Pilot shortage, coming soon to an airline near you.

[Oakum_Boy]

That is commendable.

 

[siucavflight]

What do you mean can't find new hires? Our next class is full starting on 2-19 and our interview schedule for the month of Feb is full for future classes. Then again we start at $36K.

Where do you work?

 

[pilotyip]

siu, USA Jet

 

[enigma]

The other thing about auto workers: They have an effective union! Wow, imagine that....

When they get laid off, they still earn over 50% of their pay. That gives the employers an incentive to not lay them off. Also: Because of the lay-off pay, when the company really does want to thin the ranks, they offer HUGE contract buy outs to get folks off the list. Anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000+. Now, that is the work of a real union.

Now, of course, those "I've got mine" @hole pilots are going to come on here and say crap like: "Yeah, but those kind of benefits mean that overall everyone gets paid a little less (like, for example, senior captains...)"

And that's probably true, but it didn't stop the auto workers unions from negotiating it nonetheless. Why? Because the auto workers know that EVERY worker matters, and there is strength in unity. And, they still earn more than regional pilots from day one.

What does ALPA do? Sit around and figure out schemes to pay their captains a little bit more while screwing over ALPA pilots at other carriers. For just one example, look at Compass. Thanks guys!

I feel your pain brother, but you need a little education. Autoworker unions fall under different laws than do pilot (transportation) unions. Autoworkers can strike fairly easily, pilots can not. It's really that simple. If you don't like it, contribute to a pilot friendly politician. As long as pilot unions fall under the RLA, we don't have much leverage.

When was the last time you volunteered your time to help other pilots?

 

[belchfire]

There is no shortage of underpaid jobs though...

 

[pilotyip]

Xjohn, The union auto companies are getting there butts kicked by the non-union auto companies. This is primarily due to the cost advantage the non-union companies have over the union auto makers. What you call an effective union has lead to the elimination of 100,000's of UAW jobs. UAW menership peaked at over 800,000 in 1979, today it is around 400,000.

 

[Beach Bum]

The Toyota plant in Indiana pays its auto workers similar wages as the Ford Ranger plant in St. Paul, MN.

 

[Goose Egg]

Anyway, I think that it's pretty telling that SKW won't lower its mins below 1000/100. There might be a shortage of qualified applicants, but no shortage of applicants. There are still enough out pilots out there that they can afford to be selective, at least to some degree.

But then again, the fact that they will be hiring 700 pilots at or above my qualification level is pretty good news. Actually, by the time I get 100 multi, I'll probably be around 1200 total.

Anyway, take it all with a grain of salt. There was definitely an element of sensationalism to that piece, but there was also some good info.

-Goose

 

[pilotyip]

Beach bum exactly right in fact Toyota may be paying them more after the new UAW concessionary contract coming up this year. But the Toyota workers are much more productive, they carry more than one job classification, they do not get paid for not working, they have no pension, they have no retirement medical. Those are all costs associated with building cars, and for those reason the non-union plants have an advantage.

 

[ualdriver]

Beach bum exactly right in fact Toyota may be paying them more after the new UAW concessionary contract coming up this year. But the Toyota workers are much more productive, they carry more than one job classification, they do not get paid for not working, they have no pension, they have no retirement medical. Those are all costs associated with building cars, and for those reason the non-union plants have an advantage.

The parallels are intriguing.