$100,000 Minimum Regional First Officer
I started at a regional and am now in my 30th year as a Delta pilot. (Former Northwest)
To some, I'm sure it sounds crazy that the minimum starting salary for a first officer in a 50 seat jet needs to be $100,000 and $160,000 for a first year captain.
Open your mind and embrace the value of your education, training and experience.
THE MYTH
The regionals can't afford to pay those wages.
Imagine jet fuel goes to $4.00 a gallon. Your management says to the supplier, "we cannot afford $4.00 per gallon, you will have to accept $2.00 per gallon."
Do you think this would fly?
The supply of pilots was so strong that management got used to paying us little to nothing.
THE PARTY IS OVER
LIABILITY
If a $750,000 per year surgeon accidentally kills a patient, what is the liability?
If the pilots of a 50 seat jet make a mistake and kill 53 passengers and crew, what it the liability? Why is the cost?
Tens, if not hundreds of millions.
I ask you, what other job has this kind of responsibility? This kind of pressure?
What does your CEO make?
If he makes a mistake, he could get a paper cut and possibly an infection.
Management makes excellent money to run the airline. To cope with $4.00 jet fuel. To cope with paying professional pilots what they are worth.
THIS IS NOT YOUR PROBLEM
Buying into management's story that they cannot afford to pay you what you are worth is nonsense. The legacy carriers need the feed and will pay for it. They are printing money.
One penny less than these numbers must be a no vote.
Every word from your management's mouth is pure manipulation.
PILOTS COST WHAT PILOTS COST
LANDING FEES COST WHAT LANDING FEES COST
SPARE PARTS COST WHAT SPARE PARTS COST
If you hold your ground, there are two possible outcomes.
1) they will agree to these wages
2) they will move all the flying to mainline
Legacy management cannot have hundreds of cancelled flights every day due to lack of pilots.
You have all the leverage you need and more.
Take a stand and restore the profession forever.
Jerry Fielding
Last edited by gzsg; 08-15-2015 at 03:28 PM.