Quote:
Originally Posted by Xray678
I think PG is probably right about the affect on the seniority list. The choice of staying senior on smaller equipment or being junior on larger equipment would likely be gone. No matter what, there will be some unintended consequences.
How do you figure. Those seats that the senior guys freed up aren't gonna disappear. You want to fly 747s before you turn 64? This might be your chance because they exist only in a very small number, and only in a base that is 85% commuters. LBP isn't gonna make a junior guy senior, but it will give him more options.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xray678
But what really bothers me is if you have one pay scale for captains and on for FOs then someone is going to get a pay cut. Whatever we do with the pay scale, it will have to be cost neutral vs the current pay scale. I see no way to pay everyone on the same scale without the top guys taking a paycut. Even assuming we were going to get large pay raises, then the guys at the top would get nothing while everyone else had their pay brought up to the top rate.
There are a lot of senior widebody FOs who have not bid narrowbody captain. The hit to their lifestyle was not worth the small pay raise. But if every captain seat paid the same as a 777 seat, then you can bet your ass a large number of them will want a captain seat....any captain seat. If you get to one pay rate do you rebid the whole airline? How much will that cost the company?
Again, how do you figure? The seat doesn't pay the same, it is your time with the company that makes any seat pay more. IF you have been here 12 years, your captain seat will pay 12 year pay regardles of which airplane it is. There are a myriad reasons why FOs aren't bidding captain seats right now. I'll betcha that the biggest reason is because of the suckery of our reserve system thank you very much...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xray678
From a scope standpoint, if you support a single pay scale you may as well sell out the 100 seaters. There is no way the company will invest in a 100 seat aircraft when they have to pay the pilots the same as a 777 pilot.
Getting away from different rates per aircraft sounds great in theory, but in practice it can never happen at an airline like Delta. Too many obstacles.
They might be paying more for a pilot sitting in the left seat of an RJ, but they might be paying less for a guy sitting in the left seat of a 777. It all balances. I don't think there is gonna be a rush by the 777 guys to jump on the MadDog if this happened... maybe one or two.. but probably not that many... The exalted one.. PG gave me a pass...
His glass is half empty.. mine is half full. His argument is no more "logical" than mine. Actually, his is less so, because his is totally focused on an emotional response by the pilot group. He doesn't like the pilot group having to only look at lifestyle as a choice. He thinks there should be pain involved in every decision that a pilot makes. THAT is why he's wrong. /rant... Anyway, more pilots will make more money instead of the old and senior few. The end game is retirement, and that is where our pay rates should be focused. Time/value of money. Read a couple of books about Warren Buffet. The magic of compounding.. He didn't get where he is by stealing money on Wall Street.. or waiting until he turned 80... slow and steady won his race.... You young guys will get the message when you turn 45 or 50... until then... better save those acorns, cause the union ain't doing you any favors.
03-30-2012
