Let's use 400K piano pushers as an example.

[KarmaPolice]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Broadway_stagehand_strike[/URL]

Stagehands Making $400,000-Plus Strike Carnegie Opening

Are your skills worth more than a someone who pushes pianos onto a stage?

Do you take pride in what you do, and how hard you worked to get where you are?

Do you want to make the profession you chose better for yourself, your peers, and those who will come after you?

I get why people take jobs paying lower than industry average. It's self interest.

But why do you do this, and not try to make things better? You and your family should be the first thing you care about, but not all you care about.

It's time for pilots to STOP screwing themselves by not caring when they screw over the industry at large. This is NOT greed to work for better things for yourself and your peers.

1. Join the union push at your airline. (Unions are not perfect, but better than nothing)

2. If your airline has a union, volunteer, call your reps, talk to your peers, get involved. DO SOMETHING. WE ARE NOT EARNING WHAT OUR SKILLS OR LEVERAGE DESERVES. Subway train drivers might be making more than you!

We are all in this together and all our contracts are in tandem to each other's.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Management will always claim our pay is tied to profit in bad times and tied to market rates of pilots in good times. It's a double standard to simply save pilot costs which is always their objective.

That is their job. To save money and return profits to shareholders using any means they can utilize while keeping airplanes flying on time.

 

[fletch717]

Airline number 4... Two buyouts, lost seniority twice, screwed equally by management and my own unions and stabbed in the back by my "brothers". I don't care about anything anymore, I show up,fly, go home.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Fletch, it could've and would've been me if I were in your shoes. I get that historically, the airline industry is no different than going to vegas, and where you're at in a particular time is more important that what you've got.

My point is that it IS this way because the people who came before YOU had equally bad experiences and reacted the same way.

We can make this better for the next generations at least.

 

[fletch717]

The next generation will cut the guys throat next to him if it will gain him one seniority number. I promise you, and the guys in the union will use you dues like their own personal steak and wine account while you are working Christmas Eve on a min guarantee month and they are getting 90+ for "union work at home". Take off the rose colored glasses and look at what you are dealing with.

 

[SWA Bubba]

Airline number 4... Two buyouts, lost seniority twice, screwed equally by management and my own unions and stabbed in the back by my "brothers". I don't care about anything anymore, I show up,fly, go home.

Wow. You must be a joy to fly with. I can't wait.

Bubba

 

[list2002]

I'm with Fletch. I've given my "brothers" and the Union the benefit of the doubt at every new turn. Participated, voted, and got burned each time. Still grateful to do what I like for a good living, but don't ask me to get enthusiastic about my union or the so called "brotherhood" we have as professionals.

 

[fletch717]

I've carried the picket signs and done all that hard core bs. I'm done, don't want to be bothered with it ever again.

 

[Dan Roman]

Wow. You must be a joy to fly with. I can't wait.

Bubba

In Fletch's defense, his feelings are what happens when a company tries to grow by acquiring another. The acquired pilots don't owe anything to a group that treated them the way SWA/SWAPA treated the AirTran pilots.
Before you get all "Roman hates SWA" on me, I don't know how it should have been handled or a better way. I'm just pointing out the fact that you can't acquire someones airline and expect them to be an enthusiastic supporter of the company that uprooted their career. It's one of the prices of a merger and why they fail more often then they succeed (think USAir/Piedmont)

 

[FlyinGuy]

Airline number 4... Two buyouts, lost seniority twice, screwed equally by management and my own unions and stabbed in the back by my "brothers". I don't care about anything anymore, I show up,fly, go home.

That kinda sucks. At least you were given a fair shake on this last deal, so hopefully that will change your perspective.