Originally Posted by
Whidbey
I don't think he stabbed anyone in the back. That was a face shot.
The word "unity" sounds good, but there's no more direct attack on professional unity than doing the same work as your peers for less money.
Nothing but respect for the hard work going on at regional airlines, but it blows me away when junior guys rail on the old salts for "selling," or losing, or relaxing scope. Show me where in any major airline contract it lays out the crappy work rules and low pay at the regionals. Guys fly there because it provided the quickest access to turbine time to build your flight time. Because of circumstance, unwillingness, or inability to gain experience by other means- guys in that world are willingly engaging in a known transaction: crappy pay for experience and flight time.
Man up and admit it- that willingness to work for less is destroying the very thing they aspire to.
Everyone wants to talk about what a pilot is worth, how much we used to make, etc.
A pilot is "worth" whatever he or she is willing to work for, period.
Whidbey;
I agree with almost eveything you said. The buck does begin and end with us. If you are new to mother D as your avatar says, you will find that about 65% of your coworkers vote yes every time. If you should on occasion find yourself in the 35% crowd, welcome to reality. This isn't baseball arbitration. There are no merit upgrades. There are no O-2 or O-3 NATOPs or OEV (DOV) guys.
-88 drvr came to DAL from TWA, a major airline that worked for less due to a robber baron who gutted that company. If you were in his shoes and noone was hiring, would you have chosen unemployment due to your principles or would you have continued to feed your family while you tried to move up to a better (paying) company.
I am not new to mother D. I miss that starry eyed great feeling when I got hired. I didn't know squat about unions. I grew up in the merit upgrade culture of the military.
While I cannot put it into words why, I don't begrudge the vast majority of regional pilots on anything (there are some bottom feeders that I cant vouch for). I dont know why, despite really REALLY wanting to reel in scope. I dont want to just pull up the ladder. I say bring 'em aboard, they've been doing the job of flying DAL pax for years.
In the end, pilots are only worth what the MAJORITY are willing to work for.