Southwest Airlines new EA - A 5th year 737 FO will make $350K (Australian dollars). Company contribution to retirement account is 18% of gross earnings.
I’m all for Ausi pilots getting paid what they are worth which is more than the current salaries, but I don’t think that comparisons like the above help in any way other than to point out that change can happen rapidly over a few years.
For example, what is the difference between the above statement about SWA pay, and a scenario where a Vietnamese hairdresser posts on PHRUNE that Ausi hairdressers are earning 1 billion dong per annum and suggesting it is worth considering as a Vietnamese Hairdresser? Other than organising a move to Australia , the Vietnamese Hairdresser can’t enter that market and take advantage of those specific market forces. I suppose they could use the comparison to point out the benefits of stronger collective power of workers, but that’s about it. That’s what I take away from the post, Americans bargain effectively based on the current market so we should make sure we do the same.