Originally Posted by
tom11011
I do know this- Fabregas can't give a retention bonus to a select group of already employeed pilots without giving it to all pilots. He can give a signing bonus to a new hire pilot, but that's the extent of it.
In the next 5 years 1/3 of all US airline pilots will retire. There is going to be winner and loser regional airlines, some are going to survive but many will not. When you are knee deep into a situation, sometimes its hard to see with clarity what's really going on. But from an outsiders point of view, I just don't see how anyone can see it any other way. Envoy is a shrinking airline with a top heavy labor structure. One way or the other the balance is going to be restored. The shareholders demand it.
There is no legitimate argument for pay being too high at any regional airline in the entire country. If anything, there are many signs that management has gone to far in cutting pay and benefits at all the regionals, and are just now starting to come to the realization that there are no longer thousands of eager beavers just waiting to work for peanuts.
As far as your shareholders go, the airlines are making more money than any time in recent history. Oil prices are down well over 50% from June of last year, and yet the airlines haven't dropped their fuel surcharges, or any of their other ancillary fees. Oil experts have predicted a chance of oil dropping even further as oil storage in the U.S. is believed to be at or above 80% of capacity countrywide.
There was never a need for any of the concessions recently taken by several of the regional pilot groups, and in fact the current staffing issues at many regionals would actually support the need for vast improvements in pay and benefits if those regionals hope to continue to operate.