Originally Posted by
Kforekyle
12 year cap and Delta rates! This needs to happen to get rid of this regional cesspool model.
Let's play that game for a second.
I'm no fan of the so called b-scale (or c-scale if you prefer) than anyone else but let's say by some miracle we were able to get Delta's CRJ 900 rate.
Would it not make sense that we'd all be out of work shortly thereafter?
Like it or not regionals exist to, among other things, have a lower labor cost model. Now I personally believe it's also about retaining a liability shield from accidents/ incidents but at least partially it's for lower wage rates.
If we make the same as Delta pilots, then it's probably not worth keeping us around.
Actually at that point we'd be MORE expensive than Delta pilots because we have a whole headquarters of people that are really duplicates of positions Delta already staffs.
If I could say that we'd get stapled to Delta's list at that point, maybe I'd support trying to get Delta's rates (although I think that's DREAMING) but likely that would mean the end of our airline and we probably wouldn't all get mainline jobs in the fallout so you're arguing to send at least some guys to the street.
Obviously all of that is conjecture because they're never going to agree to raise our rates that much anyway but still.
Also, like it or not, you're at a regional, we don't have the bargaining power of a mainline. Management has to come to the table with Delta Mainline pilots because if they strike, game over. If we strike... well you saw what happened to Comair. (Also, I don't consider that a scare tactic, I consider it an message from Delta to the regional industry, "you're not irreplaceable")
The currently proposed rates lead the regional industry by a significant margin.
Let's take this and try to LOA some improvements if the pilot market remains tight.