Originally Posted by
GucciBoy
You’ve got it all wrong. On several points. First, pilots are closer to the CEO than they are to baggage handlers on a macro level. As in 12000-plus pilots as a group. On a micro level, sure, we are easily replaced by the next bubba in line. The difference there is Delta can hire any able-bodied person off the street and make them a baggage handler. To my knowledge, Delta has created zero pilots in their long history.
When you drop the humble act and acknowledge this fact, you realize that this is the distinction that makes it more realistic for a baggage handler to take an “unpaid” leave versus the pilot group or the CEO.
Any employee group is closer to the CEO on a macro level. Fire all the reservation agents and it's a bigger deal than firing the CEO. Cut 25% of the reservation agents and it's only noticed for about three weeks and doesn't really even hit major news. The majors are all talking about cutting 20% of their pilots and most people I've talked to are surprised that any of us still have jobs with so few people flying. I'm fairly certain the only reason a 20% cut in pilots would make national news is to drive up hysteria about job losses, "7,000 pilots lose jobs!" or "7,000 union workers lose jobs under Republicans" or "7,000 new jobless hitting the streets". The only reason any of the airline jobs are making news is because of magnitude, not because people care.