Sumtinwong

Yes, that is how the markets work and you and I are seeing the definition of what you just stated across the industry. The majority of regional in the industry have more than doubled their pay and many have tippled their pay from two years ago. The driving force to this? Demand for pilots. Period. We are in high demand and have the bargining power to demand higher wages. We simply need a union that will truly go to work and get that done. In the mean time, JO said on the last conference call that he sees no reason to increase pay at this time because we have months of candidates lined up. Well, in the past day we have seen two things come out, 1. The new hire bonuses of "up to $30,000 in bonuses", . 2. The holiday perfect attendance bonus. Both of which JO would never do if management weren't truly driven to do so. Time are a changing. Too optimistic? I fail to see how that is. Our profession demands it, so why aren't we pushing harder for it.


I'm not sure if you listened in on the last conference call but it was evident to me that JO was completely detached from the pulse of the industry and what was going on with other airlines. For him to sit there and continue to tow the quick upgrade line and spout out the exact same talking points from the prior conference call, I knew then and there that he is very much driven by as you have mentioned the economics of the situation. That's why the only way to get to him is for him to be unable to staff his planes. That is where it is our job as pilots to do our very best to educate our fellow pilots on what the whole Mesa package is.


Ok, but this point right here is WAY wrong in any realm of reality. Two years ago, Mesa was a lower paid and had lesser benefits of most the regionals, but not by much. As you continue to use economic principles to explain your point, don't stop there. Those exact principles you have been using apply just as much to this point as any other. Our current state allows us to demand a higher wage and better benefits. JO has circumvented this reality by opening Mesa's acceptance of lower than desired candidates such as people retired from one career or failures from other companies. While I have zero problem with either candidate, it has been their acceptance of them that have allowed us to be un-phased by the increasing shortage. I feel that those candidates too have dried up and the direct proof of that is the recent introduction of the bonus.

If JO and company continue to play this game, there will be no Mesa. Pure and simple. They will lose contracts just as Republic did and will again have to be reactionary to the market rather than visionary.

Mesa pilots..... accept only what you deserve. Industry average.

EjetTaxi

30,000 or whatever over 4 years isn't gonna cut it.

Skyler02

Nope. Not even close.

Let's take a look at this $30K spread over FOUR years and paid out ONLY if you are at Mesa and still an FO 4 years later. It's a big assumption to even assume Mesa will be in business in 4 years.

This new bonus will add $5K to first year pay taking it to approximately $27K.
Not quite close enough to the other carriers now offering more than double that at $58-60K.

The new bonus will add $5K to second year pay taking it to approximately $34K. Again, not even close.

Third year . . . Same. Not even in the ballpark.

And how many people will be at Mesa and still be an FO 4 years later? Very, very few, if any. JO knows this so he knows the last $10K will probably never be paid to anyone.

Is the person structuring these new bonus programs even aware of what is going on in the industry? Do they know that $58-60K is now industry norm for a new FO?

Skyler02

Again, you are right. Not even close to cutting it.

Now let's look at the second half of the problem. Getting people in the door is less than half the problem. The bigger problem is pilot retention.

This bonus structure offers no retention bonuses but instead a slap in the face to the current pilots by paying new hires bonuses. New hires will make more than pilots already on property.

If you think there wasn't a pilot retention problem before this, well now you just created one.

Sennant

Picketing crew planners and hr people does nothing. Corporate workers already see us as overpaid whiners. They're paid crap compared to thierr counterparts at other airlines also. So wrong audience.

xjtgrunt

We non-pilots appreciate that. Most of that attitude comes from the fact we sit in on the Mesa conference call and hear y'all pound not getting an iPad into the ground. Mechanics don't get their tools payed for, my cell phone bill doesn't get paid, etc.

blockplus

It is a specialty tool. Much like your office computer. If a mechanic needs a not common tool that only works on your companies aircraft then the company needs to buy it. I dont see them buying jigs.

PSA help

Most non-pilots have not invested 4 years in college, 2 years working as a CFI, and $100,000 to get to that point, only to find out that they also need to spend even more money while getting paid a terrible wage.

Mechanics do have a little money invested in many cases, but it is not nearly the time or money that pilots need to invest.

The company should provide them. Period.

iFlyRC

Horse crap! You'd rather carry ALL the manuals or chances are, use the Ipad you already own? It's a convenience that you'd pay for! So yes, you all do sound like whiners about the Ipad! Look at it as an excuse to buy a new toy. Next time you see a mechanic, ask him how much he has spent on tools. Ask a car mechanic, better yet, walk onto a Snap-on truck and ask to buy a screw driver. Some of these guys have as much or more invested in their tools than you do flight training.
They also have time invested, you must have X amount of time wrenching before you get your A&P and IA. And yes, it must be at a place of business.
Be kind to your mechanics.

chrisreedrules

So you guys finally got some sort of bonus? Or new hires get the bonus, I gather? And not surprisingly it is way lower than industry standard, just as I said it would be. And what new aircraft are yet to be announced and for which legacy that isn't already almost scoped out? And you have to buy your own iPad? Why anyone would want to make a place like Mesa better instead of using their energy to leave for something already better is beyond me...