F9niner

I can tell you that my husb was on the street furloughed with many..many... other guys that we know. I am not sure what you would prefer, unemployment or a job? Well.. he chose the job. I agree the pay is not the greatest however it was not much different than the pay he was receiving from F9. VA is a new operation, and just like any other start up we all know you do not start out with excellent wages. I will also put my flowers in one basket to ASSume that pay raises will come in time

acl65pilot

Funny thing is that DAL,AMR, UAUA etc paid about 235 an hour for that size jet four years ago!

I understand your position, but we as a group cannot expect to ever see this turn around until the entrants to this industry stop paying like this. I have many friends there, and they too HOPE for better.

WorldTraveler

acl. I'm curious. What would you have people do? It seems to me if someone isn't crossing a picket line they have the freedom to work for whoever they want and at whatever pay rate. No?

captjns

Oh well... here we go again...


Hey ACL65… are you referring to the same ALPA represented pilots who rolled over and took 40 to 50 percent pay cuts, reduction in health benefits, and termination of retirement benefits. Oh yeah… are you referring to the same ALPA guys who agreed to said cuts without repayment of salaries, or restoration of benefits? APLA sure dug their heals in on these issues… didn’t they?

Wear your 25 cent pin with pride.

InformationEcho

That's a relief, what with FLL being such an underserved market and all.

I'm surprised they didn't offer VX an EAS subsidy.

Sink r8

...have the dignity not to work there?

I see no issue with people working for lower wages. I see no issues with people that are on furlough having to take less than optimal jobs. I see no issues with people making concessions in the hope of regaining better contracts with a better economy. I see no issue with people working for a new entrant hoping for fast advancement.

I might not even have a problem with foreign control of our airlines, if labor protections were put in place, and employees on both sides enjoyed substantial protections. I might not have a problem with Europeans wanting to gain access to a rich domestic market, the infrastructure of which is funded with my tax dollars, and is not subject to competition by subsidized rail, as long as the same could be offered in kind.

But when you have an unbalanced attempt to grab our markets, with nothing similar offered in kind, with obvious disdain of our laws, and without offering us what they consider normal working conditions, then I have a problem both with VA, and those who serve as their instruments.

I feel for the guys that are furloughed. I was in their shoes. I had to take a job I didn't like. I didn't compromise everything thing I believe in to do it. I didn't change who I was. I didn't harm my profession.

WorldTraveler

So you are saying you have no problem with people working for non union wages. Your beef is just with the ownership issue of VA. Do I have that right?

A320Flyer

BINGO!!!!!!

Sink r8

It's not about union membership. Legitimate U.S. airlines, backed by legitimate investors, for the purpose of capturing market share and profits, start up all the time. Their labor is not union at start-up, obviously. I don't look forward to seeing them, but the thought has never occured to me take a public stand against the existence of, for example, Jet Blue. Even if their wages were intially lower, another thing you can't criticize a start-up for.

IFlyEm

FYI for all you scholars on here. Today the DOT gave Virgin thumbs up on the ownership structure.

So instead of posting crap like "They are illegal" etc why don't you actually post some substantiated FACTS and not cockpit BS and rumors. I would REALLY like you to post the entire ownership structure of Virgin America because I work here and I don't even know 100% what it is.