Originally Posted by
ATCsaidDoWhat
Not sure what pay rates you're looking at, but you can have American's. And don't be surprised when you see the others ratchet down in the next couple of years.
As to valid excuses...not sure how long you've been around, but I suspect not long enough to know the history. Or the fact that in terms of contracts, as was said above, this is a second contract as opposed to the ones you reference that have been in place and modified many times over decades.
If you want change and improvement, start by unifying the pilot group around a single goal...instead of everyone having their own ideas on how to do things. Management loves that.
As to the complaint in another post about retirement? 401k will always be a risk. Again, IF the group could get behind a single concept, the way to go would be to join one of the well funded and very secure IBT pension plans that has a very solid track record. But that will never happen when everyone has their own solution and it's the only correct one.
Been there, seen that and have all the t-shirts in the closet.
Wow...where do I begin?
You may have been around a lot longer than I have but you certainly have not been paying attention.
Others ratchet down...
Pattern bargaining is happening as it always has. The concession stand is closed. Major CBA gains have taken place at multiple airlines and they will each trump one another as these airlines are all turning record profits.
Other carriers merged (United and Continental, Delta and Northwest, American and US Airways) and all used their leverage from each merger to make major contractual gains. We threw that leverage away.
This next January:
Atlas Captain $209.14
American $238.71 (American snaps to the average of Delta and United in January 2016. I would take that $30 an hour pay raise now and the almost $65 pay raise for 2016, you wouldn't?)
Delta $276.75
FedEx $269.61
United $268.88
UPS $268.17
Saying that hourly pay is the tip of the iceberg would be an understatement.
Our monthly guarantee is one of the lowest in the industry, even the regionals are in the mid 70s.
Deadhead Pay: the airlines with bad contracts get 50% pay, most get 100% pay, we get 35% pay.
We lack the most basic day or duty rigs.
Trip rig at 4.85 hours paid in a 24 hour period of a trip while everyone else is paid over 6 hours in a 24 hour period of a trip.
I love how you scold me for coming up with my own ideas right before you introduce your own ideas about retirement.
By the way, I would not take a pension plan even if the company was giving it away for free...are you nuts?
Other than FedEx pilots (who would lose their pension if the company ever declares bankruptcy), who still has a pension? Bankruptcy took them all away and it would only be a matter of time before they did that to us. (I guess you do not have this t-shirt, but I do)
Fact: 401k plans can not be taken away by the company, they are the way of the present and the way of the future.
This transition from pension plans to 401ks has only been happening across the country since the mid 1980's.
All of the other top tier airlines now have 16% contribution of a pilot's W2 pay deposited into their 401k account. Pilot participation is not required for this benefit. We get a 5% match if we contribute...pathetic
Why do I feel like I am wasting my time even explaining all of this to you?
Don't get me wrong, I like working at Atlas. However, the financial difference in compensation over a pilot's career would number in the millions.