Originally Posted by gettinbumped (Post 984520)

You can't use being "NON UNION" as a get-of-jail-free card and say you have no control over the fact that industry managment is using Skywest to single handedly eradicate union labor from the regional industry. You have CHOSEN to be non union. And you CONTINUE to choose to be non union. You can change it any time you want. Quit hiding behind the "we are non union and therefore have no control" blanket.
So if we WERE UNION, would it be any different? Would the hate that gets directed towards the SkyWest Pilot group be any different? Doubt it. We would still be looked at like some EVIL EMPIRE taking over all of the regional feed.

Being "excited" about your new opportunities in PDX/SEA is symptomatic of all that is wrong with the regional industry. Sure it's great for you that you don't have to commute anymore, but that windfall was DIRECTLY at someone else's expense. Someone who has been putting in their dues in the business for a LONG time in the case of Horizon. Someone who has ponied up the Union money, and stood up in the face of a nasty contract dispute and said "my services are worth more than the paycut you want to give me". For that, they are punished, airplanes are parked, and they watch you come in and gleefully do their exact same job in their airplanes for around $20 less an hour. It's classless to come on here and gloat.
Must have been to busy handing out high fives to my fellow pilots about this flying to realize I was gloating.... I guess the sarcasm was taken as gloating. Sure didnt sound like I was from what I wrote..
What AAG (YEA THE REAL REASON FOR THE SUFFERING AT HORIZON) did helped their OWN bottom line by sending the RJs to ASA and SkyWest. SkyWest can operate the aircraft for cheaper (yet pay is more - according to ex Horizon pilots at SkyWest). Does it suck how ALL HORIZON crews have been treated with their work rules, pay, etc, OF COURSE, but what say do I have at SkyWest for LEGAL WORK? Even if we were ALPA, we couldnt refuse to fly this work? If work was taken from SkyWest by say horizon to fly Q400s under United, would there be any uproar or people against any possible "gloating"? Still the more bashing by UNION THUMPERS, hurts the cause of those that WANT ALPA or other union here at SkyWest. Just like at Horizon we have no recourse to our managements creating partnerships THAT ARE LEGAL to the contract at Alaksa. Besides, how did the REGIONALS DESTROY THE INDUSTRY? Look in the mirror, the MAJORS and the SENIOR PILOTS at such airlines created this mess while they were looking to get "theirs" in the first place and not looking at the big picture of SCOPE. Its only been recently that SCOPE protection is finally becoming a HUGE talking point. Still blame AAG management before Skywest pilots.

Originally Posted by gettinbumped (Post 984521)

Really? Because according to Horizon management, the ONLY reason those airplanes went away was being Horizon pilots were too greedy and unwilling to fly it cheaply enough to continue. Enter Skywest.

Originally Posted by E6-B (Post 984549)

Not really sure how it can be said that Skywest is single handedly trying to eradicate union labor when Skywest owns two union companies.

But if Skywest does try to take all of horizons flying it wouldn't surprise me. The regionals are going through the same period of consolidation as the majors including some predatory competition. Working for a regional that is owned by a major you're going to be more at risk for losing your job because the larger wholly owned regionals are going to have the advantage of economies of scale and be able to underbid your flying. The majors will also shed the regional they own in a heartbeat if it's costing them money or they think they can save money by having someone else do the flying.

Ultimately it is just business, and any successful company is going to attack it's competition in an effort to continue it's own growth. Plenty of airlines do it. For example Southwest does fare sales while it takes a loss to gain a foothold at an airport.

Originally Posted by MatchPoint (Post 984348)

Yes wages play a part but they are a drop in the barrel. SKW is now in SEA and PDX and at some point they will be replaced; that’s the industry we live in…………..contract carriers.

I love how regional pilots can be such school girls.

Originally Posted by TheTransporter (Post 984574)

Business is business, but you still have the ability to not accept employment for compensation that is less then you are worth. By not demanding more for you abilities, you are enabling the management at majors to continue the race to the bottom for all of us. .

Originally Posted by Hayduke (Post 984536)

And you believe what management says for what reason? They'll say *anything* to get people to work for cheaper.

I have no idea if a comparable Horizon pilot makes more than a SKW guy or not. Obviously the pay rates are higher, but there's a whole lot more that goes into compensation....actual block has only been about 70% of my paycheck the last couple of years. With my previous airline's work rules a lot of that would have been lost.

Originally Posted by BHopper88 (Post 984535)

Personally, I couldnt even get a foot in the door to be based in PDX or SEA nor really want to since I live in ORLANDO, kinda pointless to go to one of the most senior bases and be on perma reserve and fly 6 hrs to/from work.

Originally Posted by TheTransporter (Post 984574)

Business is business, but you still have the ability to not accept employment for compensation that is less then you are worth. By not demanding more for you abilities, you are enabling the management at majors to continue the race to the bottom for all of us. When or if the pilot shortage happens, your actions will not be forgotten. You can plan on paying for the consequences of your decisions. If you don't like the constant badgering by the union folks, then do something about it, don't just claim "don't hate the player, hate the game", that excuse is for the weak.