clr4theapch
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 2, 2004
- Posts
- 711
Holding out and the school pools..
Squirrel, I like you have mentioned not taking jobs for substandard pay..as I too over the past 7 years have probably been on more interviews that offered jobs than most dispatchers have done in their lives..only to turn them down, for mostly the same reasons you mention..( there are many here that know my story and thanks for not rubbing it in)
Being a career changer 10 years ago, I was sold the "blue sky dream by my school in that 6 figures was the top out pay for dispatchers.. and my dream was ignited..
Of course they failed to mention that it was a very slow progression ( if ever) to get to that pay rate.. 10 years ago, there was'nt the information flow that we have today, the communication (like this) and the economy as not nearly as bad as it today..
The reality of learning that most companies are located in expensive cities that one can barely afford to live in a crash pad in, let alone a family also became a big player in the final outcomes.. J/S became increasingly harder for dispatchers.. all of it tough on the paycheck and more so as one gets older with a family to support..
Having worked for a regional a cargo carrier, and several failed startups.. I soon learned the "real world" of dispatching was not what I originally thought it was.. (Doh).. but I continued to get interviews and offers that just did not make it financially possible to take.... I was always nice with HR's or managers when thay asked why I turned them down.. by letting them know the pay structure was too low for the work we do or for the vast experience I personally had to bring there from my professional life.. of course this means nothing as the unions contracts dictated the starting pay and the company hands were tied.. making it easy for them, never the less they knew why I did not take the offers.. even to my own demize I somehow figured at the time that maybe this would help future contracts and payscales.. silly me..
The biggest problem that will always continue to promote this syndrome is the constant green students coming out of schools willing to sell their souls to get that first airline job dispatching.. the companys know it, and its fine with them.. the union contracts continue to force these lowly wages on new hires, not matter if they are 23 just out of schools or someone with 30 years of overall experience.. it all pays the same... (in my opinion, this is a major flaw in the unions thinking). If the unions were to recognise experience from other carriers and pay new hires accordingly.. I think this would raise the entires staffs pay rates as a whole..
The lession I learned here is obvious, all the individual protesting to the pay rates by guys like you and me and others.. does nothing.. but hurt us individully, nothing is going to change until the currently employed union dispatchers insist on major changes that recognize "past" experience and pay accordingly to new hires as it applies..otherwise poor new hires will continue to get hred and the more senior dispatchers pay wll still be dragging an anchor behind them.. Of course the companys will never approve such a contract, opening the door to higher labor rates..
Bottom line in todays world is the same as it has been for 50 years.. if you move to a new airline, you will start at the bottom of the food chain.. period..
If one does not have the right kind of experience, the "inside network" then the chances of getting to a legacy carrier are probably 95% against you.. Thus the saying the regional jobs are the new career position for most.. (Bagviator).. so good luck..
This is a young and single persons game now.. or now that my empty nest is cheaper, I can move anywhere for a new gig..
"Of course I could be wrong"...JMHO
Squirrel, I like you have mentioned not taking jobs for substandard pay..as I too over the past 7 years have probably been on more interviews that offered jobs than most dispatchers have done in their lives..only to turn them down, for mostly the same reasons you mention..( there are many here that know my story and thanks for not rubbing it in)
Being a career changer 10 years ago, I was sold the "blue sky dream by my school in that 6 figures was the top out pay for dispatchers.. and my dream was ignited..
Of course they failed to mention that it was a very slow progression ( if ever) to get to that pay rate.. 10 years ago, there was'nt the information flow that we have today, the communication (like this) and the economy as not nearly as bad as it today..
The reality of learning that most companies are located in expensive cities that one can barely afford to live in a crash pad in, let alone a family also became a big player in the final outcomes.. J/S became increasingly harder for dispatchers.. all of it tough on the paycheck and more so as one gets older with a family to support..
Having worked for a regional a cargo carrier, and several failed startups.. I soon learned the "real world" of dispatching was not what I originally thought it was.. (Doh).. but I continued to get interviews and offers that just did not make it financially possible to take.... I was always nice with HR's or managers when thay asked why I turned them down.. by letting them know the pay structure was too low for the work we do or for the vast experience I personally had to bring there from my professional life.. of course this means nothing as the unions contracts dictated the starting pay and the company hands were tied.. making it easy for them, never the less they knew why I did not take the offers.. even to my own demize I somehow figured at the time that maybe this would help future contracts and payscales.. silly me..
The biggest problem that will always continue to promote this syndrome is the constant green students coming out of schools willing to sell their souls to get that first airline job dispatching.. the companys know it, and its fine with them.. the union contracts continue to force these lowly wages on new hires, not matter if they are 23 just out of schools or someone with 30 years of overall experience.. it all pays the same... (in my opinion, this is a major flaw in the unions thinking). If the unions were to recognise experience from other carriers and pay new hires accordingly.. I think this would raise the entires staffs pay rates as a whole..
The lession I learned here is obvious, all the individual protesting to the pay rates by guys like you and me and others.. does nothing.. but hurt us individully, nothing is going to change until the currently employed union dispatchers insist on major changes that recognize "past" experience and pay accordingly to new hires as it applies..otherwise poor new hires will continue to get hred and the more senior dispatchers pay wll still be dragging an anchor behind them.. Of course the companys will never approve such a contract, opening the door to higher labor rates..
Bottom line in todays world is the same as it has been for 50 years.. if you move to a new airline, you will start at the bottom of the food chain.. period..
If one does not have the right kind of experience, the "inside network" then the chances of getting to a legacy carrier are probably 95% against you.. Thus the saying the regional jobs are the new career position for most.. (Bagviator).. so good luck..
This is a young and single persons game now.. or now that my empty nest is cheaper, I can move anywhere for a new gig..
"Of course I could be wrong"...JMHO
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