Originally Posted by
Bucking Bar
Ten,
Your version of history is not quite right.
Back in the day, we had airline jobs, period. Some airlines like Pan Am were big and international, some airlines like Delta, Northeast, Ransome and Southern were small and regional.
By the time the RJ's came along in 1996, there were already DC9's, BAE146's, 737's, F27's and Dash 7's. Some regional airlines, like ASA, flew their own code and also code-shared with Delta t increase Delta's feed, just as Alaska does today. Comair was a bit of a new model, since it was developed by Delta and operated under Delta's direction.
In the day these carriers would have been treated like Ramsome, Southern, Northeast, etc... In those days the capacity of the DC-3, Convairs and the like were not that distant a memory. The memories of men like EL Cord who used alter ego to bust pilot labor unions was familiar too. Our union understood whipsaw and the risks of letting the Company have a choice of pilot labor.
You do place the blame in the right general direction. It was ALPA, specifically our mainline MEC's who brought forward the changes needed to facilitate and transfer the wealth to us, a preferred class of pilots who would enjoy the fruits of superior representation.
Morally, I believe it is wrong that we, as a union, provide a different outcome to pilots based on the number of seats on their airplanes. If Pinnacle had one more seat on one airplane, they'd be afforded the benefits of ALPA's merger policy. But since they have only 76 seats, they are suckered into concessionary contracts for survival.
Your conclusions are probably right. It seemed some here might benefit from the history lesson. DCI in it's current form remains inefficient, a lousy place to work and far from our best efforts to serve our customers. We should continue our efforts to see that only Delta pilots perform Delta flying.
Great reply! I think we or at least I can say I agree with you almost 100% I started flying back in 75 and had a late start in this career due to military or flying in the Guard. Had the privilege to fly with most of the pilots from all the airlines so I did learn some history of the various carriers. If I had my way there wouldn't be any regionals and I would already be flying at a major or as some or many here would think, on the street in another career. When I was working on my ratings I don't think there were regionals just 135 commuters and a BIG difference from a commuter to the major. The majors first stopped scope at less then 40, then 50, now 76. Had the feeling you're not good enough to fly anything bigger then 10 or 20 seats unless you're at a major. But then it was ok you can go to 33, 44, 50, opps lets make it 76 now. There also used to be great differences between commuters and the majors but I don't see so much difference anymore.
As in the previous post most major pilots did earn their positions and I turned down job offers at Eastern for the obvious reason. However, you need only look at CAL to know that not every major pilot earned his position. So after seeing the buyouts and mergers I find it hard to see what's so wrong with having a flow to the bottom of the seniority list when a major buys regionals. Maybe it would help stop some of the whipsawing among the regionals. I also don't understand the reasoning if I am not allowed to operate an airlines aircraft at the major level why be allowed to operate the same airlines owned aircraft at the regional? I know, its the test and interview. Makes since to me now.