Originally Posted by
mia389
As an outsider looking in I don't see how voting down a TA means a turn for the industry. If it was that simple why not earlier or how did you end up with the current contract. Maybe they are trying to give you a worse one. If that is the case I totally understand but "change" the industry I don't.
Also don't be surprised at the outcome. I remember at 9E I thought a contract would never pass but it did as I was walking out the door. On the line "everyone" said they were a no vote.
What ever happened to "Ill pay you this to come work for me. If you don't like it leave." In the corporate world I sure don't blame XYZ's flight department for my agreement with my boss. But in 121 its other airlines fault. I remember 9E guys were mad at mesaba guys for a bit. Actually I think it was the other way around. Maybe I am to simple of a guy.
What happened is the RLA and the seniority system which makes a lateral move nigh impossible. As a regional pilot, you've got around 100K sunk in your diminishing or stagnant career. Until recently, there were very few non-regional airline jobs available, quitting means you start all over again at yr1 pay at some other dump of a regional. The govt. backed RLA, the use of bankruptcy courts to abrogate contracts and the seniority system means you are an indentured servant on a plantation.
Mainline airlines hire several regional airlines and then force them to bid against ea. other for flying contracts. So as regional pilots we are constantly being threatened with losing our jobs, if we don't take contract concessions. The worm is turning, and pilots have had enough. BTW, the RLA and weak unions allow the company to violate their contract with the employees as they see fit, and make restitution at some future date through arbitration. Due to these circumstances, morale at most airlines and especially the regional airlines which provide 50
% or more of domestic air travel, is rock bottom. One big reason air travel sucks is employee morale sucks. Former CEO of UAL is famously quoted as saying employee morale is not his problem!