Tell me what the purpose of a national seniority list would be. Would it be to force all airlines to hire only union members? Would it be to force airlines to pay according to some industry standard. Would it be to subvert the airlines ability to hire someone into a junior paying probationary position.

I did not say I was opposed to the seniority system, but I am certainly not a fan and I do know the limfacs of such a system. Personally, I believe in the American way of advancement through work and skills. I have worked for many companies, and I don't think any of them would have been made more effective by instituting a date of hire seniority system. By the way, many industries have unions that are as effective as ours with no seniority system. Our lack of unity is due to our lack of unity, and I don't look to a seniority system to keep us unified. As a matter of fact, I think that a system that mandates that I start over is certainly not beneficial to me. It would be more beneficial if I could shop my skills around, attempt to get fair market pay, and decide if I wanted to change employment. For what it is worth, I would like you to pay your mechanic or garbageman or grocer based on their date of hire vs their skill level or market value of their services.

By instituting a seniority system, we made ourselves busdrivers vs professionals. Many professions gravitate towards a date of hire type stratification within their ranks (lawyers, hospital staff, engineers, etc) but aren't mandated to do so. Our seniority system says that any peg can go into any hole, that is not the halmark of a "profession".

 

Basic problem is this: Flying planes is a REALLY cool way to make a living.

Because its a cool way to make a living, young people will do it for not much money at all.

Because it's cool, and young people will do it for only a little money, management will only pay them/us a little money to do it.

Like most things, our current seniority and pay system has unintended consequences. Seniority helps us upgrade without pressure to fly dangerous airplanes, but it also makes it unpalatable to change jobs, and start over at the bottom.

More pay for bigger jets gets us more money, but it also encourages management to buy smaller jets in which they will have to pay the pilots less money.

If "management" is looking at an applicant with several years experience, they will figure that the experienced pilot will cost them more in salary, so they will gravitate toward the "cheaper" pilot.

It already happens with teachers. Most school districts pay based on years of experience and education. A PhD with 20 years of experience has a very difficult time getting a teaching job at an elementary school because the/she will start at a much higher salary that a teacher fresh out of college. Unless the district needs the teacher with a Masters/PhD to make their numbers look good, then young kid will get hired most often.

Bottom line, US Airways and America West cant seem to integrate two lists. Delta and NWA have/had issues as well. Now magnify that by 10,000 when you try to go national. It won't happen. Even if you can convince me it should (which you probably can't...)

 

The only valid seniority list function that I believe in is "first hired, last fired" when it comes to furloughs. Maybe they could get this concept applied to a national seniority list. If you work for one carrier that is going to furlough, and another carrier has junior pilots (and they aren't going to furlough) - we could have the junior guys get furloughed and the senior pilots get transferred to take their places.

 

A national seniority list would accomplish one thing; no pilot from a failing airline will ever work in aviation again. This would at least create some upward movement for the junior guys.