Originally Posted by
Senior Skipper
I'm actually a little surprised about the less than enthusiastic responses.
Slice, you say they won't go for it. Of course I don't expect them to got for something that cuts into their bank accounts (who would), but wouldn't you agree that you have to fight for something if you really want it?
FlyJSH, I see what you're saying, but I doubt it'd be that bad. They'll eventually have to hire the qualified pilots at the rate they deserve. Think about it, if a hospital told a doctor fresh out of residency training that he'd have to accept wages and duty hours only marginally better than the miserable wages he's paid in residency, do you think they'd be able to get any doctors to work in that hospital?
Led Zep, why do both options suck?
Guys I'm trying to figure out why a longevity list would be bad. I can only see good right now. Is there something obvious that I'm missing here? It seems like something to push for. The profession has changed so much (for the worse) since 30 or so years ago, why not try to make a major change for the better?
I'm still only a private pilot right now, and I'm trying to understand why the airline guys seem so resigned to the idea of change.
Led Zep, why do both options suck?
O.K., I guess I could elaborate.
First, I'm not a fan of anything that has to do with ALPA. I have never been a part of ALPA, but from what I see as an outsider is nothing more than a large, over-bloated inefficient organization whose elected officials are more like career politicians than servants for the organization.
Second, and more to the point with a longevity list. The industry always has and always will be very competitive for jobs. It is all who you know in addition to what you know. It may not always be fair, but that is just the way it is. You cannot force a company to hire strictly from a particular list.
They'll eventually have to hire the qualified pilots at the rate they deserve.
You are paid what you
negotiate, not what you think you deserve. Jetcareers' attitude is that "everyone is a winner". In the real world it is very much different.
Think about it, if a hospital told a doctor fresh out of residency training that he'd have to accept wages and duty hours only marginally better than the miserable wages he's paid in residency, do you think they'd be able to get any doctors to work in that hospital?
This comparison is apples-to-oranges in nature. First, doctors are not part of a union with a structured pay scale. Second, most doctors go into practice for themselves. Third, when a doctor is hired by a hospital, his or her salary is usually based on what the hospital and the physician agree on what that person's skills are worth. Good talent is hard to find, and most organizations are willing to pay top dollar for the best talent.
Pilots on the other hand are much different. Our "residency" is typically that time spent building hours and can be as little as a few months or last many years. The major difference between us and a residency program is that the residency is part of a doctor's required training and it is for a specified time frame.