Originally Posted by
mike734
My perception of reality is that until there is a viable ab-initio program in the states, low time pilots will start their airline careers at airlines with small airplanes. Small airplanes that generate small profit will continue to pay small paychecks. That's reality.
Again, you are confusing the artificially created market with natural market forces (which we don't have). The size of the airplane has nothing to do with it. Mesabah described it quite well I think.
This thread started with the notion that ALPA has sold younger, new airlines pilots down the river. I agree that ALPA national has not implemented a very effective scheme (on a macro level) to preserve pay and benefits for all their pilots. But taken in the context of the political environment and history of the last 20 years (actually since 1978), they have done the best they could. I'd like to see legislative change. I'd like to see the RLA amended. ALPA doesn't pursue that agenda because they're afraid of what they might get. Look at what happened with pt. 117. I'm certainly not less fatigued. Three legs days that approach nine hours are not an improvement if you ask me.
ALPA is far from perfect but I shudder to think what this profession would be like without it. (Collective bargaining that is).
Actually you missed the point of the OP altogether. This has nothing to do with low time or younger pilots getting low pay. The problem is that ALPA created an artificial and controlled sub economy based on seniority that drove down salaries across the board, including yours. The selling out occurred, but it's not the only damage that resulted. Locking you into a contract you can never leave by creating a monopoly system of entitlements for senior pilots ended up driving salaries down over time, not up....even at the high end, even for the experienced and highly skilled captains who thought they were getting ahead.
I've said before, that low time and low inexperience pilots shouldn't demand a high salary, that's not the issue we're discussing. You should stop confusing low time and low experience with a low seniority number or a lower GTOW. Ideally, all airlines should hire a share of low time pilots mixed in with a share of higher time pilots. Pilots have to start somewhere. Our current broken system of airlines canibalizing each other for co pilots is incredibly wasteful and inefficient, as well as unsafe. Add in the entitlement bidding and there goes our salaries. This is the result of APLA and the seniority system. No one will ever convince me that ALPA enhances safety in our industry.