I wouldn't say tMainline thought "they were too good for the small jets," however they were given a choice in negotiatons.
The choice was:
1. Get larger pay increases on the larger aircraft, if you give up the smaller aircraft.
or
2. Remain at status quo.
What they didn't realize was that the smaller jet flying was still very much in need for a successful business plan, and that it would be used to replace their jobs once too many larger aircraft were on property with out enough feed for those aircraft.
And thus management saw an opportunity, whether it was planned or not, to pit what was once one pilot group and now many against each other.
I don't blame them for wanting higher pay, it is just the consequences of what they gave up to get it were not fully understood at the time.
Now we can speculate that they "pre-determined" regional and feeder pay rates by doing this, and that the regionals are finally up to 1960's pay- FOR FLYING THE SAME SIZE AIRCRAFT the Nationals and Majors were making back then.
Now, the majors union's have lost the pay they gained from having regionals flyng the "smaller" jets, and those "smaller" jets aren't so small anymore. I think at one point there will be to many regionals with the Major Airlines losing a lot of control and profitablility, and then a period of consolidation will once again occur. If and when this happens, this is when the unions MUST start learning from the past mistakes.
So, I ask again, how can we fix this problem? How can we level the playing field? Will the MAjors stay as majors, or are they all going to become LCC's? If they become LCC's will ALPA or any other Union be able to regain any bargaining power? If they regain that power will they fight for One COntract/One List for all aircraft in the same colors?
Anyway, just my thoughts.
Fly Safe,
Dan
The choice was:
1. Get larger pay increases on the larger aircraft, if you give up the smaller aircraft.
or
2. Remain at status quo.
What they didn't realize was that the smaller jet flying was still very much in need for a successful business plan, and that it would be used to replace their jobs once too many larger aircraft were on property with out enough feed for those aircraft.
And thus management saw an opportunity, whether it was planned or not, to pit what was once one pilot group and now many against each other.
I don't blame them for wanting higher pay, it is just the consequences of what they gave up to get it were not fully understood at the time.
Now we can speculate that they "pre-determined" regional and feeder pay rates by doing this, and that the regionals are finally up to 1960's pay- FOR FLYING THE SAME SIZE AIRCRAFT the Nationals and Majors were making back then.
Now, the majors union's have lost the pay they gained from having regionals flyng the "smaller" jets, and those "smaller" jets aren't so small anymore. I think at one point there will be to many regionals with the Major Airlines losing a lot of control and profitablility, and then a period of consolidation will once again occur. If and when this happens, this is when the unions MUST start learning from the past mistakes.
So, I ask again, how can we fix this problem? How can we level the playing field? Will the MAjors stay as majors, or are they all going to become LCC's? If they become LCC's will ALPA or any other Union be able to regain any bargaining power? If they regain that power will they fight for One COntract/One List for all aircraft in the same colors?
Anyway, just my thoughts.
Fly Safe,
Dan
