Originally Posted by
WestCoaster
I think the point you're trying to make has at least a little merit, although you're probably basing it on the wrong premise (in addition to the fact that you just made a comment about blue collar laborers with iroc&amullet as your nickname... irony?)
I'm sure that there are a lot of pilots out there who don't care how much they make, and as a result, are happy working for lower wages, crappier schedules, and less benifits. Just look at some non-union carriers (with exceptions). I hope, as ALPA starts to make its run at getting QOL back after post 9/11 concessions, that pilots at all carriers realize how detrimental it is to our profession when one group decides to "settle for less" because its easier than negotiating with management for what they (we all) really deserve.
A nationally united group of pilots, whether it be through one union or simply one ideal, will make each individual pilot group stronger when it comes time to negotiate future contracts against a management who is content to pay us less than we're worth.
All good points, but I believe that battle will be far longer than anyone presently can imagine. With barriers to entry reduced to "sign here," the stampede of 20-year-old kids who would fly for free just to impress their buddies, and proletariat laborers who would naturally rather fly a jet for minimum wage than dig a ditch for minimum wage, has shallowed and widened the talent pool, resulting in such a glut of low-quality (comparitive to those of yesteryear) applicants that any attempt to rectify the payscales in today's environment would be futile.