Cool. For food I've now resorted to bringing large Tupperware tubs full of protein powder and mass gainer. Cheaper than food and doesn't go bad. Lol

5 year upgrades for everyone, it's chrismas!!!

Only 10 years to Captain at a Major!! SWEET!

I got out of airlines, but my buddies that have been in for 10 years are nowhere near out-earning engineers, haha. Engineers can get on with big "majors" right out of school, increasing their stability, earning, benefits, etc. It's not even close.

That is brilliant. Sometime real world experience is more valuable then a proper education. Going to grab some protein next time I go to the grocery store. THANKS!

The real issue is how much of your own real value of work..... you don't keep...

Straight from the communist manifesto?

You totally buff?

http://www.driven2divide.com/wp-cont...cartoon_t.jpeg

BEEFCAKE!!!

When negotiating contracts, maybe this is something that should be considered. Minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and at 40 hours a week a pay of $15,080 a year ($7.25 X 40 hours = $290 a week X 52 weeks = $15,080). With a monthly garuntee of 75 hours, a pilot would need to make $16.76 an hour first year wages to equal a minimum wage income ($15,080 / 12 months = $1,256.67 monthly / 75 hour garuntee = $16.76 hourly).

In addition, the average first year regional f/o has his debt bills to pay for the training that he recieved to acquire his certificates to work for said regional. Whether or not the student financed his training, this is indeed a bill that we have all paid to become a regional f/o. ATP currently advertises zero to hero for $59,990, Sallie Mae says their average private loans return an interest rate of 10.79%. Running these numbers through a loan calculator over a period of 10 years, I'd have to guess the "average" pilot debt bill is $817.90 a month. This is only the best guess I can make given the numbers I see.

So a monthly payment of $817.90 divided by a 75 hour garuntee means $10.90 of the working hour is spent on student loans for a pilot. If "minimum wage at 40 hours a week" is $16.76 an hour for a pilot, then the debt to become a pilot added in gives us a new number of $27.66. This is what a new first year first officer must make in order to afford his student loans and to maintain a minimum wage lifestyle. Maybe that can be used as a way for people to analyze their pay during contract negotiations.

I don't spend any money for food at work. I get per diem for that. I spend about $20 round trip in gas and tolls to get to the airport. That's about $80 per month. Probably a lot less than most jobs. Every once in a while I need to buy a $42 hotel room since I don't have a crashpad. That happens about 3 times per year.

No, I just think my labor and it's worth should be owned by me. And a percentage of it not go to others who have not earned it. So the next question, did the CEO earn the percentage he took from my labor?

Or said differently, should I be able to, at a minimum, determine the terms in which my labor is used in exchange for value?

Even slaves have the choice to quit.

Wow, well, talk about giving capitalism a slap in the face...

If it bothers you that it costs money to go to work and make money, then quit spending the money to go to work.. you'll find really fast that we earn much more than it costs us to go make it. An investor can invest millions and may win or lose it all, you have to spend $150 a month to get to work to make whatever wage you will make, sounds like a decent investment to me. Beats not going to work and not making anything at all.

Did the CEO (and executive board) earn the percentage he took from your labor? Well, lets see, the executive board in aviation must negotiate airplane leases/ purchases, must negotiate purchase of other equipment. They must also set a ticket price that will allow them to fill the planes but also make enough to pay you and other costs. They are also responsible for advertising the company, setting route structure and changing the direction of the company in an ever changing market. Frankly, if there was no CEO who took nothing from your labor, there would be no labor for you to earn anything from. Do executives take more than they are owed? Perhaps thats up for debate, but are executives owed some share from my labor? Yes, I do believe so.

Should you, at a minimum, be allowed to determine the terms your labor is used? Thats called "right to work". In a union world, your work contract is negotiated between the company and your union. In the non-union world, your worth is set in part by your demands and in part by the market forces that determine your worth.

Even slaves have a right to quit? In a historical context, I thought slaves were property that was owned and traded, and refusal to work was punishable by death? But yea, I suppose today they'd have a right to quit, but that goes along with right to work laws.

So if not capitalsim, what system do you propose better for the people?