Because whiners whine. That's what they do.

 

The biggest mistake that the un-informed (or intentionally misleading) make is to look at just the SKW hourly rates. The work rules are what make the difference.

SKW first year pay is quite good by regional standards as long as you fly. (if you sit reserve with no flying it's gonna s*ck for sure). The work rules ensure that you get significantly more pay credit than the flight time.

Second year pay is $40K+ (some guys claim $50K).

Also after first year you start getting performance bonuses.

It is entirely true that SKW management could do whatever they want tomorrow, but several things have prevented that (for 30 years) and will continue to do so:

1) The threat of unions.
2) The desire to recruit and retain quality employees (Quality is job one at SKW, and unlike a lot of other organizations they know that quality employees are the key to a quality product).
3) Management's sincere desire to provide their employees with a good working environment and quality of life. Before you deny this remember, they have 30 years of history to prove it. Also note that I did not say that they want to give away the company store or make their pilots rich. I understand that this is a very difficult concept for traditional union members to grasp, since the union-management relationship at most airlines is a balancing act of mutual hatred, loathing, deceit, and distrust.

This is not intended to be SKW koolaid, but just to state the facts. It is possible (if unlikely) that JA could turn SKW into mesa with one days notice. Of course I could vote in alpa pretty quickly too if necessary...

 

Great post. I think the fact that they have such a tough interview speaks for itself.

 

To answer the question...

Some of it is jealousy, some of it is lashing-out on the part of frustrated pilots whose companies are not doing particularly well.

There may be darker motives also ...a few people believe that they can help their own companies by doing everything possible to damage SKW. My attitude on the alpa drive took a hard turn for the worse a few months ago when I was sitting in an airport restaruant in civvies and overhead two ASA pilots talking about the SKW union drive...their discsussion revolved around how best to staple the SKW list to the bottom of ASA's, and what affect the union drive would have on that! This was a serious discussion, they were NOT kidding.

 

Don't you guys think that if unions and alpa were so great we would have one by now. Over half of my new hire class came from unionized 121 carriers... they left for a reason. If ALPA could get something together along the regional level that stopped this undercutting and wouldn't allow Mesa to pay their pilots what they do and stop Pinnacle from hiring guys fresh of their Multi engine commercial unions would get a better rep. That has not been done. People's attitudes need to change about using the regional as a stepping stone. It's a long step to the next one if you don't fall in. (Like that, I just made it up?) It's very unfortunate that Comair has lost some of it's flying because their employees were getting paid fairly and other crews out there will do it cheaper. At least it wasn't Mesa that got the flying so far. Plus a lot of the flying is going to ASA, a unionized carrier. Like it has been said before, Skywest has some of the best work rules out there. This month I will probably credit twice as much s I block with cancellation and 100% deadhead pay, 2:1 Duy rigs etc. I admit the pay could be better, not only for Skywest but everyone out there. Nobody gets paid fairly considering a truck driver can easily make $70,000 per year.

 

Unions job is to allow lazy people to do a half-assed job and still keep thier job. That's not what it was intended for but that's what it accomplishes now.
Like Rickair said, Skywest hires quality people not some selfish joe who like to wear a uniform. That's why Skywest employees are so great is because they haven't heard all the Union Koolaid about management being out to get them and all that crap. They are at thier job to put in thier best, to work hard to make a great product. Not just what the union tells them will get them by.

 

So, therefore, with a union management can't just do whatever they want?

I agree that a union protects the labor force from management, but I'm still not convinced it's that simple. Mesa, GoJets, Trans States, Great Lakes, and any other sub-par regional are all protected by unions; yet if I had the choice I would have Skywest as my number one choice of where I would like to work. From my limited prespective this example seems to prove that simply having a union does not protect the labor force from management. If someone from a more experienced perspective wants to educate me, I'm all ears.

 

Skywest makes a 9 figure profit margin and then votes in a 1% raise. People are ****ed because they should set the bar higher so the other carriers can follow, instead they shoot themselves in the foot.

 

Unions don't protect pilots from management until someone is fired, which usually results from being targeted by being involved in the union! Just tell me who hasn't taken concessions in the industry in the last five years? Again, XJT is about the only ALPA carrier out there with a good relationship with management. And why is that??? Because management wants it that way!!!!!! It isn't because ALPA is there TELLING management to do this and that like ALPA wants you to believe, it is because management wants it that way. At Trans States, they furloughed for no reason and then became very short handed. Then, they began junioring people. When people were being juniored AGAINST THE ALPA CONTRACT, scheduling told them take it up with the chief pilot when you are in his office because you refused the trip. SO WHERE WAS THE PROTECTION THAT THE CONTRACT WAS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE!!!!!!!!

Just like at SkyWest, if management wanted to make our lives bad, don't you think they would have done that by now??? For 30 years, they have had the opportunity to screw it up and treat us bad and yet they still haven't done it. Yes, our pay proposal wasn't as good as it SHOULD have been, but enough people believed it was and voted it in. What ALPA guys can't seem to figure out is that there are many more things other than pay that encompass this profession. I am too lazy to list them, but 121 guys know them well enough. SkyWest people are motivated and want the company to succeed, because if the company succeeds, we get paid bonuses! Geez, what a concept!

You will be educated when you fly for Mesa or Trans States, then come to SkyWest, CHQ, XJT, or Horizon. Then you will FULLY understand what a union means.

 

With a blended payrate we get most if not all the RFps. AWAC has a 7 year upgrade skywest has a 6 MONTH brazillia upgrade and a 1.5 year jet. The lowest upgrades in the industry. Get your 1000 pic and get out and make more money that most other regionals. Good payrates don't mean crap if you're stuck right seat for 6 years and can't upgrade or go to a real airline. Regionals are just dues paying and are not meant to be your career.