I'm behind you 100% Da Magic as well as everyone else sending their letters! Let's do this let's get back to the pre-9/11 pay where pilots got paid for their education and experience not because they are a body filling a seat! I am just about to reach my ATP mins but would not have a problem waiting until 2000-2500 hours before getting hired as a First Officer at a regional if it meant that we all would be getting paid what we deserve as well as getting the required rest the we NEED! Let's make our voices be heard and stop letting the public, the media, and most of all the CEO's say that we are only going to be paid $16,000 - $25,000 and have to live with our parents and other relatives while doing it. Let's make the change!!!

 

I think the issue of the commuter thing is missing the point. For credibility sakes I have been a commuter for two years and on most occasions I chose to commute in on the day of my trip. I show of for work rested and ready to go. The issue of fatigue doesnt just appear on day one of a trip. What kills me is the 13h59 duty day with an overnight that is considered normal rest by 1 min. That is next followed by a reduced rest overnight the following day, to which I fly all day on the last day, and am given compensatory rest on my day off. This fatigue issue is not isolated to commuters and day 1. If this had happened on day 2 of a trip, commuting would not even be a discussed issue. As far as the union thing and segregating certain members, I dont believe the company has the legal authority to infiltrate a contract affecting only a partial group of pilots if the representing union doesnt agree to it, so as long as alpa doesnt cave we would all be protected.

 

Be careful here folks...

Congress can legislate rest requirements, but they are not going to legislate pay or guarantee you 15+ days off each month.

If we get limited to say 6 flight hours/10 duty hours each day with 12+ hour overnights we will still need to fly 80 hours/month.

Even if congress requires two days off between trips (instead of 24 hours) you could still end up on the road 5 days per week in order to get your block time.

Poorly executed, this sort of campaign could adversely impact the character of this profession and our lifestyles.

 

I think the bigger issue than just our paychecks is the constant under-cutting in the industry which causes carriers to cut corners on pay, maintenance, safety, etc all to save a buck and stay in business. A free market economy is great, but not in our industry when it forces companies to reduce safety to make a profit. Safety in our industry comes at a high dollar amount, and when an airline has to spend money to raise the level of safety it doesnt always happen. The Aviation Subcommittee is holding a hearing next month on the issues affecting regional carriers, here are the members:

U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation

 

Instead of single items to fix like duty limits or pay, let's try and push to level the playing field between pilots and management. I suggest overhauling the RLA and let unions at the various airlines dictate what our pay should be.

 

The only single fix I can come up with is to require all carriers to fly their own planes. Much like what jetblue does. Contract carriers underbidding each other, IMO, created much of what brought this industry down in recent years.

 

While back in training last week, our ALPA negotiating chairman told our group that the Delta MEC is working with the MEC's from all the DCI's to create specific criteria that a contract must have in order to bid for, let alone fly any of delta's flying. I think this is a huge step in the right direction, If you can force big daddy to end the whipsaw then that practice dies right there.

 

The solution here is simple. They deregulated the airline industry back in 78, but left the labor unions crippled under the requirments of the RLA. Do one of two things.

1 Reregulate the industry, partially, to infuse stability

OR

2 Remove us from the RLA and let our unions bargain real contracts,
under regular labor laws.... can you say minimum wage for all duty hours
plus your flight pay, plus your per diem.... then 1 hour extra pay per
week minimum for doing your manual and jep updates... and 1/2 hour pay
per day for care and maint of the uniform...

Think it can't happen.... it already has, in other professions... places that required employees to do job related tasks on their own time are now paying
them extra to do it... if we fell under standard labor laws, this would be a good job again in fairly short order.

 

Didn't work so well for AMR with the planes leased to TSA.... that just came back, with AD's not complied with, parts timed out, MEL misapplied, and repairs doen incorrectly. It should be a lesson to ANY mainline carrier that is considering subcontracting...

AMR is only now realizing how much more liability they exposed themselves to with a subcontractor, than with their in-house.

 

Hapless indentured servants, huh?

You hyperbole much?

For the love of God man, if you aren't happy with your employment situation you are free to take your services elsewhere.

Having flown for a regional I understand where you are coming from, but cut out the dramatic nonsense...if you're tolerating 'indentured servitude' without finding alternate employment then maybe you have a bad case of Stockholm Syndrome...