Originally Posted by
Pakagecheck
While we might be a professional association of white collar people, we still perform manual labour. Our advanced degrees look great on the wall and our experience in leading others makes for great stories to others, but the fact of the matter is we are hourly wage earners. We are skilled laborers. Previously, many of us might have been white collar, and the company loves to exploit that. We have the "get the job done" attitude. But make no mistake, we are viewed from our management as overpaid skilled labour. I for one know my place, I tell my neighbors, I'm their worst nightmare, I'm just white trash with a little bit of cash. Now, I got to go open another box of wine.
Pakage
I think your "Blue collar" attitude might be limiting us in negotiations!
This company hired most of us specifically because we are "professionals." Most of us have significant education and managerial experience that allows us to both work together to solve problems, and to use our background to actually solve those many issues that pop up every day on the line.
Perhaps if we viewed ourselves as the white-collar workers that we are, we would be more aggressive in negotiations, demanding the compensation and work rules that we have both earned, and that maintain a professional level of competence at this unique airline.
Samuel Gompers...I don't think so!