ASA Pilots Picket . . .
 

http://www.newsherald.com/headlines/...lay.php?a=2856

It's a small one . . . but the more consumers see pilots picket, and the true message/facts come out, the more I believe Airline Management and Politicians will listen.

~E

In a perfect world you are correct, but all the public sees and hears are how greedy all of us pilots are, and how we're some of the top paid professionals out there. No one with the public's ear bothers to break it down for them so they understand just how much we actually take home at the end of the pay period. I say pay period so the average Joe at Walmart or Burger King can relate better.

I posted this in the hangar, but I might as well post it again. Came on for me a little while ago.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=477722795&play=1

Its just more help to get the word out there

That's probably the first time I've heard them actually discuss regional FO pay. Probably gets the same reaction as enlisted soldiers on food stamps. People are agast at first, but nothing happens.

We don't help the situation ourselves when we tell non-pilots about our payscale...you may tell them the hourly rate, but you forget to divide it by two (three for mesa) to account for the ACTUAL time you're at work.

I agree....you have to be very carefull when talking to people outside the industry. I remember the first time I told someone that I made $15 bucks an hour as a pilot (yes $15) and they said well thats not too bad. I learned my lesson.

People just don't know any better. Most people relate to showing up for work and getting paid when they clock in untill they go home. So when they hear things like $19 an hour first year they say, "oh thats not that bad". Then you tell them well but you have to cut that in half because a pilot can only work 1000 hours a year. So then what are they thinking? Oh pilots only work 1000 hours a year, they must have all this time off. It sure would be nice to only work 1000 hours a year.

Although I am sure his intentions were good, I think the guy (the lawyer being interviewed) hurt more than he helped by explaining our situation that way. Whenever I talk about pay/work to ANYONE, I relate my DUTY time for the week and my Monthly earnings. Something like "I work about 70 hours a week and I make $1,600 a month." MOST average Joe's can quickly relate those figures into something understandable. Then I might talk about my hefty student loans if the person is interested.

If you ever want public support you have to allow them to relate.

excellent post, ditchdog. Let's all agree to stop mentioning hourly rates and hours worked to non-pilots and tell them annual salaries and days worked.

The average employee works 2,000 hours per year. The MOST a pilot can work is 1,000 hours per year. If you want to talk about pay, take your hourly $19 and divide it by 2. By doing this, you will have already put our wages into perspective for the average worker.

Hey, as a pilot, I make $9.50/hour. What do you make? No need to explain more.

I believe that use to be the case, but after so many mainline pilots took their fall from grace, I believe that public opinion has changed. Plus, the more regional jets that fly across the country the more exposure we get. People don't want their pilot to make 18k a year.

the pendulum is swinging in our favor. if you are a new guy, don't take a job with who ever will hire you with no time, get a little experience (in the next year 500 hours will be plenty with everyone). don't accept crap wages.

There are more seats than pilots and that puts us in the drivers seat.

Stick

Huh???? What ARE you talking about??? I have NEVER read anywhere that a pilot can only work 1000 hours a year. If you can find it, please post it as I would like to pass it on to the FAA and the airlines.
Now, I do know about a regulation that states a pilot can only FLY 1000 hours a year. Big difference.

Yeah, because we're getting paid while we're getting our release, getting paid while we're doing preflight, getting paid while we're waiting for a mx delay, getting paid while we're waiting outside in the rain for the shuttle. I had a hell of a time trying to explain all of this to my parents when they saw my hourly wages and thought I made much more than I do.

I think a more realistic factor to divide hourly pay by hours on the job would be more like 3 or 4.

It's amazing what the general public actually THINKS we get paid. When ever Im at a party or around some relatively smart people I ask them "what do you think I get paid as an airline pilot"? I'm always so tempted to ask because everyone gives me the same line: "makin the big bucks now that you are a pilot". I can honestly say that I have never met anyone that has quoted me any less than 80k a year to start. And these are business people from all over the country might I add. They are absolutley amazed and embarrassed when I tell them the truth. I don't know where they get this idea from but we need to start spreading the word as much as we can. It will hopefully hit the right person or group of people that can help make a change. I know it's a long shot but we gotta keep our chins up.

When people ask me about pay, I tell them that I can only get paid for X amount of hours, but it takes more time than that to do the work. They always wonder how that can be. Then you can explain the necessary preflight, wx brief, planning, etc that gets them to Point B safely. Kills two birds with one stone. Figuratively of course.