Wow, I just saw the pay rates that were posted and figured I would put some of those numbers in perspective.

Back in the day, when I was hired as a regional FO, 3rd year pay was $36 an hour for a 50 seat RJ. Considering that was back in early 2001, if you adjust for inflation (and by the way, inflation is inevitably going to rise faster here pretty soon with the printing press running all day), that equates to $44 an hour in 2009 dollars.
18 year Capt pay was $100 an hour in 2001, which would mean $122 an hour in 2009 dollars. There were also a ton of "soft pay" clauses included.
The contract back then was not considered spectacular by any stretch of the imagination and the average longevity at the company was well under 5 years.
How the hell can ALPA and all the regional pilots let such a joke of a contract go through at a time when they are facing the prospect of many years, if not their entire career spent with their current outfit? I always imagined that new contracts were supposed to set the bar, not lower it! Considering how profitable and powerful these regionals have become, how can there be any excuse to ratify such garbage?
I wish you all luck and simply wanted to point out the massive downward slide that has afflicted the small carriers, and to think it was done at the expense of the majors only makes it more outrageous. Talk about shooting yourself in both feet! Terrifying stuff.......

 

How is that contract today? Where did you work; Air Wisconsin or Comair?

 

ALPA can (and will) do it because it's in their financial best interest.

Strikes are expensive for national and if they fail, then there's a real possibility that that ALPA dues paying carrier will either be replaced with a non-ALPA carrier or just slowly dissolve. Either way, ALPA loses dues income which seems to be its primary concern today. It appears ALPA has become a business that needs to be able to continue to pay nice salaries and bennies to its staff and there must be assurances the collapse of pilots livelyhoods do not affect the bottom line income of ALPA, lest the pain pilots are undergoing transfer to Herndon.

Remember, any new contract must apparently first and foremost be good for both that company and the association. Pilots really don't matter.

 

That is a horible contract thats the reason aviation is in a downward slide.

 

That contract no longer exists, same goes for the company.

ACA, great place to work back in the day.

 

In that case, that should be ALPA's new logo, just so everyone understands the association they are joining........

 

Agreed, but don't forget that this philosophy ultimate hammers pilots at major carriers too, for as stated before, the more these regional contracts multiply, the more attractive the regional flown large RJ becomes and the harder it is for major airline pilot groups to hold on to what they have, let alone make progress themselves. If they get better contracts, that just widens the gap even further making these large RJ flying regionals even MORE attractive.

It's going to be an ever tightening spiral with the pilots of major carriers ultimately hurt the most as a result of weaker regional contracts and ALPA's faliure to be the take charge advocate that it once was, but has long since lost its way.

Personally, I think its way too late now and we can all watch mainline domestic flying continue to erode (along with jobs). Think about this..........at Eagle we're loaded down with very small jets (37 and 44 seat aircraft), yet STILL these aircraft are flown heavily instead of parked.

For most domestic flying, these airplanes are still more desirable then 140-seat S-80's sitting in the desert. Apparently their inefficiency is outweighed by inexpensive labor ACROSS THE BOARD (Agents, F/A's, mechanics, etc.)

If you think it's bad now, wait 10 years..............at that point, today will be part of the "good old days".

ALPA is whistling past the cemetary and has been for 20 years.

 

Nicely put!

 

wow...bit touchy aye? Did you read the whole post? It was Highlights mainly focusing on the good stuff but a synopsis of the bad was in there. FYI, I've already voted no and hope we can kill it. Just posting info.

 

It's all good- I feel much better after posting the con list. It's internet therapy.