Originally Posted by
nugpot
I was an FO at SAX for 5 years before I became a turboprop captain. Some things take time and effort. And I had been a professional pilot for 16 years when I joined SAX.
I don't want to belittle your attempts to get paid a proper salary, but the old style Nationwide where you could get command at 3000 hrs and still in your twenties are past. BTW, you now have an ALPA branch, so use the information and expertise available in ALPA to better your cause.
Nugpot, I completely agree with you. They're just struggling with the transition from one style of doing things (low pay, high turnover, and rapid command which results in a useable salary) to another (more career orientated, longer term prospects).
The problem is they've introduced the slower system without any career benefits. Therefore, they are struggling now with the usual (or worse) crew turnover problem, exacerbated by the ok job market. They should have introduced at least an attempt at some career type benefits (ie a pension for example) when they saw this coming (which they would have had to be blind to miss). Thats the problem IHMO, or at least a decent part thereof.
Hence the complaining - Nationwide
could be a decent career airline, with just a bit more effort. The problem is that getting that effort from them is like pulling teeth. The old attitude is entrenched in management circles. Still, I believe that the job situation, combined with union efforts should be of benefit to the crew.