The real effect here will not be on pilots working inside North America. Countries in Asia, India, the Middle East have a severe shortage of experienced and qualified pilots. Therefore, they pay a healthy premiuim to get expat pilots from more developed countries to come in and fly their airplanes.
For a very long time this has been a hidden cash cow where guys can bank over a million+ US dollars tax free in a relatively short period of time (compared to working in the US).
The contracts have traditionally included housing, per diem, big blocks of vacation, tax free salaries, regular business class travel back to the home country several times a year, school costs and health insurance for the whole family.
Basically, MESA is exporting their cheap pilot force and will be destroying the premiums and benefits Expat pilots have always been paid. They helped lower the bar in North America, now they have decided to go Global with their Walmart style work force.
As an Expat working overseas, this really worries me. They are no better than the third world pilots that have started to under cut in India.
For a very long time this has been a hidden cash cow where guys can bank over a million+ US dollars tax free in a relatively short period of time (compared to working in the US).
The contracts have traditionally included housing, per diem, big blocks of vacation, tax free salaries, regular business class travel back to the home country several times a year, school costs and health insurance for the whole family.
Basically, MESA is exporting their cheap pilot force and will be destroying the premiums and benefits Expat pilots have always been paid. They helped lower the bar in North America, now they have decided to go Global with their Walmart style work force.
As an Expat working overseas, this really worries me. They are no better than the third world pilots that have started to under cut in India.