so airlines don't go on strike and drive their customers into other airline tubes? But what about when unions price themselves out of the market, and non-union companies such Toyota, JetBlue, etc step in and offer the consumers a similar product at a lower price. Why do union members support non-union places of work, i.e. all the UAW Buy American stickers on the bumpers of the cars parked in the Wal-Mart parking lot? If Bob King, follows was the old tactics of the UAW, he will most likely destroy the remainder of the US auto industry. But if he follows the tactic of the Germans unions, where raises in pay in benefits are more than offset by increases in productivity, he may truly become an American hero. No more job bank, no more 76 job classifications. In the end the consumer of a product determines the wages paid to the employees. BTW I do not shop at Wal-Mart I shop a union store down the street called Meijer's, why because they are a local business.
This is a great post on the reality of the airline industry. It seems that pilots think that if they get more money, everyone else will be happy without a raise. That is not the case; a raise for pilots results in rasies for everyone else, pushing the bottom line of the airline. They have to raise prices and allow new airlines like JB, Virgin and whatever name to step in and steal passengers, putting further pressure on the new union air carrier. Plus the union has to keep promising more in order to continue collecting dues. Their demands often become like sharks in a feeding frenzy. Look at the 2000 UAL contract that forced on to management, $350K top pay for a CA, the airline could not afford that. This was forced upon them at the same time that he first class passenger was going away. That was not today's first class upgrade guy, but the guy who paid $2000 for a trip ORD-LAX. It became the perfect storm with 9-11 that resulted in BK two years later.
thank that is what I ahve saying, people should hear both sides if you are on a public form
Another dose of reality in a sea of unbridled and unlimited promises of the future pilot job perfection
Trouble is the necessity often turns evil. The union activists that move to the forefront of union leadership continue to sell the promises of increased pay, days off and benefits in order justify the union’s existence and why the pilots are paying dues. The defiant battle cry of we will show them who is boss rings through the union halls in defiance of the reality of the airline marketplace.
what about the post that JB 320 drivers are paid 30% more than 320 pilots at USAir? How does one determine industry average? Having been there done that, I am always concerned about the unintended consequences.
