Quote:
Originally Posted by Velocipede  I guess that means you'll cross the picket line. Nice. |
Whether there's a picket line there doesn't even come into thinking. My family comes first before everything. I don't have to worry about needing the money to feed my kids because I don't have any, but when I do, they are priority number one, and if they only way I can put food in their mouths is being a scab, then so ####ing be it. Its easy to stick to your principles when you have other options that pay equally well. You had the Navy to go back to Velo. I intend on having my degree, and probably the military as well, I probably won't have to, nor will I likely be forced to make that decision, but if I do, family first. Some guys don't have these things. Its easy to say "this is gospel" when you always had an outs. Alaska Airlines hasn't ever had a strike. They've picketed, and they've threatened, but they've never struck, so the holier than thou attitude is a little out of line.
Do you think Horizon's routes could be flown by Alaska Crews? I'm sure they could, is it profitable? No. Its called business. Airline A offers to fly these routes at Price X. Airline B offers to fly these routes at Price Y. If Price X > Price Y, then Airline A = Bankrupt. Its only a matter of time. What do you think is happening to Alaska Air group?
Quote:
Alaska Air Group Reports $75 Million 4Q Loss
Thursday, January 29, 2009 – updated: 1:03 pm PST January 29, 2009
SEATTLE -- Alaska Air Group lost $75 million in the last quarter. The Seattle-based parent company for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air blames lower sales and higher fuel costs. Fourth quarter revenue dropped 3 percent to $827 million, compared to the same period a year ago. For all of 2008, Alaska lost $134 million, compared to a $124 million profit the year before. Annual revenue rose 6 percent to $3.7 billion.
|
Here's the linky :
http://www.kirotv.com/money/18594269/detail.html
How long will it be before PenAir starts getting those Saab 2000s online and flying the Anchorage - Juneau flights for you? Probably not that long, not with those figures. Though, albeit, last year was a doozy for everyone involved. I'm not trying ot goad you, I'm saying that blaming the pilots for this is ridiculous. Its business. The corporate office couldn't give a rats ass about the pilot group's wishes, the pay of all the pilots is fairly small potatoes when you compare it with the cost of the rest of the airline. They're just trying to trim where they can. You don't think they have as many maintenance deferable items as possible, and as many fancy computers that keep fuel flows to a minimum and reduce the chance of going missed (which costs money if you do it a lot) for no reason right? Pilots are way down on the list of costs after everything else, and thus will get prioritized as such. Its not right in a lot of ways, but still, its not about the pilots, they don't care about us other than when they can try to trim a few dollars here and there.