Xtreme87

We have a business. You realize our government is bought by big corporations. Have you seen how much is donated to these puppets running for president now? Sorry but I don't have that kind of cash, and most hard working people are not a part of any union to get a voice either. Time for a reality check, stop drinking the Koolaid. The system is rigged against the middle class. Try explaining the billions made off the recession. Just scumbags profiting off the loss of the middle class.
Oh and I'm a libertarian buddy, I don't need anything from anybody...just a fair system.

JoeMerchant

Yes indeed...Time for a reality check. The President of ALPA makes over $400K a year while a regional FO makes $20K and qualifies for food stamps. Stop drinking both flavors of koolaid....

Bootleg

I have mentioned on here more than once, about how the mainline "partners" are making billions off the backs of the "regional" pilots. That's Billions with a "B" kids. Don't try to tell me that they can't afford to pay you more. They can. There are more sinister things at play here than meets the eye. The biggest threat to the "regional" pilots livelihood is ALPA. Their have proven time and time again, that they are managements right hand man. They never fail to mis-represent. And all he while you people are shoveling money to this corrupt organization on a monthly basis. Your "representatives" are out eating lobster and running up exorbitant bar tabs, while you are eating ramen noodles, and worrying about paying your light bill.

If ALPA had any substance at all, this shuffling of aircraft between carriers as punishment would never even have been dreamed of.

Has ALPA been pushing to get all you "regional" guys on your respective mainline partners seniority list? Why not??? Jet what the hell have they been doing? Taking bribes and selling you down the river that's what they've been doing, and not just you. Look what they tried to push on the Delta guys.

Their time has come and gone fellows. They no longer serve any productive purpose. If their exploits came out in court there would be some jail time involved for most of them, and well deserved.

squib

Quite a conflicting statement.

Mesabah

You get what you can negotiate. A lot of regional pilots have negotiated their way onto the mainline list, and they deserve it because they got it.

squib

Spoken like a true "millennial." Congrats!

jethikoki

Excuse me? How about just having equality? That's what I thought the USA, unions and or associations is/are about. Most or all had some interview at what ever company they work for. Where was the DAL interview for the Western Airline pilots? According to you why should they get a guaranteed job at DAL without being interviewed by DAL first?
Not going to happen when mainline buys a regional. (Thanks ALPA!) Have to use that "similar gauge equipment" argument.
God forbid the association provide the same treatment between mainline and regional pilots. Your mainline flying is so vastly different. I am sure this was all written about in the Line Dancing books the union wants us to read.
I know I should be sorry for feeling like this. I know like you say or imply all the hard work is only at mainline or people who work at a mainline. All other jobs are easy or much easier for regional pilots. We are all just a bunch of entitlement wannabes. I'm just glad we have people like you here to mentor us. Thank you for your insight.

Truman_Sparks

The real problem is leverage, despite all this talk and rhetoric. The leverage we do not hold at the regional level. You can hold the line and demand more, etc, etc all day long. The problem lies in the fact that there is no leverage on our side at the Regionals against he mainline partners.

Here is how this goes. This is an actual story of a discussion between a large regional and it's mainline partner.

Regional: We would like to extend these leases with you on many of these RJ's that have been flown for years safely for you.

Mainline Management: Sounds great, we'd love to discuss it.

Regional: Great. Well, here is the thing. The rate you are paying us to fly these is totally unprofitable. We would love to continue to fly these jets, but we need to renegotiate new terms that are better for us, and allow our company to be profitable and can afford us to invest in our company and people.

Mainline: Nah, we are only comfortable with what the current terms are. Besides, we can just move these leases to another cheaper company. That continues to help our profits, and the planes will still be flown. After all, it really doesn't matter to us who flies these planes.

Regional: Oh yea, well......who will fly those planes for this other company. There is a shortage of candidates wanting to fly for these airlines now?

Mainline: Oh, that's an easy one. Many of your junior pilots will take a job there hoping for a quicker upgrade.

Checkmate.

See, this is why we don't have all this power so many think there is at the regional level. Yes, we do the same job, are skilled and trained and have a lot of responsibility. However, we can't force our companies to pay us more, because they can't increase their revenue to cover the higher expenses. To correctly show the profits the partners are making is fine, but unless you can force them to spend it at the regional level it is moot! When someone shows how that can be done I'd love to know. They just - as they ALWAYS HAVE - move the flying to a cheaper company. Unless there is a collusion at the regionals to all charge the same rates, and for all the regionals to have one payscale for the same aircraft. Even that won't help much, because companies with less longevity will always be cheaper, and mainlines can (and have in the past) start up a new regional to usurp higher costs at others. Usairways started Potomac Airlines years ago to fly Dash-8's and undercut Piedmont and Allegheny. United is shifting flying from XJT to Trans States. Mesa has done this for years. This is why you can't just demand they pay you more because you are worth it.

Mesabah

An interview is a negotiation, you aren't earning anything. Only people who own their own business actually earn something. The very definition of a union is entitlement through collective negotiation.

FlameNSky

*cough* PSA *cough*

Seriously, PSA pilots, are you listening? We had 3, THREE employee groups say no to corporate greed, and then you guys came along.