I'm not sure if you're presenting this in a positive or negative light. This is on par with airline executive pay at the >$1B revenue level.

A few examples:
Alaska Air Group's Ayer @ $479K (no stock options exercised)
AMR's Arpey @ $581K + $481K stock options exercised
Mesa's Ornstein @ $533K + $2.84M stock options exercised
United's Tilton @ $687K + $1.06M stock options exercised

Notice that most of these airlines either a) aren't making money/just recently began making money or b) have a disgruntled pilot labor force. The management at Skywest has done an outstanding job of creating shareholder return and an airline that pilots like to work at. (In fact, Skywest made more profit per dollar of revenue last year than Mesa.)

If that doesn't deserve a reward, I don't know what does. Management has a responsibility to shareholders and employees. Skywest is perhaps one of the few airlines that has upheld both sides of this responsibility effectively.

In closing, I'd like to say that I'll be joining Skywest in a couple of weeks. Although there are some valid arguments for bringing ALPA on property, I believe the opposing camp holds a stronger position. Skywest management has a potent recipe for success, and every Skywest pilot I've talked to loves working there. Why would management change that? Why would the pilots want to change that?

 

A simple response to your exaggeration. The ALPA president's compensation correlates to what a senior captain at one of the major's flying the largest equipment earns plus an override.

 

That's a pretty serious override, and I've corrected my initial speculative salary to that of their own numbers (as they reported to the government).

Thanks for the clarification.

 

I've been at SW for 5 years and did the 18 month upgrade thing.

My quality of life has been steadily improving because of the steady increases of my hourly pay.
But... in the short time I have been here there have been significant changes to QOL that many new hires are not aware of. I have seen management time and time again change rules on a whim (think cancled flight pay, jr manning, new hire pay (or lack there of)). There really are dozens more but its early and I havent had enough coffee yet.

SAPA had no input when mgmnt cut new hire pay to zero. It was by order of mangement and it was done!

SAPA had no teeth when magmnt would not consider spliting the 200/700 scale.

As a group, we can join together and demand out right to be heard. As a new hire, if magmnt decided overnight not to pay you, it would be negotiated. You may win, you may lose, but at least you have a voice.

ALPA-YES!

 

I talked to a captain once while we were on a trip about when TSA voted in ALPA. He told me that in the days before ALPA the pilot group and the management would have BBQ's and other company sponsored meetings to talk about work related issues. The scheduling would work with you and everybody shook Hula's hand and knew who he was. It was a good job.

Once they voted in ALPA the relationship between management and the pilot group went bad. It was hard to get anything done with management. Hulas was like the Wizard of Oz, and scheduling was nothing more than a bank of ex telemarketers trained to say,"Min coverage."

The Captain's perception was that they could have gone a lot further with management with the relationship they had prior to ALPA rather than force them into an agreement that really doesn't deliver what either side wants. IMHO it is better to preserve a fair relationship that is adaptable and less formal than form a new one bound by legal precedent that requires reams of paper and documentation to get anything done. Issues can be worked out with SAPA just as well as with any other group if the right people are in charge and without forming a more rigid time-consuming relationship. On the more selfish side most regional pilots are in it for the short term and union negotiations put a strain on a short-term pilots interests. I really think that voting in ALPA now will make relations negative and destroy a good thing. Things are good for XJT, but over here the pilot group is largely unhappy. ALPA or not it really just comes down to management. I also don't like the idea of merging seniority with ASA. I really don't think it serves the interests of the majority of SKW pilots to vote in ALPA. BTW I'm in the October RJ class.

 

Inflicted with the shiny jet syndrome. Put a few years behind that without effective representation and let's see where you stand.

CC

 

No doubts in my mind that Skywest is a great place to work (I'm told that often by my friends there)...but your opinion will likely change after a few months on line.

I've gotta say I know folks that worked for Hulas at UFS and later at TSA in the mid to late-90s and NOBODY ever said TSA was a "good job".

 

Probably be exactly where he stands now.

 

Doubtful

CC

 

That's a bold thing to say coming from outside the company...jmho