Publisher,
I take issue with your view. Low pay at the regional level is not because of the economy. J.O. will make money with Mesa whether he gives his pilots more money or not. It's just a matter of how much he puts in his pocket. Air Wisconsin, Comair, Skywest, etc all make money for their respective codeshare partners and their own companies while paying their pilots respectable wages for a regional airline.
I believe there are problems with Unions and their priorities. I believe there should be less parody between the top and bottom of the industry. The top 25% of the seniority lists should make less and the bottom 25% should make more.
To blame the economy and excess pilots for the state of the current contracts and negotiations is wrong. Otherwise Great Lakes/Mesa/Colgan (insert substandard paid regional airline here) pilots would have gotten better raises when times were good. You are correct in associating the negotation of better regional contracts with the good times in the 90s but I don't think it was a direct effect nor is that way necessary.
There are a lot of things wrong with this industry and Airline management, pilots, unions, and the government need to start doing the right thing for the industry as a whole and stop being so selfish. It won't happen so I don't have much faith for a simple solution.
I take issue with your view. Low pay at the regional level is not because of the economy. J.O. will make money with Mesa whether he gives his pilots more money or not. It's just a matter of how much he puts in his pocket. Air Wisconsin, Comair, Skywest, etc all make money for their respective codeshare partners and their own companies while paying their pilots respectable wages for a regional airline.
I believe there are problems with Unions and their priorities. I believe there should be less parody between the top and bottom of the industry. The top 25% of the seniority lists should make less and the bottom 25% should make more.
To blame the economy and excess pilots for the state of the current contracts and negotiations is wrong. Otherwise Great Lakes/Mesa/Colgan (insert substandard paid regional airline here) pilots would have gotten better raises when times were good. You are correct in associating the negotation of better regional contracts with the good times in the 90s but I don't think it was a direct effect nor is that way necessary.
There are a lot of things wrong with this industry and Airline management, pilots, unions, and the government need to start doing the right thing for the industry as a whole and stop being so selfish. It won't happen so I don't have much faith for a simple solution.
