Originally Posted by skybolt
Imeneo, I originally responded by quoting you, and responding. That got a little long. So just in case I lose your attention .Let me start with this.
I realize that you are lacking this one bit of understanding about pilots, especially the pilots of Delta Airlines. Here it is: pilots only strike as a last resort, they strike when they would rather have no job than have the job under it's current conditions. Aspiring pilots like yourselves should step back and think about this, the professional pilots of Delta Airlines are rapidly approaching a point to where they would just as soon return to being ground bound as they would accept working in the job as it exists today. Does that tell you anything?
I understand the last resort part... but what I don't understand is the strike-to-destroy mentality... it does not protect payscales in the long-run, it only dimishes them. If more airlines go under there will be more highly experienced pilots in the job hunting pool that will be competing fiercely for a few open positions. Common sense and economies of scale dictate that pilots in general are not going to be highly paid as a result.
Imeno, I'm not trying to "get in the pool of airline pilots". I am "in the pool of airline pilots", and I can tell you that you should spend more time learning about the history of the profession.
I know many things about the history of the profession. And I know enough that airlines are not exempt from the rules of economics.
How can you say that the pilots would rather "destroy a company and put themselves our of work rather than work for less"? The pilots at Delta are currently working for somewhere around one HALF of the wages they received six years ago. It is management demanding that they their compensation packages remain intact while stealing the pensions from the workers. It is management who is attempting to throw out the association contracts.
As I've said before when the airline proposes to tighten the proverbial belt... everyone top to bottom must feel the pinch.
Regional pilots make below poverty because they accept poverty wages. That's pretty darn simple. It it my OPINION that they accept those wages because said wages are entry level wages. Entry level. Entry level, that phrase implies that there is somewhere higher to go. Pilots take regional jobs because they are trying to gain the credentials necessary for advancement. Those pilots don't strike, because they they still think that the potential for advancement exists, and they don't want to take a chance on screwing that up.
agreed.
If unions have too much power, then why did Delta pilots take a big pay cut last year? Why did AA pilots take big cuts in 03 (IIRC)? Why do UAL pilots not make the same that they did in 2000? If unions have the power that you would seem to believe, then they could have prevented these wage cuts. Don't ya think?
BTW, you assert that unions create inefficiencies for airlines. Could you please provide details? Before you do so, maybe you could tell us all just exactly how you think a professional pilot should expect to be treated in these areas: duty time, rest time, days off, wages.
skybolt
I stand corrected on the union power issue. As far as duty time goes... pilots should never be worked to the brink of fatigue.
Wages are always negotiable and should be adjusted in compliment with the financial health of the company, just like any other industry.