Originally Posted by
XHooker
Look, I've done every kind of flying there is to do here and I find NB flying far and away the hardest. As a matter of fact, NB FO is probably the hardest pilot job at the airline, but we don't pay that way. I'm in agreement the 763 pay is too low and needs to be fixed, but it's been like that for years. If you feel undervalued, change planes.
Tradeoffs are made and ignoring the direction of the fleet/industry is done at one's peril. If you expend capital in one area, it will come out of another.
The difference is you and the other pilots on those planes fly them by choice. I don't bid the 756 specifically because the minimal pay bump isn't worth it for me... that's also a choice.
Yes, NB FO is harder. But, the career is end-loaded and not front loaded. A junior (more recent hire/new hire) FO is likely in the NB FO's seat. He/she isn't going to make 777 CA's pay. 777 CA is by far and away the easiest job there is. So, making that comparison is un-wise. Captains, in all seats are paid to be the accountable - responsible party and paid to make decisions. A junior NB FO isn't being paid for his/her work-load management. They are there to learn and be mentored and assist the Captain, and, big picture, wait their turn to transition to bigger equipment and be ready for upgrade when the balloon goes up.
Everything is a choice. No one is putting a gun to our heads to enter the career, but now what we are here, we are here. No sense in allowing the company to abuse the financial contribution our 767-300 heavy pilots make to the profitability of this company. Further, there are more risks to mitigate on the 767 mission and it's allot tougher schedule.
True, if you expend capital in one area, you do it at the expense of something else. That's exactly my point. No sense in the NC ignoring the obvious. It's time to treat this fleet with the respect that it deserves and should command by our negotiators. This time around I will not be silent. I trusted the NC last 2 times. Sure, some areas of the cba are great, but the trade-offs made just don't square up as "fair play" to the 767-300 pilots.
I want the company to know we are going after 767 300 pay. I don't have a problem telling them that up front and I want our negotiators to share in and drive this opinion home and drive results for these pilots.
There will always be pilots on these planes as long as they are needed by the company. We've got rates for the A350 and the A380, but we don't have any pilots on those jets. Because there are no jets. As long as we have ALPA members actually flying real jets on the real property at the real airline, making a real contribution to our bottom line, and flying really hard back side of the clock trips on a global mission, we should pay them in real money for the real job they are doing, not the hypothetical job that they are not doing.
I think the choice is this: Do we, as ALPA members continue to tolerate our MEC's and NC's choice in ignoring these pilots legitimate concerns and negotiating goals? I thought it was an inverted ALPA pyramid with the membership on top. If that's really the case, then lets roll and tell the MEC and the NC that enough is enough. I happily and gladly support my union, but it's like this: Unless your wheel squeaks no grease will be applied. Unless your union knows your wheel is squeaking, no grease will be offered. I recall a whole lot of formerly furloughed pilots complaining to ALPA that they wanted retro this and retro that. Ok, they got some grease. Fine, pass the grease and pass the love.
Every ALPA contract I have had seems to be negotiated for narrow body pilots because that's where the majority of the votes lie. That's not a bad strategy, but it is my experience that all WB pilots were once NB pilots. We should simply appreciate the contribution of the 767 pilots, treat them like the heavy jet pilots they are, and negotiate for the natural progression of the pilot group and the profession.