Bottomline..........the RLA sucks.

FT

The only reliable Scope I know is the mouthwash.

That's what Frank Lorenzo said.

First year pay rates just about everywhere are terrible. Always have been. Why? Because the pilots on the property won't do anything about them. They feel, "hey I did it, so can you". So the companies get cheap labor for a year. It was one thing before records, background checks, training etc. could be quantified, back in the 60s. But now, this whole on probation thing and crap wages is a slap in the face of those coming in. UPS has one of the best paying contracts, but $33/hr starting pay........c'mon. Second on up is ok, but what's the deal with year one? That's almost what it was back in the 80s for year one at the legacies. And it's not just UPS.

Oh and BTW, you don't need 75% of the pilots resigning. What you need is a concentrated SOS (suspension of service). But in today's enviornment, there doesn't seem to be any overriding issues to have one. And sympathy from the public.....Your bank teller may have been aghast at your low wages, but if she can't get to the other coast over Labor Day for $49 because of some sick out or SOS or whatever, she won't give a rat's a** if you make 10K or 100k a year. She has a god given right to cheap fares and direct service from her small community to all large cities.

C'mon Firerman, many of these young pups don't even know who Frank Lorenzo or his minions left over in the industry are/were.

But the young CEOs running airlines today know Lorenzo quite well, even if they never worked for him. As he plundered the industry, they may have said "Oh, how awful", but took copious notes.

Nope, didn't know about him... just read up on him though.
Charming guy..

While not infallible, there is quite a bit of truth to the following:

"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." --George Santayana

For example, Errett Lobban Cord, also known as E. L. Cord, was by many considered an early Frank Lorenzo. I wonder how many have heard of Cord, yet his business methods were just a precursor of Lorenzo’s?

Unfortunately you're right. It's interesting to note however, the one airline with the strongest scope language is the most profitable with some of the highest paid pilots. And they don't own a single regional jet. Can you guess which one it is?

Thank you fireman. This is exactly what I've been preaching in other threads. Whether you're an ALPA member or not, 'Flying the Line" parts one and two should be required reading for all pilots. For those who are asking: Flying the Line is the history of ALPA and airline pilots in general.