I've never expected to make $500,000/yr or have off three weeks in a month. Who called this a crappy job? It rocks.

 

it's sad that we can't expect more without being unrealistic to some people. It reminds me of the old story a UAL guy told me about how everyone talks about Southwest and Fedex today like they're the best thing since sliced bread... It's akin to the fat ugly girl at the end of a bar after a long night of drinking.. starts to look good after a while.. that's Fedex and WN today.

 

Sometimes that ugly girl at the end of the bar will take care of you, love you, and be a good mother to your kids. The chick in the high heels and short skirt wants a Mercedes, a 4 carat diamond, a 6000 square foot house and she aint watching those kids.

Funny, I flew with a new FO in 1998 who had come over from FedEx. I asked him why would he leave there to come here. He said he felt he was being paid to be in prison. I flew with him again after everything at my company went south. I asked him what he thought now. He said he would still rather be here, he just couldn't take that kind of flying.

With that said, I look up to FedEx and WN. Certainly not the ugly chick at the end of the bar anymore. They are taking care of their employees. How much does it cost to just treat people right?

I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. But you better be willing to take a lot of bad with the good. Yes all professions are like that. But in this profession it is hard to change jobs when you have been at the same place for over 25 years. You will have to start all over. Fortunately for me, I'll just retire.

 

It's not so easy to change careers once you've already established "a life". Responsibilities such as kids, house, elderly parents, etc. bear a heavy financial burden. It's not so simple to just up-and-quit. And go where exactly? Do what when the only thing you've done for the last 20 years is fly airplanes? The unknown is not comforting.

Some people are the movers and shakers and can make seamless transitions. Good for them. However, most people are not that and change becomes scarier and scarier as you get older. Your sense of responsibility to your loved ones overrides all other impulses.

This however should never be interpreted as "stop complaining, this is how it is". Corporate America would love to make this mentality second nature and they're trying their hardest to make it so.
Positive change never came about because nobody stood up and nobody complained.
Employees are nothing but a commodity to the board members. Good little boys and girls is what they're after in order to facilitate their P/E ratios, their bonuses and their career glory. A good company can make money for its shareholders and treat its employees well.
Regardless of the industry.

 

And the grand prize goes to GoPats for "getting it"

 

You know CE750, it's a little discouraging that the corporate message is gaining so much traction with a lot of the younger guys. I don't have any real stats but, based on my own observations, the corporate anti-union message has been gaining a lot of traction. Their messaging machine is truly impressive, in its own way.

 

Their are a different type of pilot for sure, having spent 7 years in "corporate" aviation I've gotten to see the difference first hand. But in some ways not really.... as most pilots are anti-union, even the one's that know that unions are the only thing keeping them from the 1920's mail flying days all over again.... it's just denial and an inflated sense of what they'll BE worth one day that keeps them more on the sides of the CEO's and less on the sides of "labor" politically..... Why their quick to condemn the Occupiers and quick to defend Wall St.. You see, they in fact self identify as Tea Party or Republican but in reality their career needs and goals are anything but inline with the causes favored by those movements... and if anything more in line with the Democrats (at least in theory). What a mess for them, and a dream come true for their master's and Lords.

 

Careful with the political messages.
Once we start naming parties and going partisan - the thread inevitably gets closed.

USMCFLYR

 

aight mang.... duly noted.

 

Your post is about 40 years outdated. Get educated.