Originally Posted by
HeavyD
The same people whom will not want the 2.5 VED to sunset in December.
This argument drives me crazy! The 2.5 VED is a win for everyone! Junior F.O.s such as myself rely on that to supplement our incomes while we patiently wait to upgrade or work our way up the F.O. payscale. VED is not mandatory. Don't like it? Don't volunteer for it!
The company benefits because if enough people volunteer they can adequately staff the fleet and therefore spend less on expensive third party contract vendors. That allows them to make more profit which is preferable to the pilot group as a whole if we're trying to increase our compensation. Would you rather negotiate while the company is hemorrhaging profit on third party vendors?
One more thing while I've got my ranting hat on. (Not necessarily directed at you heavyD.)
Not all new hires have a wet ink ATP. I was hired last year with 10,000 hours (of which 7,000 is 121&135 PIC, 4 type ratings and 2 check airman letters. I'm flying with guys that have zero time in type post IOE and zero PIC time because they just upgraded, yet I sit in the right seat earning half the pay. That's the way it works in this crazy industry. Leaving one job to start another is like deliberately landing on the "bankrupt" wedge on the wheel of fortune. Start over again from zero. That's my choice and my long term strategy so I can't complain too loudly for self inflicted circumstances, but I can still speak up and raise the B.S. flag when my colleagues are advocating cutting off their noses to spite their faces.
Inflation is real. Us pilots know it, management knows it and the aircraft owners know it. Increases will need to come due to basic math, but playing silly buggers in an attempt to poke the bear will benefit nobody.