Originally Posted by
bay982
Ultimately, that reduces the pilots’ leverage (imagine 80% of Nashville’s flights grounded for days – the outcry would be enormous) and the PR story for pilots making more than $150,000 annually would not be friendly.
Vinay Bhaskara covers finance, operations and regulatory matters surrounding the U.S. and international airline industry.
I've read Bhaskara's coverage on other aviation matters, especially Delta. While a knowledgable writer with a good command of technical issues, the core of his reporting is usually factual and enlightening until his personal opinion creeps in. He's a hybrid journalist/commentator, who clearly does not favor labor, and unions in particular. With regard to these comments, I'd think he is parroting words he's heard from various management types and Wall Street analysts. It's a virtual certainty that a playbook with the "greedy, grossly-compensated pilots" spin is being tested in focus groups right now. Hopefully we (WN, DL and anybody else trying to lift the bar) have a carefully crafted response that highlights our sacrifices, training, professionalism and value.
Good luck with the MAX argument.