GogglesPisano

Since when does the captain have a say in seats being blocked off? Other than MEL's.

fishforfun

I was wondering the exact same thing. Maybe a cockpit jumpseat and the gate agent said there were 2 seats available but when they went to take them the FA said no???

This is odd and the only thing I hope ALPA does is fight for our non rev benefits we have earned. If the FAs would like to unionize and have a voice to speak up I’m all for it. But not using ALPA to do it.

DALFA

Hmmm...perhaps you missed the memo. But ALPA holds an AFL-CIO charter and is obligated to support other work groups organizing under other AFL-CIO unions. Obviously what the rank and file do is completely different but...it's actually quite a shame that the Delta pilot group as a whole doesn't come out swinging on this issue. Pilots at every other airline during organizing drives were VERY supportive. For some reason at Delta too many pilots don't believe in "solidarity". Yeah of course a union is good for me...for you...nah you don't need it.

fishforfun

Maybe you missed what I said. I support the FAs right to unionize and would hope they do so. But someone suggested that ALPA do the lifting on negotiating items (jumpseats put back in galleys) for the FAs without them being unionized. I am very much against ALPA using my money to negotiate items for a non union group.

AirbusPTC

"the disparity between pilot pay and flight attendant pay is so incredibly great. And it is my belief that that is the product of decades of sexism." Sarah Nelson, President of AFA

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/inn...ttendant-union

PassportPlump

I made that comment in jest. Because they do nothing on their own. Most of what they have is because of what ALPA does. Restoring their jumpseats on an A321 would be a byproduct of ALPA saying “you can’t block seats from non revs on the A321 in the interest of safety, yet still be willing to sell them.”

fishforfun

Gotcha. I still haven’t read where this is an actual policy. Granted I haven’t looked hard either but I would figure a bulletin or email at least.

AirbusPTC

I just wonder what the male flight attendants and female pilots of our industry have to say about all that?

DALFA

It's the opinion of 1 person. I wouldn't put much weight behind it.

If I had to venture and guess tho i'd say that she may have been referring to back in the day when flight attendants were all female, had weight restrictions, age restrictions, and had to quit if they became pregnant. It caused the flight attendant profession to be a temporary job whereas it is a career. When you have those temporary positions it makes it really hard at the negotiating table and the disparity grows versus a pilot career that can make that argument.

To be honest, I think a part of the pay gap is due to the different job. Like a doctor making more than a nurse. But there is a part which is how pilot pay and compensation has probably risen at a faster pace over the past 50-60 years. I don't attribute this to "sex" but to the unity and resolve that pilots have versus flight attendants. If a pilot crosses a picket line...they're on a scab list and their career is virtually over. On the other hand if an airline trains people to be flight attendants in the event of a strike it still makes them scabs but...oh well...too bad so sad. There's 0 repercussions. The ability to find replacements in the event of job action has a great impact on negotiations and improvements.

GucciBoy

A “part” of the pay gap is due to different jobs? I guess you could divide it up into two parts. Part one is due to the jobs being different. Part one is 99.99999999999%. Part two is what you would call a “hodgepodge” of whatever you’d like to throw in there. For example: fluoridated water, aspartame, Mercury in retrograde, etc. Given these suppositions, I agree with you that “part of it” is due to the jobs being different.