Pilots aren’t striking. They are performing informational pickets. There’s a very big difference. Work stops during a strike and, in aviation under the railway labor act, requires government approval to happen. It’s also a very long road to get to the point of striking and there are many steps that have to be taken along the way. The pilots you see in the picket line are volunteering during their personal time off. They aren’t skipping work to be there.
Yes, while what you perceive as “good money” (and I’m not denying that it is), still doesn’t touch what pilot wages were pre-9/11 prior to multiple bankruptcy contracts and pay cuts. Pilots want to get back what they once had and what was the industry norm for pay. But, that’s JUST pay. Contracts involve much more than that. Retirement, disability, work rules, scope, merger language, furlough protections, health benefits, scheduling rules, etc., have a major impact on the quality of life of a pilot. How would you feel about missing your kid’s graduation on your first day off because the airline says, “hey sorry, I know you were supposed to be done at 10am this morning, but we need you to work until 11pm tomorrow night. Hope your kid takes some pics during their graduation ceremony tomorrow night!”? It happens at many airlines, and all too often.
Pilots are subject to strict medical standards. Medical exams are a joke when you’re young and everything is working right. You’re probably in and out in 15 minutes with a fresh medical. Eventually you will go in and come out facing the possibility your career is over. What kind of protections does the airline your work for offer to help you financially through that time? Many airlines aren’t as good as it should be.
I could go on and on, but this post would be endless. Try to get ahold of a pilot contract for a major airline sometime. They are hundreds and hundreds of pages thick. Everything in there was negotiated at the bargaining table. Although the media zeros in on the pay rates, pilot contracts and their associated negotiations goes far beyond just the pay table.