I have been watching everything pretty closely for the past couple of months and just came back from an interview. The question I have is where people are getting the idea that NJA is looking for low time instructors who "get to fly a jet for the first time" and therefor will fly for substandard pay. Here is a breakdown of the people I met at my interview:
1) Airforce (KC-135)
2) Marine Corps (Super Corbra, Beech 1900 121 time, and Citation type)
3) Piedmont Airlines (over three years on the DHC-8)
4) American Eagle (over 5 years on the E-145 and other Eagle T-props)
5) Career Charter Pilot (typed in the KA-350 who flew every Beech product except the 1900)
6) Career Charter Pilot (typed in 1900 and DHC-7)
7) Me (see profile)
I would guess that the average age was around 35. We all went through the NJA presentation that discased everything under the current contract and to my knowledge every one who was offered a job accepted. These folks were far from a CFI drooling over a jet. They were hard working professionals who did not see any future at their current employer and or had a couple of layoffs under their belt. No one is getting any younger and this contract is still better than any of us could find to work under elsewhere.
The fact is that while this TA is far off from what most people were hoping for it is still better than all of the regionals where most of us were coming from or going to.
Finding a company that has never had a furlough, no hot reserve, has good benefits, pays you day one, pays all of your uniforms, and is growing all adds up to a company that is much better than a lot of other outfits out there.
Looking at airline pilot pay I found a quick comparison for the first three years as an FO and fourth as a captain:
1) Air Wisconsin: 23, 33, 34, 41
2) American Eagle 21, 30, 32, 45
3) ASA 19, 34, 35, 66
4) Chautauqua 22, 29, 33, 61
5) Comair 23, 37, 38, 66
6) Express Jet 20, 28, 31, 57
7) Pinnicle 21, 24, 30, 60
8) PSA 21, 27, 29, 60
9) Skywest 19, 27, 28, 61
10)Trans States 22, 25, 27, 58
Regional Average:
Year 1: $21.1 Year 2: $29.4 Year 3: $31.7 Year 4: $57.5 Four year Average: $34.9
When working out this demonstration I did not take into effect companies like Colgan Air, Corporate, Great Lakes, Mesa, Mesaba, Shuttle America or Skyway. I also did not compare per-diem or benefits.
NJA new Pay scales:
Year 1: $33.5 Year 2: 34.7 Year 3: 36.0 Year 4: 65. Four year Average: $42.3
This demonstrates an average difference of $7,400/year.
Using the same criteria I compared Flight Options and came up this:
Year 1: 33.9 Year 2: 36.0 Year 3: 39.9 Year 4: 62.1 Four year Average: $42.9
I understand that everyone is frustrated. At my previous employer (also Teamsters) we had passed a 96% strike vote before our TA got finalized. I think that NJA pilots obviously deserve more but to say that it will pass because of low time pilots with no jet time who will work for nothing is a very very inaccurate observation of our industry as a whole.
