Charliethewonderdog, you’ll just have to excuse me if I’m not fully grasping your argument.
My argument is simple. Management has had an oversupply of pilots for ever..... until now. They have abused this.... ok I'll put it in another way..... they have had the luxury of an over supply of skilled labor which has enabled them to set a value on it's employees, they have over the last 20 years continually erroded conditions and pay, aviation is one of the only proffessions that pay has actaully decreased.
Ok I accept the supply and demand argument...
Now for what ever reason...... there is a pilot shortage. We can came up with many reasons why there is a shortage, but surely anyone can see that poor conditions and reduced pay has been a significant reason for this...????
So now it's our turn to use our psoition in the industry to OUR advantage, we are in DEMAND. Now correct me if I'm wrong but if you are in DEMAND doesn't this mean your value would increase????
As Placido mentioned, there are other issues to consider than just “management” for a pilot shortage. It takes two to form an employment contract of sorts. An offer is made, there is consideration and there is an acceptance. Are you blaming the person who made the low offer? Should you not be placing a large proportion of blame with the person who willingly chose to accept the low offer?
Yes I would blame stupid pilots under valueing them selves.
What’s wrong with pilots leaving to accept positions overseas? It’s the way a free market should work. The same should apply to pilots who want to migrate here. Company executives are under no obligation to employ pilots to keep them from going overseas.
There is nothing wrong with pilots accepting positions over seas. But replacing them with pilots from countries with far less standids then us is a road which I think we shouldn'y go down, There is a reason for Australia's safety record.
You think you’re undervalued. A fundamental concept of a market economy is that something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. You might think your talents are worth $300,000 per year, but if the highest bidder is only prepared to pay $20,000, then that’s what your skills are worth.
Ok park your planes up against the fence then, lets see what they are valued at then. A compay like REX is canceling dozen of flights daily. Have they undervalued it's employees???? I think so.
Advertising? At present, difficulty finding experienced pilots and other staff is a company supply issue. Start advertising and the public will see it as a group arguing for the right to a particular position. I can’t understand why you want to advertise. Pilots are entering an unprecedented era of great employment opportunities and growth potential and you want to fiddle-fart about and present your side of the argument. What do you care if there is a pilot shortage? It's should be all good news for you. Get out and make hay while the sun shines and forget about trying to get one over on the company execs. A pilot shortage is their problem to sort out, not yours.
Well the company execs are still trying to get one over us, by trying convince the goverment that they should help finance new pilots through student loans etc... have you heard about the Multi Crew Licence???
You seem pretty happy to see highly skilled, experienced pilots leave for over seas to be replaced by pilots fresh out of school sitting next to a pilt from a third world country...... surely the public, you, me and every one in Australian Aviation should fight for our standard that we are responsible for... lets not let it slip.