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Stop Degrading My Profession

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Jonny Sacko

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 22, 2005
Posts
748
[SIZE=-1]]White-collar workers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-collar_worker
perform tasks which are less "physically laborious" yet often more highly paid than blue-collar workers, who do manual work. They are salaried professionals (such as some doctors or lawyers), as well as employees in administrative or clerical positions. In some studies, managers are considered as part of the white-collar worker grouping, in others they are not. The name derives from the traditional white shirts worn by workers of such professions. The white shirts are easily soiled and therefore distinguish the workers who "do not get their hands dirty."
Formerly a minority in the agrarian and early industrial societies, they have become a majority in industrialized countries. The recent technological revolution has created disproportionately more desk jobs, and lessened the number of employees doing manual work in factories. Generally, the pay rate is higher among white-collar workers, although many of the "white-collar" workers are not necessarily upper class or of privilege as the term once implied. For example, many jobs in the ever growing service sector have a high dress code despite their low pay, whereas ironically, many skilled manual trades-people earn comfortable middle-class salaries, although the jobs may be increasingly scarce.
Also, an increasing number of companies do not have any blue collar workers since they do not physically manufacture anything within their home country, but instead have an entire hierarchy of white collar desk workers who mostly dress the same. In this type of corporate environment, the ranking is less signified by the clothing, but may be strikingly apparent by the quality of the work space, the responsibilities delegated, the privileges granted, and by the salary itself.
In recent times workers have had varying degrees of latitude about their choice of dress. Dress codes can range from relaxed - with employees allowed to wear jeans and street clothes — up to traditional office attire. Many companies today operate in a business casual environment — where employees are required to wear dress pants or skirts and a shirt with a collar. Because of this, not all what would be called white collar workers in fact wear the traditional white shirt and tie.
As an example of workspace contrast, the higher ranking executives may have large corner offices with impressive views and expensive furnishings, where the lesser ranked desk clerks may share small, windowless cubicles with plain utilitarian furniture. As an example of the differing responsibilities, the higher ranked worker will usually have a more broad and fundamental responsibility in the company whereas the subordinates will be delegated more specific, and limited tasks. The cases of differing privilege and salary speak for themselves.
At some companies, the "white collar employees" also on occasion perform "blue collar" tasks (or vice versa), and even change their clothing to perform the distinctive roles, ie. dressing up or dressing down as the case requires. This is common in the food service industry. An example would be a manager at a restaurant who may wear more formal clothing than lower-ranked employees, yet still sometimes assist with cooking food or taking customers' orders. Employees of event catering companies often wear formal clothing when serving food.
As salaried employees, white-collar workers are sometimes members of white-collar labor unions and they can resort to strike action to settle grievances with their employers, when collective bargaining fails. This is far more the case in Europe than in the United States, where less than 10 percent of all private sector employees are union members. White-collar workers have a reputation for being skeptical or opposed to unions, and tend to see their advancement in work as tied to their reaching corporate goals rather than in union membership.
[/B]

Blue-collar worker

In the United States, a blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage. Blue-collar workers are distinguished from service workers and from white-collar workers, whose jobs are not considered manual labor; additionally, white-collar workers earn an annual salary rather than an hourly wage. Blue collar work may be skilled or unskilled, and may involve factory work, building and construction trades, law enforcement, mechanical work, maintenance or technical installations. The white-collar worker, by contrast, performs non-manual labor often in an office; and the service industry worker performs non-manual labor involving customer interaction, entertainment, retail and outside sales, and the like. Some service industry workers differ as they perform tasks that are mostly unskilled in the service sector. [1]
The term blue-collar occasionally carries a stereotype based on historical perspective, but is rarely perceived to be a negative one. The blue-collar worker in the United States is an embodiment of the American mythos of a work ethic and the dignity of labor. [2] Some blue-collar jobs, such as those of janitors and assembly line workers, may carry negative stereotypes from perceptions that they represent minimal ability. Most involve levels of specialized skill that carry no stigma, and are contrarily a source of pride.



Pilots are salaried. We contract for a minimum salary each month, plus commission, bonus, overs, profit sharing, etc =(flying over guarantee)

Blue collar workers go to work and get paid ONLY IF THEY WORK

The next negotiation you are in, DON"T DEGRADE OUR PROFESSION, DEMAND MORE, STAND UP, IT'S TIME!!![/SIZE]
The management has done everything in their power to push us into menial laboring category, or blue collar to pay us LESS!
 
Don't look to your fellow pilots to keep OUR profession from being degraded. The American Elite has put into place rules that keep the worker (white collar or otherwise) down. Learn these rules and learn how to do well within their guidelines.

Look at how the railway labor act is being trotted out to stimy the NWA F/A's. Blame it on what you will--The President, Congress, The elite that run this country, or the many judges who want labor crushed. Self help is SEVERLY restricted. The executives at companies get protection from us.

You want to stop the degradation? Change the law or go work for a company with little likelyhood of chipping away at your paycheck and work rules. Look at a prospective employer like an investor.
 
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With the above definition, pilots are blue-collar.

When a "white collar" worker stays late at work, he receives exactly the same check. When he doesn't come to work, he receives exactly the same check. Big difference from pilots. Sad but true.
 
QXpeon said:
And how do you change the law?

Vote the anti-labor bastards out in November.

Yeah - I really want higher taxes so some idiot in DC can spend it on more social programs....
 
accinelli said:
Or spend it supporting sick airlines a.k.a the "legacies."

Or spend over $290B on a trumped up war waged on a country that never attacked us.
 
QXpeon said:
Vote the anti-labor bastards out in November.

Well that would be 535 Congressional folks and how ever many Senators that are up this year.
 
SDF2BUF2MCO said:
Well that would be 535 Congressional folks and how ever many Senators that are up this year.

I'm glad somebody understands that.
 
Wake up!!

SkiFishFly said:
Yeah - I really want higher taxes so some idiot in DC can spend it on more social programs....

Government spending and our deficit are at record highs, and the so-called "tax & spend" democrats aren't in power.
 

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