Originally Posted by freightguy

When I was a flight instructor, I worked two other jobs to supplement my income. When I did 135 freight, I freelanced on the side. When I flew at a regional, I ran a side business. I sacrificed a lot on the way to get this elusive 'major airline job', so I don't have to do $hit on the side anymore. However, now that I'm at DAL, I make $5000 a month after deductions/taxes...flying a widebody. Fkn pathetic. (70 rsv guarantee x $115 -25% taxes -other deduction (medical, dues etc).

I used to be proud to wear the DAL uniform and fly across the oceans in a widebody. But not anymore....I'm tired....my free time is spent running my business like many of you guys. $5000 a month does not make me proud nor pay my bills. I make more than DAL pay for way less responsibility and consequences. Don't get me wrong....I do the best job I can at Delta. But I have bills to pay and Delta is not my only calling anymore.

I have friends all over the world who are airlines pilots. Even pilots flying for some $hitty LCCs in Asia have a much higher living standard than us....especially looking at he cost of living and how much they make. (In most countries, pilots are paid at par with surgeons or even much much higher....PM me if you want proof). My airline pilot friends abroad are shocked to find out how much net salary I make, how much it costs to live and how much we are paid compared to other professional jobs. Hell, we make way less than SWA, Fedex, UPS etc in our own country. Many of them laugh at how much I take home.

This $hit got to stop. We should have more self respect in the upcoming contract. We should not have to work second jobs and businesses to provide for the family while working for the world's largest airline by passenger volume. We should not have to come in tired after working all day to flying airplanes across the continent/s for a net salary of $5000 / month for an FO or even twice for a CA seat. Not even close for 'One Great Airline'. We keep selling ourself short and senior management keeps it and shares among them nice million dollar bonunses. They will tell you and me all the reason why we they can't afford to pay us anymore while they all enjoy their multi-million salaries. Nobody should expect us to work second jobs/ side businesses to feed our families.

Doing a side business/ second job to satisfy ones luxurious habits or as a hobby is one thing. We should never be in a position where we have to do it to survive.

I really wanna see the opener ALPA comes up with. I will settle for nothing short of restoration of the loan I gave the company in 2000....neither should you. I (and you) saved the damn company and subsidized their poor management decisions for more than a decade. Enough! I hope we are ramping up our strike committee....
I am sure the management will threaten with furloughs etc when the negotiation time comes. Lets not fall for it. Let them furlough me. I wanna come back to a well paid decent job after a furlough than keep whoring away for $hit wages.

OK...I feel better now