BelowMins

John you're an ASA FO making $47/hour max. Why do you argue with fellow pilots trying to achieve a reasonable wage? Do you think you make what you deserve? There are many other jobs that require much less responsibility and much less training/education that pay many more thousands of dollars a year straight out of school. Are you close to finally upgrading and you're afraid that some pilots that want to improve this industry are going to prevent you from doing that? Please explain. Because I can't understand how anyone making a wage like yourself continues to argue with guys trying to improve your life.

ysslah

It's because wether we are going to have a job at all or not depends on our cost. better pilot compensation sadly equals high cost.

BelowMins

I believe they call this Stockholm syndrome.

ysslah

Or ACA or Comair

SilverandSore

No, that analogy doesn't even fit here. We get it though, you're to be commended for helping us 'save' the industry. Thanks for all you do.

Truman_Sparks

You can't "improve the industry" at the Regional level. It is too easy to be replaced, and the improvements are not sustainable. Citing ACA and Comair is correct. We are not paid what we 'deserve', but what the market will bear. The market will not bear what the XJT pilots want or feel they deserve or are owed! Mainlines set the rates that the Regionals earn. They cannot pay out more than they take in. Sure, they can cut costs elsewhere, but we will feel that too. Want to know what kinds of things get cut? Things like hotels! You want to spend 14 nights a month in the Motel 6? You watch, that is coming. Sure, cut upper management pay. That only gets you so far, and they don't want to work for less, either.

Saying an RJ FO 'deserves' more than $47/hr is just not correct. It is all his company can afford to pay. How much you think they can pay does not matter, and is probably not correct, anyway.

afterburn81

Wow this is sad. All I see in this thread is pilots caving and coming down on others who are trying to stand their ground. I'm pretty sure that the company can find other ways of cutting costs besides taking it from the pilots. Do you guys really believe that if you demand a fair wage, you will not have a job? Seriously?

I don't feel bad for the company at all. They don't feel bad for any pilot that is trying to make ends meet. All they care about is the share holder. I understand the concept of maintaining a well balanced financially stable company, but c'mon. If balancing it soley through the pilot group, then no matter what you think, the company is already doomed. I think we have already run that well (the pilot group) dry. Time to find some alternative cost savings methods. We all know that's the truth.

TheTransporter

Don't make managements' problems your problems. If everyone stoped believing managements BS, then the majors would just have to start paying the contract carriers more for their services, or bring it back to mainline. The public can stand to pay a couple more dollars for your services. Pilots need to stand up for themselves or this crap will never end. If your management can't figure out how to make it work, then it is they who will loose their jobs.

Truman_Sparks

It does end. It ends when your company is replaced by a cheaper one. When they want cheaper feed, they will replace your carrier with a cheap one. The main reason ASA, Comair and even Eagle are more costly is the highly senior work force. But don't think that just demanding they raise ticket prices to better compensate us regional peon will make that happen. I will guarantee you one thing, if ASA/XJT got big raises and costly QOL enhancements....they will be replaced by Mesa, GoJets, Colgan, etc in a heartbeat! It's not what you want or think you are worth.....it's what the market will bear!

The Juice

Colgan has a credible contract now, remember? Feel free to remove us from the standard "bottom feeding undercutters" talk.