I would much rather make a friend and offer to educate than “win an argument”.
All of which makes it a wonder why so many airlines going bust and why time and time again pilots are cited as one of / major cause of dispute.
Often pilots are our own worst enemy in the way we interact with co-workers and the public.
Pilots will get paid what we negotiate and can enforce, not what we think we should be paid or would like to be paid. You are right the world does not work that way. Nor does the public owe us anything.
The Colgan Air Dash 8 crash in Buffalo New York highlighted the pay issue for the crew. The First Officer was living with her parents and commuting to New York to fly; sleeping at the crew room because she could not afford to live in New York on her wages.
I made $22,000 my first year (family of 5-BEFORE taxes-not take home) at the major airline I am flying for. After nearly 16 years with my current employer I made between $150,000-200,000 last year (> 900 hours of actual flight time, > 110 nights in a hotel room and many more hours than 900 "on duty), so what; those are not extravagant wages in exchange for what I do between New York and Los Angeles!
I hope you make as much or more-does not bother me in the least, not a shread of envy! The more money you make the more likely you will fly with me and I can keep doing the job I enjoy (most of the time).
Whittling down the pilots wages may be emotionally satisfying and an effective tactic in a labor (labour) dispute. But in case after case it does not lead to solving the woes of the industry. Ask the legions of out of work pilots (and every other work group) or those retired having had their retirements looted who spent their working lives and gave up, or had taken away, their pay & benefits for airlines that won that battle but failed to stay in operation.
Thank you for your time!
Last edited by Northbeach; 4th Oct 2011 at 20:47.