Originally Posted by
Fegelein
You are a contractor. You have no leverage with DHL to get higher pay and benefits. If you try, DHL will replace you with an operator more "compliant".
DHL pays about the same to all their contractors. Where did the money go?
I have no problem with SAI losing the contract. Bird says I ought to quit anyway.
Somebody is going to fly those parcels. Somebody is going to fly the planes I fly. Say its Atlas, well they're gonna need some warm bodes. I'm a warm body. Second year FO at Atlas beats fifth year FO at SAI anyway. Lets say its Connie, well then its third year FO pay. ATI? ABX? Same song, different verse.
Southern had better realize that 75% of their pilots no longer have any expectations of 'making it' here. 75% of their pilots won't 'suck it up' until an upgrade that isn't coming. 75% of their pilots don't have a vested interest in the success of the company. So what if SAI goes out of business, it won't hurt me much. "When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose."
We do have leverage. Not directly with DHL, but we have it. Its the 'invisible hand of the market'. When SAI can't get enough crews for their 737 because conditions are so bad, that's leverage. When a flight is delayed or cancels when a pilot calls out sick to avoid losing their banked sick time, that's leverage. If SAI can't do the job they are hired to do DHL may look elsewhere, but they won't be looking for
cheaper, they will be looking for more reliable. And we are at the point where reliability is directly related to compensation.