Quote:
Originally Posted by Proud Pilot  No flaming ( HA HA ) intended. But, I love to fly and can't see myself ever doing anything else. I'd want my company to do everything in it's power in order to keep me employed, even if it meant a paycut. Those cuts would only be temporary and I'd have lots of time to make up the difference when I get on with a major. |
Temporary pay cuts? You're living in a dream world, there. Mesaba got a HUGE boon by negotiating snap backs in their bankruptcy contract. Probably one of the best things they could have done. Too bad Delta, United, American, Us Airways, etc etc didn't do it. They took cuts well over 6 years ago (some more than once), and despite an uptick in financials (until the recent blast through the roof of oil prices), not once has the option of getting those wages back come up. See, in order to get those wages back, they have to re-enter negotiations with management. Management has to agree to it. If they don't, well, you're in until the contract becomes ammendable and beyond. Take my airline, for example. We're going on 4 years from our ammendable date with no contract in sight. If we had agreed to pay cuts in 2001 along with everyone else, we'd be looking at almost 7 years of "temporary" pay cuts.
You're also assuming you'll get on with a major. I can introduce you to a whole gaggle of guys that are still at my regional with tons of turbine PIC time that can't buy an interview, much less get a job at a major. If merger mania catches on, fewer majors mean fewer jobs. Those people that come to the regionals thinking of it as "just a stepping stone" might be in for a rude awakening.....