Consessions vs furloughs

[michael707767]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Et Al

I I guess I am just not to the point yet of being ready to open up our contract for changes in compensation. I am certainly aware that cuts will help the bottom line, and gouges would help it even more. As soon as it would be in writing, however, I would not be at all surprised to see the economy turn around and profits start rolling in, and more pilots furloughed due to this FM or another yet undisclosed FM.

I am not ready to open up for wage concessions either. And frankly, even given the current circumstances, I don't think we are overpaid. But, I do think we will need to address some productivity issues, even once things start to turn around. If you want, I can expand on that later.

 

[csmith]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Et Al

I am not ready to open up for wage concessions either. And frankly, even given the current circumstances, I don't think we are overpaid. But, I do think we will need to address some productivity issues, even once things start to turn around. If you want, I can expand on that later.

I hear you. I eluded to some that in the post 2 or 3 above this one. Yes, I would be interested as I have some thoughts of my own. Even minimizing credit would have a very large impact on the pilot costs of the bottom line, IMO. As a regional puke, I kind of "grew up" with the 8 hour days, multiple legs. I actually prefer them, as long as the "down time" doesn't suffer. You work that hard, you need rest--while on a trip and off.

C

 

[michael707767]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Et Al

I hear you. I eluded to some that in the post 2 or 3 above this one. Yes, I would be interested as I have some thoughts of my own. Even minimizing credit would have a very large impact on the pilot costs of the bottom line, IMO. As a regional puke, I kind of "grew up" with the 8 hour days, multiple legs. I actually prefer them, as long as the "down time" doesn't suffer. You work that hard, you need rest--while on a trip and off.

C

First of all, let me say that I realize anything which increases productivity reduces the number of jobs, a very tough thing to do right now. But I still think it will have to be addressed eventually. IMHO minimizing credit time is something the company has to do. There may be some scheduling rules we could change to help accomodate that, but it is still up to them to build better trips. A couple of my ideas. One, why do we have several different catagories of 737s? At Southwest, the same pilots fly everything from the 737-200 to the -700. I see no reason we could not do the same here. Two, streamline the pay scales. Why not have a single rate for all narrow bodies for example? I know guys who have flown the 73S, M88,727, and 738 in five years, each time chasing a small pay raise. Thats a lot of money spent on training, and a lot of time during which the pilot was not productive. If all the narrowbodies paid the same, I'd be willing to bet people would rather not go to training if they are not getting a pay raise. I think the same could apply to the 764, M11, and 777. If all three paid the same, there is not much motivation to move. The last thing I think could be addressed, and this will have to wait for the furloughs to be over, is a higher cap.

 

[Publishers]

carry over

The fact is that in a technological type industry, there tends to carry forth things from earlier that may or may not be appropriate today.

I have often thought that having airlines look to the Railway Labor Act as a symbol of that fact. Regardless of any good points in it, the name itself says it all.

The various changes in pay for all the types is another sort of old deal. While there does have to be differences from the standpoint that regionals have entered the jet age and it make no market sense within the economic structure for a 50 passenger jet to pay the same as a 757, for the most part, there is no difference in flying one commecial aircraft than another.

As things tend to work out in this business, the guy with the seniority gets to pick the cushier flights with the most time off and often gets paid more to do it. In short, he is less productive from the company standpoint and paid more.

As I have said often, there is too much range in pilot pay. The top is paid too much for too little and the bottom is paid too little for too much. There is no balance and like Microsoft, they just keep adding things on old rather than wiping the old off and doing each thing anew. It is more important to not be perceived as giving things up rather than just relooking in the new light.