Originally Posted by
Nevets
Look, there are ups and downs in the airline industry. Both at mainline and at regionals. When the tide was rising Comair got a really good contract, then it was ACA, then xjt, then air Wisconsin, then xjt again, then horizon. At that point the tide turned. Skywest CERTAINLY would've been up there with their hundreds of millions of dollars in profit. Skywest has been the most profitable regional in history, more so than any of the other ones I just mentioned that each raised the bar when it was their turn. If you don't think that Skywest pilots would've ever gotten a contract that was at least comparable to the top contract, then I don't know what to tell you. And now, almost every single regional is increasing their pilot cost by offering better and better compensation packages. Yet many of them are not even close to the profitability that Skywest currently has. I'm not saying that pilot unions are all powerful at all. Many of them have weak pilots in their MECs leading them. And dispute that, some of them are making gains. Now is the time to use some of that leverage to get up there in the top tier. If you don't think that you can do that with a pilot union at Skywest, then you are saying your pilots are not good enough to achieve it. I personally think they can if they were union. And that would help all the rest of us.
Anyway, of course it would be ideal if there was a single seniority list and one regional pilot Union. But the perfect shouldn't get in the way of the "better than what we have now." It honestly sounds like a convenient excuse to not be for a pilot union. I think it's a cop out since it'll almost certainly ever happen.
If Skywest were to unionize I've no doubt the pilot contract negotiated would be an industry leading contract. We would be the best compensated regional in the industry and then be undercut by our regional brothers on every RFP that came out. So, while the bragging rights of having a great contract, which you currently have, would be a nice talking point, having flying awarded to the company you're working for is the ultimate goal. We are still getting flying awarded and ideally the best way to continue have that happen is by providing an excellent product at or slightly above the median price point. Currently, that is what Skywest Airlines does. Yes we have issues with our pilot contract. Yes the negotiating process is frustrating and slow. But for the most part the conditions here are good and at this point in time I think the THREAT of a union outweighs the benefits of a union. That WILL change just not sure when.