Originally Posted by Check Essential
I don't know if padre is real but we ignore the "padre" segment of our pilot group at our own peril.
They are out there.
There are several different variations of padre.
Some dream of moving into management. (or already think of themselves as management because they are "Captains")
Some want to be union honchos and think managing expectations is their mission.
Some derive their satisfaction, pride and self worth from the corporation's success. They regularly wear Delta ball caps and clothing when they are not at work and have a Delta bumper sticker on their car. The bankruptcy nearly killed them.
Others have a blue collar mentality, live modestly and frugally, already make more money than their neighbors and can't understand why anyone needs to make more than $150,000 to live a comfortable life. They may even feel guilty about their compensation.
We need those people. We need their votes. We should calmly and rationally refute their arguments. Explain to them why airline pilots should be highly compensated professionals and why the current level of compensation is grossly inadequate for our training, skill level and responsibilities.
So would you rather your airline be run by a bunch of greedy idiots that used to be pilots? You know what the lineage is for some very important people at DAL who are doing at least a good job. They would likely claim you to be barking up the wrong tree.
When you begin to follow the money you may begin to realize a few things.
1) CRM and TEM has all but extinguished the pilot error accident. Airlines can get by attracting less qualified applicants to work in their policy constructed bubbles. Therefore your compensation is sapped away as the company manages your expectations and functions at ever improving safety levels. Wonder how Pinnacle got an "industry leading" contract? And you see how quickly the people that pay PNCL for their services forget a cold winters night in Buffalo.
2) The high historical earnings of pilots created a pilot surplus when there was no demand for major airline pilots (2003-2007). The regionals attracted the lowest bidder with a promise of providing experience which would be the golden ticket to the big money. All the while investors compared safety rates at major and regional and couldn't see a difference. Therefore the boards were compelled to drive wages lower. Supply and demand right? Think about how many of your friends this concept left as a low seniority RJ Captain.
3) On the cusp of a massive shortage of pilots almost all of you look aft, knowing what was, but not looking forward, knowing that your next contract must be good enough today to buy pilots away from UAL, SWA, FDX, UPS, Emirates, Cathay, and basically every airline on the planet in 2018. When you wait around for revenue generation to be hampered by pilot staffing it's too late. You've lost the fight, and by then it'll be practically too late for 5000 of you just at DAL. 5 years is a reasonable amount of time to fill your pool with steelhead. The deal should only be 3-4 years though.
So basically what I'm saying is that asking for your old contract back makes you look foolish and entitled. Selling the idea that all of your friends will be directed to the highest paying airline by you come crunch time will do more than claiming if you aren't paid more you'll make a bad decision and crash an airplane is a much better business strategy. Besides, you had better odds of winning the lottery.
So don't think for a second that I don't fully support parity plus 5% with SWA. If we want our friends in waiting to have long and fruitful careers we need to sell the idea that we'll send them elsewhere unless we're certain that's what they'll have at the helm of their MD-88.
Demand that Delta keep the bar high to ensure the money continues to flow like the salmon of Capistrano.
So I'm not managing your expectations, and I've done my Section 10 time, and run my own committee for ALPA. I'm just saying you all need to look forward. And not compare yourselves to NWA 1992 and $20/barrel oil. You're making an apples and oranges comparison.