EDPM

Okay…this really isn’t my style, but here goes:

Just read a post on the union message board from a CA looking for people to join a country club for something like $8500 plus annual dues.

Here I am about halfway through my second year. I’ve yet to get paid more than 75 hours and until my last paycheck, I’ve never received any substantial per-diem.

I made it through my first year by spending every penny I’ve ever saved (and I saved specifically knowing that UPS pays $26K for the first year) and I’m now starting to get behind. The savings are gone and 75 hours doesn’t cover my fixed costs. I don’t have a fancy car, I don’t have a boat, a motorcycle or a second home. I haven’t taken a vacation in years and my wardrobe is fixed firmly in 2002.

Herein lies my rant. I’ve been eyeing open-time. There seems to be plenty, but because of the contract situation, I’ve refrained from picking-up anything. I’ve also been “unavailable” for every JA (the phone rings at least twice each week).

So recently, there was a 5 day trip with a DH on day-one and day-five that would have allowed me to essentially be away from home for about 50 hours and get paid for about 25. But I didn’t do it. I gave myself a pat-on-the-back for doing the "right thing" and resisting the temptation to ease my financial strain. Then I read this guy’s “anyone wanna join a country club?” post. The rest of the union message board is peppered with preachy posts proclaiming that anyone who picks up open-time only cares about themselves and how these people are helping the company and screwing their fellow pilot.

Well, here’s what I’ve got to say. I’m not going to pick-up any open-time. I don’t want to hear about it from the guys who spend their days monitoring this type of thing and I don’t want a label attached to my name. I will continue to get into debt and hope I receive enough in retro pay to bail myself out in one fell swoop when this contract finally settles.

But I could do without hearing about CA’s shopping for country club memberships (or airplanes, or sports cars or farms, etc) while I’d get categorized as “the enemy” and “selfish” if I’d picked up a few legs so I don’t have to pay Visa 13.99% just to get by.

That’s why we need a new contract.

EDPM

PS…We all have friends who are no longer flying because this industry has imploded around us. I realize how fortunate I am to have a stable job and I know there are many, many others who would like to be where I am.

I just think it’s real easy for some guys to sit at the top and preach about the evils of trying to keep ones head above water while their toughest decision is choosing between the country club or the Corvette.