ToiletDuck

1st off by not snooping to the low stadards of some of those in ALPA skywest is doing their part. Being a larger regional and supporting good work rules IS helping the industry.

2nd the "risk your jobs" statement is the dumbest thing I've read. Why would someone want to risk their job that is great by regional standards just to win your approval? You act like a group of pilots should regret that their company is winning contracts without sinking as low as several ALPA airlines.

You're picking the wrong battles and you'll never make some guy put his job on the line so you can feel better or accept him more.

There are a few things going on in the industry that are good and none of them have ALPA to thank for it. You honestly think the reason skywest has the contracts they do is because of ALPA's struggles? The reason they pay what they do is because everyone in the industry is hiring. Just like there is always some guy willing to fly for less for a company like mesa. There is a company willing to offer a slightly higher percentage to keep their company flying. They are willing to take a smaller profit vs no profit at all. During a time of mass employment boom everyone is having to fight for pilots. Hence the dropped standards. Because of this each airline is having to do what they can to get them. XJT and SKW are hiring more than anyone and that's why you see the best payrates there. It isn't because ALPA is doing anything. If ALPA was doing something you'd see a standards across the board from all ALPA members. Which you don't. You don't see Mesa inline with XJT do you? If ALPA had anything real to add they'd have all their guys inline.

True SKW can turn around a year from now and screw everyone. Till that happens there is no arguement. Lets say XJT drop wages of everyone by 15% next year (though I seriously seriously doubt it). What would ALPA do to stop it? When have they stopped it in the past? If they were effective Mesa wouldn't be sitting where it is. They could go on strike, let the pilots not earn any money and go broke, then have the strike overturned by a judge and viola there it is. Look at Comair. This isn't a time where you see everyone making a ton of money and the pilots just think they deserve a little more. This is a time when many companies are dancing on that fine line of bankruptcy which can basically tie the unions hands. I know it isn't finalized but isn't comair taking a rough 15% hit across the board? It was word of mouth from another pilot so it could be strait false for all I know. But if it is true where did ALPA save them there? All they did was have a long battle with the same end.

Don't get me wrong I think unions are a great thing. I think ALPA is a great thing to have. Wrongful termination, scope clause violation, ect. But at the same time i'm also reasonable enough not to complain about one of the best regional companies out there just because they aren't a memeber. If SKW paid double everyone else but wasn't a member of ALPA would you complain about them then? They offer decent pay, good work rules, happy environment, profit sharing. Where has ALPA secured that for anyone else? They can't even get people's butts who are paying dues out of a sling.

I think ALPA is a necessary thing. I'd hate to work at a place that wasn't a member, unless that place was leading the way in terms of pay and benifits... Which SKW is. I'm a huge fan of XJT as most know. But let SKW get all the flying they can. They are a better company than most and I hope they get anything XJT doesn't want. Would you complain if SKW took all of GoJets' routes and ran them under?