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-   -   Should Regional Airlines Flatten Pay Scales (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/regional/83500-should-regional-airlines-flatten-pay-scales.html)

fisherman 09-01-2014 09:39 AM

Yes, "regional" airline FOs should be paid more, and yes, "regional" airline captains should be paid well. No need to take from the captains just to give the FOs a decent wage.

I agree with tom11011 about starting wages: if starting wages weren't so abysmal, it wouldn't be so prohibitive to leave a crappy company and start over somewhere else. It would give pilots more leverage, and we wouldn't have to play their fear games of "we'll shut you down and you'll have to start over somewhere else for $21,000" every single time they try to squeeze more concessions out of us.

lear700pilot 09-01-2014 11:05 AM


Originally Posted by tom11011 (Post 1712291)
Read before voting. Identities are hidden in the poll.

Everyone tends to agree that regional airline FO's should be paid more money at regional airlines, even airline management. But how far would the regional pilot group as a whole be willing to go? I suppose the answer to this question might have something to do with whether you believe a regional airline is a place you can make a career at or whether you believe its 'up and out' only.

Even if your regional airline had the best intentions towards its pilots, they don't get to set the ticket prices. They are constrained by the pot of money given to them by their parent airline. And your airline management doesn't even decide how the money is divided up, the pilots do.

Get a bigger pot of money you say from the parent airline? Be careful because if you ask for too much, other regional airlines will fly right in under the radar and underbid you because they can afford to do so with newly found pilot concession money. Some call this type of pilot affliction SJS.

So could you support a flattened pay scale where Captains and FO's make the same amount of money? Where only years of service pays higher? Where size of equipment doesn't matter and is determined by mainline pilot scope provisions? Potentially, it could look like this- a pay scale that starts at $40,000/yr and tops out in year 10 at $80,000/yr, regardless of seat. That's a $4000 per year raise.

What are some of the benefits you ask? What if you have to start over at a new regional airline because you want to move, or you hate the company, or the company goes out of business, etc... think about how much easier it would be to do just that. Right now, you are screwed, it's HARD to leave after the first year. And think about this, the company is now more on the hook to make the place better otherwise they will have to deal with FO attrition and all the training costs of that attrition when pilots decide airline B is slightly better. All of the sudden they have a vested interest in keeping pilots happy if they know pilots have other better options and do not have to take such a massive pay hit to keep them from leaving. Pilots become less of a slave to the company.

The poll question is "Should Regional Airlines Flatten Pay Scales".

I have flown with so many former Comair pilots, laid off 91/135 guys, and military Lt. colonels and up. Most of which have more experience or qualifications than I do, but ultimately I am the boss. I don't believe treating the flight deck environment as "I'm the boss", but some one has to be the ultimate person that buck stops with and that is the captain position. There should be a higher pay scale for captains, but slightly. No fo should start out less than 40-45 an hour - period.

Several of the Comair guys that were 20+ year guys there mentioned that if they had to do over again, they would have fought to increase pay at the fo level there, but also urge alpa national to create one for for all regionals. The obvious reason is they are starting over at extremely low wages. 5-10 years ago this wasn't even a thought for them. How many of us are at a place we think is fine, but next year we are in their shoes?

Another problem is not just pay, but qol items to. If one company has guarantee of 12 days off a month and another company has 10 days off the company providing 12 off a month has a higher cost due to more staffing needs. Contract language has a very high importance just like pay.

It would be good if we could get to a world of decent pay for first year guys, but defining good pay is different for everyone. One thing is certain - it's not right anyone starts at current pay at regionals. This shouldn't matter if you are new out of flight school or a Chuck Yeager. We all deserve a professional wage.

TeddyKGB 09-01-2014 02:47 PM


Originally Posted by cencal83406 (Post 1716963)
Well why are regional CAs entitled to such high wages? The only reason you are a regional CA for more than 5 years is that you are a failure - a lifer plain and simple.

It's not about FOs being entitled to better money, it's the amount of idiots at the top who can't hack it so they stay safe in their tiny RJ cockpit getting fluff checkrides from their buddies.

Keep the pay scales the same, just force out loser lifers.

For every CA that has a low time pilot he or she was baby sitting, I have a CA that would have gotten us violated.

But the guys here don't seem to realize violations come in pairs or that at an airline, the only difference between a CA and an experienced FO is their spot on the list.

Just ask all those entitled Pinnacle FOs (displaced CAs) slinging gear for junior Colgan CAs...

Yes, it's all the FOs fault, they are entitled brats from the Me generation.

Why did you accept the job if you are so unhappy with the salary that goes along with it? Do you have nothing else going on for yourself? As long as chumps like you show up for the jobs then the low pay will continue. You are not the solution, you're the problem. You must be a liberal/socialists since you are so in favor of an Obama style spreading out the wealth. :cool:

tom11011 09-01-2014 03:37 PM


Originally Posted by Delta1067 (Post 1717323)
You must be a liberal/socialists since you are so in favor of an Obama style spreading out the wealth. :cool:

One could also argue that members of labor unions tend to be liberal/socialists/democrats.

mooney 09-01-2014 04:07 PM


Originally Posted by cencal83406 (Post 1716963)
Well why are regional CAs entitled to such high wages? The only reason you are a regional CA for more than 5 years is that you are a failure - a lifer plain and simple.

Really? It has nothing to do with 9/11, the economy tanking in 08, age 65 etc? I'd be more than happy to put my record up against yours any day (just kidding….I obviously have 3+ pink slips, no degree and multiple DUI's). So why are you still in the right seat of a regional 6 or 7 years? Must be a loser or Blue, Virgin etc would have hired you :rolleyes:

mooney 09-01-2014 04:20 PM


Originally Posted by cencal83406 (Post 1715437)
cut.

Regional CAs should be punished for not moving on.

read as….get out of MY seat...


Originally Posted by cencal83406 (Post 1715607)
Yup, 7+ year FOs don't get it. Your spoon is more silver than ERAU grads. I'm sure you can look Mesaba guys in the face who had flow and not project superiority.

Many friends are career FOs thus far that had NWA jobs until XJ ALPA rolled over for the 108.

so there are circumstances beyond the control of an FO that keeps them as FO's more than 5 years, but not Captains? do tell…..


Originally Posted by cencal83406 (Post 1716963)
Well why are regional CAs entitled to such high wages? The only reason you are a regional CA for more than 5 years is that you are a failure - a lifer plain and simple.

Yes, it's all the FOs fault, they are entitled brats from the Me generation.

get out of YOUR seat…you said it….

80ktsClamp 09-01-2014 04:58 PM


Originally Posted by mooney (Post 1717363)
Really? It has nothing to do with 9/11, the economy tanking in 08, age 65 etc? I'd be more than happy to put my record up against yours any day (just kidding….I obviously have 3+ pink slips, no degree and multiple DUI's). So why are you still in the right seat of a regional 6 or 7 years? Must be a loser or Blue, Virgin etc would have hired you :rolleyes:

If only you knew how ironic this post is....

mooney 09-01-2014 05:10 PM


Originally Posted by 80ktsClamp (Post 1717391)
If only you knew how ironic this post is....

my radar must be inop today :) How is it ironic?

cencal83406 09-01-2014 06:48 PM


Originally Posted by Delta1067 (Post 1717323)
Why did you accept the job if you are so unhappy with the salary that goes along with it? Do you have nothing else going on for yourself? As long as chumps like you show up for the jobs then the low pay will continue. You are not the solution, you're the problem. You must be a liberal/socialists since you are so in favor of an Obama style spreading out the wealth. :cool:

Having a job at NWA/DAL because you worked at XJ is the very definition of entitlement. Newhires at 9E actually get a real DAL interview. How hard was that XJ interview? Plenty of my buddies with < 1000 hours got on, flew the "9" or the SAAB, and then watched the UNION give away their flow spots. But you are better. They didn't want a 4 year scale. They didn't want a bankruptcy contract to be better for 2 of 3 groups. 12 year guys didn't want to be put below 6 year guys. But your union let it happen. The same one that gave you your entitlement. The rest of us have to interview. I'll take that opportunity.


Originally Posted by Hetman (Post 1717086)
Not true. While a small group may be responsible for negotiating pay scales, each pilot, regardless of seat, carries equal weight when the whole group votes to ratify or decline them.



Not all of them. You seem to fit that mold, however. It is (sadly) ironic that your attempt at sarcasm, at least in your case, hit so close to objective truth.

Sure, because you disagree. But take a look at the ratio of FO:CA pay at majors vs at regionals. Shouldn't the ratio be the same, regardless of whether you are single A or major league? ALPA says the pot is fixed, so, we need to decide how to distribute it. But, because some people don't like how I want to distribute it, I'm the socialist.


Originally Posted by sailingfun (Post 1716968)
You sound like gods gift to avaition!

No but I'm God's gift to aviation. ;) Really, I'm just an FO with an opinion like the rest of you. But for some reason, again I'm the socialist, and I am the guy who hasn't had to fly with crappy FOs. It's totally different see - if a CA is trying to kill me I should sit on my hands, because HE signed for the plane, I didn't.


Originally Posted by Utah (Post 1717028)
If you don't like the pay why do you show up for the job? Look in the mirror, you're the one responsible for the pay. No one forced you to work for the rate you signed up for.

Why does the job pay $22 an hour to start. Because there are plenty of pilots willing to accept it. -- including you.

RJ captain should pay $100 an hour minimum. After all that's only second year FO pay at most legacies. Why does it pay less. Because 99% of the regional pilots have agreed to less.

It's called leverage, the regionals have none. Our pot is smaller. But it's socialist to divide it differently than it currently is set up....

galaxy flyer 09-01-2014 06:59 PM

Simples, cencal, don't show up for your next trip, submit a resignation. I don't think you're a socialist, just not a realist. The Company and ALPA realized they could get F/Os to fly for a deep discount compared to the majors, you and thousands of others said, "ok, for a chance at T7 major captain, I accept these wages". Stop accepting, game over.

GF


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