Originally Posted by
Timbo
I've been thinking about this "ALPA Unity" thing for the past 25+ years, ever since ALPA agreed to allow American Airlines B Scale to come onto an ALPA property. ALPA is disfunctional. The talk out of both sides of their mouths and now they represent opposing groups, Majors vs. Regionals.
So what's the solution?
I don't have time to write (or rewrite) the book on this, so I will try to keep this as possible. In a word, ALPA needs a National Contract, with fixed pay rates for every type of equipment. OR, go to Longevity pay, ie. the more years of airline experience any ALPA Pilot has, the more he makes. That alone will take the incentive away from Management to outsource the 100 seat (or less) flying to the Regionals.
If we want to fundamentally change ALPA, then going to a National Contract, where alll ALPA Pilots are paid the same, based on Longevity Pay, with the same level of benefits across all ALPA pilot groups, would be a fundamental change.
Discuss, I've got to let the dogs out...
I've thought the exact same thing for years.
Originally Posted by
Pineapple Guy
I agree, Timbo, but there's one major flaw in your system. What happens to those airlines that simply can't afford to pay that? They will go bankrupt, and then what happens to their pilots? Without a safety net for pilots in this situation (i.e. some type of "portable seniority"), these pilot groups will ALWAYS undercut their fellow pilot groups in a bid to survive. And that starts the whole downward spiral for everyone.
By each pilot group continuing to insist on airline specific seniority, we will never get a national contract.
If the airline can't afford to pay, the airline does not need to exist. I personally think longevity pay should be taken away. I don't think it's right that pilots make different amounts of money flying the exact same plane at the exact same airline. I make close to $100/hour while a new hire makes around $55/hour to do the exact same job. Our maximum pay on the aircraft should be the pay for everyone. Then switching airlines would not be so hard financially on us. As it is now, the bigger aircraft pay more money. Let pilots use their seniority to bid to bigger aircraft thus making more money. Let me be clear. In my system, the pay is based on our current maximum pay scales. I don't want anyone to take a pay cut. I want the bottom guys brought up. It would take a real union to make this happen. We don't have that.