Originally Posted by
Denny Crane
You do realize there is one huge difference between pilots and the professionals you mention above.........pilots at major airlines work under a seniority system. This makes lateral moves between companies impossible while all the professions you list above can do exactly what you say...........leave and find a new job that pays more.
My biggest gripe about being in a union is that we use a seniority system. That ensures that you are promoted not based on how good a pilot you are, but simply by how long you've been with the airline. That means the crappy pilots get promoted along with the good pilots. The worst pilots of group never get let go, and instead become the senior captains.
Every time an airline tries to do merit based upgrades, there is major outrage. Virgin America and XoJet were the two most recent I was aware of. A seniority system assures that the pilots just barely good enough to not get fired will be your Captain someday. I would love to get rid of it.
The professions you listed above are also not "hourly" workers like pilots are, they are salaried and probably get bonuses. You'd have to change the basic way pilots are paid.
I would like that as well. A lot of doctors and engineers are salaried but get overtime (paid at a straight time rate normally) for working above and beyond a normal work week. We are essentially salaried (75 hour guarantee) with the opportunity to make overtime if we work extra hours.
Also, I have read Flying the Line Volume 1. I suggest you read Atlas Shrugged.