Agreed. However just because XJT has high rates makes them the exception. If a small percentage is doing better than the rest to make it more unified would be to cut their wages not up the rest. They are above the average. So is skywest. If ALPA had any effect it wouldn't be on XJT it would be on those operating below the average. ALPA doesn't make the regional excel but rather try and keep them from sinking. At least that's how I view them. Everyone is entitled to their own thinking. I don't think XJT's contract has a single thing to do with ALPA. If they weren't they'd still be sitting at the same spot.

So what you are seeing here is something that's good on paper but, at the regional level, not in practice. ALPA can't stop mesa from screwing their guys or Comair from taking a blade to thiers. They can't really do anything. You can't get blood from a turnip. If the airline doesn't have the money to operate they pilots have no leg to stand on to demand more. The only thing ALPA can do is look at and attack any violations on scope clauses. Which they don't create.

Regardless if everyone out there was ALPA you still have a few things happening. One is everyone is hiring making standards drop. That's across the board. Two, due to certain airline being able to undercut others you're going to see very low wages for some... Mesa to exact. Skywest is not the enemy. Mesa is. By hiring at a high rate and keeping wages and benifits good as skywest does they are keeping pressure on other regionals to do the same if they plan on hiring anyone. XJT is doing so as well, maybe even moreso.

Point is because both XJT, SKW, Republic, are hiring so much while maintaining better work rules/environment THEY and THEY alone appear to be the only ones applying pressure on the industry to get better and are doing so without the help of ALPA. We know Mesa is having serious staffing issues. They'll have to pay more soon if they plan on getting anyone. That's thanks to the companies mentioned above. Not because of ALPA. I don't see SKW as a group of crap people because they aren't a member of ALPA, I see them as someone who's outpacing ALPA and would only waste a few % of their check to make some others make them feel more accepted.

The fact that all the pilots voted on their current rates smells of a unified front within the company. While technically the pilots didn't have any firm ground to stand on, it would be interesting to see what the company would have done had they had a 70/30 or bigger against vote. While offering profit sharing ect. they strike me as a company that values its employees. To obviously go against a majority vote while making money would have some serious HR issues. I could be nieve to things. But that's how I'd like to view them.