Originally Posted by
Podracer
Any advice to a former long time regional guy on how to gauge leverage and not become too passive? I don't have a frame of reference except the regionals. I'm in year 4 and still in my honeymoon phase and feeling awash with privilege and riches. Compared to the regional grind my life has improved immensely in every possible way. I was a lot more militant in the regionals because I knew dam well I was being exploited, whipsawed, and getting a tiny crumb of the pie. Now, the status quo feels amazing when it used to be torture. Before I had what was happening at mainline to compare myself to, whereas now I am at mainline. Before I knew DAM WELL I was getting robbed and disrespected, now I'm getting treated and compensated how I felt I deserved.
Everything after the present is a new horizon and a situation I've never been in. I've never been in a pilot group with any power or say in anything at all. In the regionals we were at the whim of the market and whipsaw. We got raises when the company was forced by cancelling flights for lack of pilots, not because we negotiated or used any labor power. I've never had to look at contract cycles in this way. How do I not get too complacent? How do you actually gauge how high or low the bar should be? How bold should we be? How confident can we be in our ability to use legal job actions. How concerned should we be for the long term stability of the company? I don't even know what questions I should be asking. I just know this will be my first new contract at a mainline job and it's hard for me to imagine anything being better than this, while also feeling lost at how to approach this new situation.
I don't want to needlessly vote yes on something when it makes no sense just because I still have regional pilot brain.
I was if the same boat. I still remember thinking how nice the company was for giving me an hour of suit up pay when they called me in for no reason (later realized it was in the PWA). Eventually the honeymoon phase ends but it takes longer when the company hasn't personally messed with you yet (that you're aware of, i.e. pay accuracy).
The best outcome is you retain that feeling without selling the profession short with how you vote or participate in ALPA. It sounds like you're on the right track.
How do you not get complacent? Stay engaged, read the DALPA emails, be aware of the grievances, and remember there are a ton of issues affecting other pilots that won't be relevant to you, but likely will be eventually.
Lastly, follow the money. When the company says they are working on something, try to determine how much MONEY they are allocating to it. That's hard to do, but every once in a while you'll talk with someone on the inside (not a pilot) and glean the truth from that. Go to the pilot lounge meetups and talk with them after the presentation. 90% is regurgitation but that 10% tells you everything.