Originally Posted by
fosters
Because we've artificially raised the pay rates, more people learn to fly, flooding the market with supply. Had those pay rates never been inflated, less pilots would have entered the marketplace, therefore reducing supply, increasing demand, and increasing the wage. No need for unions to do so. You can bet they wouldn't be anywhere near $300k/yr though.
You entire paragraph validates my statement. Going on strike, negotiating as one entity, etc. does NOT mean you are operating under a free market. In fact, you have the company, and the public, at bay. Look at what the NYC subway workers (or was it bus drivers?) did - went on strike and got what they wanted because they exerted their leverage. That doesn't sound very capitalist or free market-ism to me.
I agree a union is a necessary evil in our line of work, but you really need to stop and think about it for a second. Skybus, jetBlue, Virgin America etc. reflect how the free market treats airline pilots these days.
In my rant I was referring to a "free" market being no laws to prohibit anything including negotiating as a group. Just because you use leverage to negotiate something in your favor does not mean you are anti free. It means you're smart. Companies do it all the time, are they not playing fair.
There are plenty of consortium style companies out there that use the masses to procure products and services at better rates. Does that mean they are "unionized". What's the difference. You'd be crazy not to use your leverage as a group. Believe me companies understand this.