Originally Posted by Mason32

Are you a pilot? Do you even know anything at all about the RLA?
We aren't exactly playing evenly anymore. It may be a free market system, but under the RLA we are fighting with one hand behind our backs. It is all fine and good to say they can hire any novice commercial pilot and teach them to be a FO.... what you're missing is that FO's are not making command decisions in the airplanes. They have basically run out of skilled professional labor willing to take the job for such low pay and are recruiting people who just don't know any better....

All the pilot unions are saying is that since the govet completely deregulated the industry, they need to deregulate the labor force as well so we can effectively negotiate fair wages and rules. The current system does not allow our labor representatives a fair opportunity to negotiate effectively. The current system basically has the employee trapped with no other option except to leave. Your solution of leaving isn't very realistic, but it makes a great soundbyte.

Originally Posted by cgtpilot

You must still be at Eagle hoping for the TA to come alive again like I was ...airplanes will fly themselves without pilots before the APA will ever allow that.

Originally Posted by Onfinal

Wish I didn't jump in on this thread so late, because I've been thinking a lot about these issues recently.

The way I see it, most of us get it all wrong. We debate whether or not a 50 seat vs a 90 seat vs a 70 seat jet is a regional. Canadair is coming out with a 110 seat Regional Jet in a few years guys. We debate the lengths of routes to ascertain whether a regional flight stage length should be 250 miles or less, or a mainline should be more. Fact is that all these numbers are arbitrary; and as long as they are arbitrary, at some point management is going to challenge them to their advantage.

There is only one solution to this quagmire, The brand that you fly, should be the contract you work under! That means Eagle pilots should be employees of American under the same contract as AA mainline pilots. Ditto for Expressjet and Continental, Air Whiskey and USAir, and Comair for Delta. One airline, ONE pilot group . Until we realize this, we'll be forever whipsawed back and forth against each other!

The power to do this is with the mainline guys. Demand a single contract for all gauges of flying under your company's logo. Does this sound improbable...Yes, Is it impossible...No!

Originally Posted by Rotorhead

The sad part is that at one time the APA represented Eagle pilots! APA then discarded them claiming they couldn't defend their own flying and represent them pilots in the same fashion.

Now days, the NWA MEC represents NWA and Compass.

Originally Posted by Rotorhead

The sad part is that at one time the APA represented Eagle pilots! APA then discarded them claiming they couldn't defend their own flying and represent them pilots in the same fashion.

Now days, the NWA MEC represents NWA and Compass.

Originally Posted by STILL GROUNDED

So can't I call mine a 75? Or must I say EMB170-200 when refering to the 175? Btm line who cares. It's an 86 seat passenger aircraft that should be operated as a mainline aircraft by mainline pilots. However, if they won't fight to get it, I am not going to fight to give it to them. I got an idea, how about have scope limit them to 700 miles? Then we could fly it full all year long. How about not allowing hub to hub operations. Make the feeder its supposed to be.

I did find it funny how you say "not to be a nerd" while in fact engaging in nerdism.

Originally Posted by XJkid

And he said "brah." Must have spikey hair and fly for Pinnacle.

Originally Posted by Rotorhead

The sad part is that at one time the APA represented Eagle pilots! APA then discarded them claiming they couldn't defend their own flying and represent them pilots in the same fashion.

Now days, the NWA MEC represents NWA and Compass.

Originally Posted by cgtpilot

The major MECs kicked the regionals out when it was realized that the RJs where taking their flying and their jobs....and never to return. The APA once said Eagle would never fly jets and as long as that held true maybe Eagle would still be APA. Its hard to fairly represent 2 pilot groups on 2 different sides of the business from the same HQ. Just ask the RALPA

Originally Posted by Onfinal

Yeah, the concept of the NWA MEC is a start. But what I'm advocating is a single contract for all lines of flying. So for example. The Delta Pilot contract would cover all lines from the CRJ-200 to the 747-400. Initially fences can be set up so that current RJ guys would be fenced into RJ bidding over a period of say 5 years, after which there would be one integrated pilot group. Yes, the seniority list will eventually be merged but we are in a unique time where a stapling of the RJ guys to the bottom of the list, would not affect the QOL for 95% of both groups. I know this concept is not perfect, but it sure is a better alternative than 20 more years of the current arrangement.