Can we expect to see you crossing a picket line then?

Screw those guys and their 'unity'. It's every man for himself! Go get that major airline job, #1!

Seriously though, think big picture. Whatever job you find desirable is likely due to the efforts of unions and the unity of the pilot group. At every union airline, it's obvious that the unity of the pilots is responsible for the contract you find desirable. But even at Skywest, why does their 'working agreement' keep changing? B/c if it didn't, they wouldn't be desirable anymore. When XJT gets a btter contract, Skywest gets better stuff. When everyone starts giving Skywest pilots heat for flying CRJ-900's for 50 seat pay, who gets graduated rates by aircraft size . . . Skywest does.

The last TA at Air Tran, the pilots thought it was crap, and it was sent back. Can't do that so much at a non-union shop can you? The unity of the pilots is key. At UPS, they are worrying about how to bring their non-union management pilots into the union, but that it has to be done somehow is pretty much agreed upon. Why? You can't have 2 different pilot groups at UPS, they have to be unified. Southwest has the best narrow body rates in the industry and good stability because their pilots work together to raise the rates, as well as work with the company to get through rough patches. It helps that they have a good product and good management too, but even the best management can't run an airline unless they work with the labor.

Don't be the guy who looks out for only yourself. That attitude will ultimately hurt not just yourself, but the entire profession.

Well said Sniper-
Unions are the only way to stand up against management. Management receive huge bonuses to constantly find ways to undercut all labor in order to fill their pockets. By not standing up for yourself even at the regional level you we as pilots are only hurting ourselves in the long run.

jjjjjjjjjj

Thanks for the advice guys! I have been seriously thinking about buying a block of multi time and doing the safety pilot thing for awhile. It is just hard I dont want to take out a loan! After rickair7777 told me he would pay the money to just start at another airline, I am convinced.

According to the poster Comair and ASA screwed mainline by altering their scope clause to steal their flying... oh wait... I guess that argument doesn't hold an ounce of water.

Every once in a aw while it seems a mainline guy will come down to the regional forums and mention in a gojet/gulfstream/mesa thread that we screw mainline the way gojets screws us......


two words: brand scope.

Bingo! This is achievable.

A national seniority list would be fantastic, but it's never going to happen. I like to fantasize though...the west coast longshoremen make $200-300K and work 8-10 days/month.

There's probably a west coast longshoreman at his job working his butt off saying, "Airline pilots have it made. They don't work as hard as I do, work 10 days a month, and make $200-300k a year".

At a regional? Are we talking about the same thing? (I.E. All 35+ turboprop flying for US Airways shall be done by pilots on the Piedmont Airlines senority list?)

AE has some, but I can't think of any other regional airline that has it, any mangment team dumb enough to give it, or any arbitrator nice enough to grant it.

Sure anyone with a contract printed on a material more durable than swiss cheese has some kind of scope disallowing alter egos, but this didn't stop freedumb/ho-jets (hopefuly enough has been learned about proper languege to stop this in the future) or, most importantly, other reiognal airlines from underbidding for the same flying. As long as another airline can take a lousy contract to to underbid you for your flying, we will always be a divided, bickering bunch of children playing the "who lowered the bar" blame game.

Than again.... A man can dream, can't he?

I know some longshoremen...it's for real. Union membership is by public lottery. The last time they advertised for job openings they had 300 openings...and they got 500,000 apllications (including mine).

Heck...I'd pay $8k not to have to go back to Pinnacle