Gee, this evil, mean, nasty piece of legislation called the RLA was also the structure under which ALL existing mainline pilot contracts were negotiated. You know, the ones where all the FOs are well into 6 figures, sometimes above $200 an hour, and CA rates are that much higher. Go back and look at some of the inflation adjusted rates of the contracts signed just prior to 9/11.

But yeah, TOTALLY anti labor. I mean, no one could EVER expect to get a good contract under the RLA.

Or maybe, just maybe, **** poor regional contracts have nothing to do with the RLA.

But nah, that would take too much thought to reach that conclusion......

 

Why is everyone so concerned with RLA? Don't involve your union and just ignore it. Do what you want. Write up the airplanes in the outstation. No over time. Trade down to minimum hours.

I mean you have all the tools you could ever need. Tell your company to find their nearest ointment and apply it generously.

 

I've had this conversation with senior mainline ALPA folks, and this is what they say. Both sides are afraid to open the can of worms. Look at 117, management has to hire more pilots; pilots lost trip efficiency and time at home but now can be forced to block more than before. It is nice to not have 8-hour overnights anymore, but the longer overnights come out of your days off.

 

I'm still a bit confused as to why so many people complain , when they know exactly what they are getting themselves into as far as industry , pay , qol. If you want a crappy job go work in a warehouse making 10 bucks an hour and then ***** .Nobody forced you to work at the airlines . If you don't like it then leave and go work a job that requires manual labor and we'll see how fast you come back .

 

Pilots complain because there's no alternative to going the regional route. Maybe a few guys make it to a major/legacy going corporate first, but by and large we all have to go through the regional $h17 show.
Fair points, but you'd really need organization and union pressure to get a significant portion of guys at a given airline to do this, whether from their ignorance, apathy, or lone-wolf mentality.
Regionals are where we need to get rid of the RLA most, but since you bring up historical contracts, before 9/11 senior United guys could make nearly half a million, adjusted for inflation. Today, even after their shiny new Extension, they still lag nearly $200,000 behind that. Maybe with threat of a strike those pilots could've retained their pensions and gotten the Holy Grail of Restoration years ago.
I see where they're coming from but just don't buy it. Not much could be worse than indefinite negotiations where management acts in bad faith and you're unable to prove it. And even when you can, you're told you can't do anything about it. Honestly, what realistic outcome of updated RLA legislation could be worse than what we have? Non-rhetorical question.

 

There is always multiple ways to look at issues.

Just because there is no alternate route doesn't mean you are entitled to anything. You can take it or leave it, nobodies twisting your arm.

The airlines themselves have created this issue of the pilot shortage, its theirs to solve. With any luck, regionals will simply go out of business and the flying will be reabsorbed by mainline.

Regarding the union comment, you do not want them involved in any way. If you are going to take on the company with write ups, no overtime, and other pressures, that's on you or a loose knit group of people, but the union cannot in any way be involved or they will be sued. American and Delta are examples of a good idea that had some wrong decisions.

Pilots are weak, as a result management takes advantage of you. But if people wake up, they can realize they have more strength than they though.

Its pretty easy to apply the right pressure. You just need to speak their language- $$$$

 

Huh? Pilots can strike and have in the past.

 

FirstClass, understand and agree, just not sure you could get enough pilots onboard to make a noticeable enough dent in operations without organization, and you can't organize.

 

Jesse JACKSON is a black activist. Jesse James is a TV motorhead.

Ignorance is bliss....

 

What industry do you work in? Do you not understand the economic impact transportation has? Think railroads, not just jets. That's what the RLA is all about.

Now I can see your argument if you want all the RLA benefits that accrue to railroad employees extended to us. But to get rid of the RLA entirely means economic suicide for America.