I have never been in a union and dont yet know a whole lot about collective bargaining, but I somehow guess it's supposed to make everyone better off, and make those that are part of this Union more happy. After all, PFT stole this position that should be occupied by a paid pilot, and therefor made someone worse off.
Yes, the idea of a union is to make the voices of many heard as one. Empirically, the purpose is to help the membership be "better off". This doesn't always happen, and the rift between the RJDC and ALPA is a good illustration.
As far as unions are concerned, PFT is a different issue. Few unions exist at the level where expereince is built, pilots are new, and PFT exists. My point is that the principle of union memebership is one that is diametrically opposed to the idea of "every man for himself". If this individualistic attitude is a core value, then the idea of collective bargaining, or acting together for the betterment of all, is anathema.
Well, speaking from no experience on this issue I can only tell you what my ECON textbook says about it. "When a union raises the wage above the equilibrium level...
The question then is, where is the equilibrium level? Right now it is in flux, and I dare say it is moving to a new, lower level. The decimation of the industry is having a tremendous downward pressure on wages, both within and without the unions. We will have to see how low it goes. If you have your eye on a 121 job over the long term, the chances that you will have no choice but to join a union are very good. If there is a strike, will you walk the picket line, or will you cross? "Every man for himself?" Think it over.
It looks like the union has accomplished what you claim PFT does. It nocks a man out of his seat.
I don't think so. The union acts against market forces, but only to a certain point. No contract could have kept all of the furloughed pilots working in this business environment. A man gets "knocked out of a seat" because the seat is
no longer needed when either the higher-than-equilibrium wage or the lack of demand for transportation make their respective inputs into the market equation. In the case of PFT, that seat still exists, but is now filled with a pilot who has purchased the position of a required crewmember. If PFT left
no one in the seat, you would be correct in your comparison to the union situation you cited from your textbook.
I guess Union are good only if you get the benefit/Insider. So there again it seems like everyman is for himself.
In order to benefit directly from a union, you have to be a dues paying member, but unions exert upward pressure on wages for those who are
not members also. For example, a TV station in Philadelphia has successfully resisted all efforts of AFTRA to bring in the union. How? This station pays so well and provides such good benefits, no one will sign a card! The benchmark for this was set by the two other network stations, who
are AFTRA contract stations. The employees at the non-union station have clearly benefitted from the union contracts at their competition.
Sometimes its better to have a job than to not have one at all.
Sometimes.
However, if you use "every man for himself" as your guide, you will fight every fight
alone. Decisions made to strike for a higher wage are not always made with wisdom, and anyone with union expereince will tell you that. United's history of union activity and it's union leaders, will show you that it's often a matter of
personalities, instead of good judgement.
The FAA im sure does not have 2 different standards for requirements to be met regarding the route one takes.
No, but they aren't the pilots you will regularly fly with, the pilots who will sit across the interview table from you, or the pilots who will question the idea of "every man for himself".
The only time I will be ashamed of myself is, if I harm people without reason, put people down for no reason, disgrace my country or race(s), or don't stand up for my family or friends.
That's a great start. I'd like to see you add "lower the standards of my profession, and allow creeps to take advantage of young pilots" to the list. I think there is a lot of value in that idea.
For all of us.