have a good relationship. Obviously, each group can go it alone, but there is the viewpoint that more is to be gained from working together and I agree with that perspective. Please don't falsely claim that I'm disappointed in Avantair pilots. I have great respect for pilots, in general, and think frac pilots, particularly, work very hard. I'm disappointed that your company is growing but your wages aren't--yet. We are part of OUR company. When you said you were disappointed in Avantair you included us. I'm frustrated that this industry (actually, aviation in general) is quick to recognize upper management/executives with generous salaries, bonuses, stock options, etc but much slower to reward (in some cases even respect) Who are you to say we're not respected? pilots who are the front-line employees charged with customer service and safety.
I object to the term "harassing" that is not my intention, nor my attitude. From someone on the recieving end of your comments, I firmly disagree and stand behind my use of the work "harass". About your examples: SWA has a history of respecting employees and paying fairly. In the early days of SWA, they were paid much less than their peers, but still made a livable wage. That helped them achieve their market share and eventually made their pilots the highest paid 737 crews in the country. Unfortunately, NJA was slow to catch on and many broken promises preceded the current contract. Many NJA pilots will tell you that they waited too long to speak up. I'm not proposing instant and exact NJ payscales, Then what are you proposing? I asked you that before and still no answer. You do have a solution in mind, don't you? but I do firmly believe that Avantair pilots, along with their peers deserve to be in the same ballpark. I asked you in a previous post how you propose this happen without negatively affecting our bottom line and still no answer - I'm seeing a trend here. Detailed solutions are the purvey of those directly involved, chosen to represent their group in whatever capacity the majority deems best. Apparently, in your opinion none of us are doing a good job of it. If you are going to continue to harass us I suggest you offer up at least one solution. As we all know, I'm part of the support structure. I'm a cheerleader according to some here...
I do concede that my knowledge of the NJA pilots struggle for professional compensation affects my outlook and makes it harder for me to have faith in the IOU system. What is a realistic time line for wage increases at Avantair? As the one who is constantly on us about this, how about you take a stab at that answer - but we all know you will avoid it with some unartful dodge. How many quarters of posting profits does your group see as a fair time to wait? I don't know - you tell us. I ask questions because I think we can all learn something from each other. I do recognize the concept of working collectively for a common goal; Work together for a common goal? Sounds good, but that would require that we agree to work with you. We're doing just fine over here. If we need anything from you we know where to find you. I just tend to take a broader view and look for improvements for frac families industry wide.NJW
For those pilotgroups who don't have employee paid health care, I strongly recommend it. With today's prices it's easy to see why insurance has become a staple of professional compensation. All of our frac families deserve it. Hopefully, in the future we'll see insurance coverage become as common as the 7&7 has. That schedule became the industry standard when it was made the default schedule in the 2005 NJA contract. There's a lot to be said for having the largest frac pave the way. It just makes sense that majority = standard. Regards, NJW
Likewise, I can wish you all well and bow out now. If that is your preference then simply leave my name out of your posts and don't ask me any questions...
