What an interesting thread! It starts with a ridiculous scaling system that is so obviously skewed against pilots that it is ALMOST funny, and continues with the pilots make too much money and are the root of all evil at UAL mantra. How tired!
To think that as the discussion progressed, it came to include the rocket science that employees (oh no, just pilots!) should be paid based on the number of pax on the aircraft! Hmm, should the CSR be paid based on how many pax they check in, and the IAM paid based on how many pax were on the aircraft they serviced that day, and the F/As paid based on how many people they helped down an escape slide? WHat exactly IS the measure of an employees worth? Difficult question, to be sure. However, for pilots, it has ALWAYS been based on their productivity ( pretty much the weight of the aircraft).
So, a big airplane driver gets more money than a small airplane driver, as he is being more productive for the same time period. Now, it is up to the company to tell those pilots where to fly and when, and it is also up to the company to market the flight so that the pilot can fly as many people as possible when he goes to work. Is this an unfair system, or has the thought that the airline industry is currently being taxed to death in a very poor economy and is seeking wage concessions caused minds to go to mush?
Now, should a 747-400 Captain make alot of money? I say Yes but I am not objective. What does the airline industry say? Oh look, they seem to say Yes too. In fact, UAL Mgmt tried to pay UAL 747 and 777 Captains MORE than they currently make from Contract 2000! Strange, huh?!
WHEN does a pilot get to fly the 747-400? Perhaps, if he is lucky, h will be able to fly it for the last 3 years of his career. Perhaps. So, we drag out this average pilot 747 Captain and his paycheck every time we have this discussion, but for the 9000 pilots at UAL, there are probably 6000 who will NEVER fly it and achieve that pay, another 2000 who will only ever get to fly it for one or two of their last few years, and perhaps a 1000 who will manage to make all three years on the aircraft to help their retirement check. This pilot is a red herring in the cost argument!
The real problem at UAL is that the ILCs came at the worst time in economic history for UAL, as they came on top of a bloated airline, that was punch drunk with its smoke and mirrors success of the ESOP years. It was followed very closely by mgmt missteps that cost billions, and then by the worst act of terrorism the US has ever seen. It is not as if it was all a fait accompli of C2K, but C2K was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.
So, or all the pi$$ and vinegar this topic always generates, it will all come down to the few people who have any say in it at all...the union leaders, the new CEO, and the ATSB. If you think anyone else has any real effect on it, I think you are mistaken. Sure, there may well be MR for all the unions, but anyon who thinks they are going to get a better deal by voting it down is out to lunch. It will be take it or leave it, and if you leave it, we are off to see the Judge.
Good luck to US ALL, as we will sink or swim TOGETHER!
mancityfan