Originally Posted by
UpwardInflow
I’m pretty sure we are understaffed. That is why we are dead-heading CAs and FOs all over the country, financing our competition paying for those full-fare, non-ULCC tickets. That to me is a sore sign of being understaffed pilots.
Not necessarily. I think that is more a sign of being poorly managed.
The one thing that is difficult to factor with this management group is that there are several ways in which the company acts contrary to its own best interest. HF radios are a good example - some of the older aircraft actually had the radios but the company sent out a pilot alert NOT to use them as we weren’t certified, radios weren’t hooked up correctly, etc. Them we flew all the way around WAT from PHL tot SJU. We practically paid for a new HF radio every 3 trips. A little forethought and planning and we could’ve been saving thousands all along with investment that hardly breaks the bank. I’m sure that wifi will end up being the same issue soon - it’s almost like we’re scared to pass on the costs of improvements to the customer for fear of “looking” expensive.
For those of you not around last contract cycle - it took 3 years. And it was 3 LONG, arduous years. There were claims by the company of pilot collusion, work stoppage, etc. There were even claims that blogs/entries in APC were unlawful (so be careful what you put here). This next negotiation should be about the same. The company will start out as low on everything as possible in an attempt to keep costs down. Then, in the end, they’ll offer a fairly large sum of $ as partial retro (it won’t be full/100% but will be enough to convince a mediator they are acting in good faith) and this will convince our negotiators and LEC/MEC that it’s the best offer we’re gonna get. It will undoubtedly be less than market value but many will tout how much of an improvement it is (over our current contract).
That is the story of F9 pilots. We vote in every substandard contract because we don’t have enough pilots with the backbone to demand industry standard. Don’t blame the company - it’s much more personal than that…
And, because the contract lacks in pay (but has the lure of a few areas of better QoL), we will struggle to hire and retain. Again, acting contrary to our own best interest.
It is what it is.