Originally Posted by
ewrbasedpilot
I think you hit the nail on the head. The rumor is running rampant at CAL that the UAL MEC wants (more like is demanding) that UAL will have the TOP 500 slots on the seniority list since they will fly the biggest airplane. How fair is that? It's also rumored that if this happens, NO CAL pilot will EVER break the top 500 since it will ONLY be for B747-400 pilots which will be fenced. Again, how fair is this? My personal opinion is that maybe this merger wasn't such a hot idea for anyone but the CEO's who were rewarded HANDSOMELY for this transaction. I agree that if we can't get past this, we've got some major soul searching to do. While the B747 may be larger, the B787 will be doing the longer runs in a new more efficient aircraft. Then what? Why don't we just pay like UPS........and EVERYONE would be happy with good payrates, no more type rating seekers, and a more stable airline. I just don't see many of my UPS buddies complaining about their pay and their is a SIGNIFICANT difference in the cargo an MD-11/B747 carries vs a B757.
I am a UAL guy and I will never break the top 500...so this won't directly affect me.
That said, if there are fences, they won't last forever so "no CAL pilot EVER breaking the top 500" is incorrect. Furthermore, if 777 is a step down (lower band), but is a raise from current rates and gets better work rules, etc...isn't THAT what matters? Can folks not get past being at the TOP vs. just getting a nice improvement to pay and QOL?! I've been furloughed 4.5 years of my career and all this *****ing about the top of the pyramid is SELFISH and GREEDY just like management.
The current system for payrates in passenger airlines is NOT based on "banding." That is a concession to management to lower training costs. To support banding of the 747/777 and not everything else ala UPS is hypocritical. In our current system, we should be striving to get every type of aircraft into a separate category to promote movement and better pay. If the argument for banding makes sense, then it needs to be sold and implemented across the board ala UPS, but until then this is clearly a fight in the weeds in prep for the SLI. I hope our MEC's get on the same page soon!