Originally Posted by
FetaCheese
I specifically asked a BOD member about this. He said that reducing ALVs wouldn't reduce guarantee, just would ensure everyone is getting paid the guarantee line value at the start of the month. I also asked how many pilots this would save. His answer: "I don't know". Then I asked about the cost associated with furloughing 2500 pilots. Once again: "I don't know".
We should have all been more vocal about this during negotiations. I personally feel like I failed because I put so much trust in APA beforehand. I won't make that mistake again. And yes, I fully plan on volunteering once back from furlough or whatever they want to call this sh## show. And in 8 to 10 years when the next crises hits our industry, and the talk of furloughs start again..I will be the first to advocate we all pull together to save the bottom guys. Hard times like this hit all of us collectively. We rise or fall together like boats in a harbor. Unfortunately the mentality of those at the top right now is a bit different.
I feel the same way. My reps shot down any rationalization I tried to provide about reducing ALV, specifically the win-win scenario we as a company would be in on the other side of this. There were literally no downsides to doing it aside from pilots in a non-flying (widebody) status getting a little less pay for a few months. It really showed me the arrogance of APA and the disparity in their ranks from the average line pilot. My ideas were met with “we had the lost decade and you new pilots will have 30 plus years of high earnings and 401k contributions” etc. My response is, really?? Isn’t that what those hired pre-9/11 thought?? You couldn’t predict the future then, so don’t start now!
Anyway, APA is going to be in for a shock when we do finally get in section 6 again in a few more years. The demographic they’re representing now is far from the demographic that will be represented then.