Originally Posted by
rickair7777
No.
A blue collar worker does what the boss tells him to.
A professional performs his craft in accordance with his education, training and judgement, and owes a duty to the public and the government. That duty supersedes his responsibility to his employer of the moment. He is certified, regulated and monitored by the government.
His craft requires significant judgement, and if he fails there can be serious or deadly consequences. Doctors, lawyers, civil engineers, architects, pilots, etc.
In blue collar there's always a right answer, and you can't make up your own. A professional in some circumstances may have to create a best solution in accordance with his judgement... and the regulations allow this. Doctors and lawyers do it all the time, pilots occasionally, engineers rarely.
We are professionals whose jobs have some blue-collar characteristics. Best of both worlds for the most part.
While all the things you listed may be true, but I guarantee that management does not share this ego-flattering interpretation of the job.
All other professions that you listed have some way where individual talents are on display. A good lawyer, a good heart surgeon, a good architect will achieve individual recognition for superior work. Our profession, by design, is faceless. You are either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. You are a cog in the machine, and managers will treat you like the interchangeable resource you are.
So all this talk about being a white collar professionals and being treated as such does a disservice to the mindset we need going into negotiations. Too many pilots think they're a cut above a blue collar employee and it costs us unity. Our strength is in collective bargaining. Embrace it.