Originally Posted by
robthree
Bird,
I'm frankly getting sick of your condescending tone and refusal to understand the complaints of those here who have a different experience at SAI than you do. First of all, everyone who flies at SAI contributes something to "improve our current conditions and working towards the next contract", if by nothing else simply paying union dues. That's all one needs to do to earn an equal voice. If one volunteers to do more, huzzah. If not that's ok too. SAI eats enough of our life as it is, I respect other people enough to understand that they are all different and have different abilities and needs and demands on their one immutable asset: time.
As for hiding behind keyboards, you are on an anonymous message board. You are no more transparent than anyone else, Mr. Soaper. And clearly you have been nothing but a giver and a builder since you sprang forth from the womb. Stop denigrating other people. You do not have that right just because you have four stripes on your shoulder. (As an aside to everyone considering coming to the 777, most of us were very apprehensive about switching fleets from the 747, because so many of the 777 Captains have reputations as monsters. Not all of them, but more than random chance should allow for.)
I have a great idea: why don't YOU quit? You seem to like the job well enough. Get out of the way and let someone else have a turn. Oh, did that sound unreasonable? Yeah. Yeah it did.
Don't $TFU. You have good information, and share an important perspective on SAI. Its a perspective that very few other people have. That does not make it less valid, but largely irrelevant to others. You ought to remember that your experience at SAI will NOT be the experience anyone else will ever have. No one hired today should ever expect to see the left seat of the 777. No one besides the next 25 guys on the seniority list, at best, will ever see a $200k paycheck. We are not going to grow, there are no plans beyond 777 #5. There are not that many guys who will retire in the next ten years to open up spots for all the former -400 captains, much less anyone else. And given the performance of our management, corporate survival beyond ten years is a bad, bad bet.
Hahaha! Robthree I'm sorry the reality of your stalled career expectations has you so upset. The truth is....right now is the perfect time for you to move ahead and onward. You could be a B737 Captain in less than three months from today...even a Check Airman if you have the skills. You would be building valuable career progression experience for your resume. Nobody wants to hire a longterm FO right now. We have plenty of those here at SAI scratching their heads as to why they can't move on while current or recent Captains are landing dream jobs. There are too many other applicants for a quality airline to hire less than someone with proven skills.
HOWEVER, instead of taking an Upgrade you are CHOOSING to remain a gear puller? Why? You will not see the 777 left seat for a long, long time if ever. 737 Upgrade pay and what you make now as a 777 FO are about equal so that is not an excuse. So what is your excuse? Difficult jumpseating? Ok, but that might be the sacrifice you need to make to move up the career ladder? What is holding you back from upgrade? New guys are being hired monthly and they will quickly pass you by and you will still be waiting for someone senior to you to "Quit"?
I have the skills, experience, and resume to be easily worth $100k a year more doing the same job at a Legacy. However, due to the seniority system in place I'd need to start over at $40-50k a year, commuting several times a month, living too many days in a crappy crash pad, flying hub turns, and a decade or more later maybe be able to move back into an equivalent position that I hold now. When I pencil out the years left and the benefits of moving on it's just not much of a temptation. If I was in my 30's it would be a no brainer. Later in life it's a more difficult choice. That is the situation for most senior captains at the Supplementals. All of you young guys who are riding the current hiring wave consider yourself lucky. You probably won't have another 9/11, age 65, and Great Recession affecting your career progression.
Robthree, now is the time for you to prove you have the skills to upgrade, become an instructor/Checkairman, and move on like many others are doing. Stop complaining and just do it.
I will agree we need/deserve more. We are stuck under a crappy contract and have little negotiating power to make major changes. I do more than "pay dues" to help all of us obtain better pay/work rules or make the job easier in the meantime by fixing operational issues. I don't feel I'm entitled to just let someone else do the hard work. I'm willing to contribute and could point to many, many items I have influenced.
If you think I'm a "monster" for pointing out what is probably obvious to most reading our little tiff then so be it! Complaining on APC does nothing! If you just want to sit back and wait for someone to give you more because you feel entitled to it and you are not willing to do more then yap on a board like this...then yes.....you really need to just $TFU and keep cooking my crewmeals and making coffee.