Pilot and Mechanic Shortage

[Frank Szabo]

UPS drivers work their ass off, and don't sit around in the break room watching Oprah reruns or surfing their laptops. But they're also not public sector employees.

What exactly is a county state trooper?...

Nassau County executives have already targeted the NCPD as part of a $100M budget reduction for 2012. http://www.liherald.com/stories/Layoffs-police-cuts-highlight-2012-budget,35738?content_source=&category_id=5&search_filter=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=&sub_type=&town_id=

Suffolk is looking at a $180M budget hole, but Steve Levy won't do anything about it since he's leaving office.

Give it time. NYCTA will have their day, too. That contract expires in January, and Local 100 is already pissed about how their prospects are looking: http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-09-13/local/30173747_1_mta-president-john-samuelsen-metropolitan-transportation-authority

Back in the early 70s, I took a job with UPS. For the time, is was fairly good but I preferred to do something else. A couple years and I was gone.

Yes - one does not have any free time while driving delivery for UPS - it was normally a 10 hour day or more. Those boys & girls definitely earn their salt.

 

[Bob Owens]

Ok. You're right, today's young people are way smarter than you and your contemporaries were when you decided to enroll in school to learn how to be an airplane mechanic.

Thank God for that!

What was the top industry hourly wage when you began your education?

In real terms I would guess around $75/hr in todays money when you factor in benefits. Plus flying was a real perk, load factors were much lower.

 

[Bob Owens]

I guess the fact that fuel has more than tripled in price from the time you started has nothing to do with the fact your wages have stagnated?...

No because increased revenues have more than made up for the increase in fuel. Our wages have not stagnated, they've declined.
Did you ever consider the fact that we are affected by fuel price increases as well and normally workers get increased wages to pay for inflation? Now you are trying to spin things around and say that despoite increased revenues for the airlines workers should not expect increased wages as the cost of things go up. Are you saying that we should wait for the cost of things to go down before we expect increased wages? We know that if that happened you would be here saying that since the cost of living went down we should not expect increases because since the cost of living went down we already got a pay increase.

Oh, and the state troopers & transit guys? Maybe you slept thru the whole Wisconsin vs. the unions issue earlier in the year, but public sector unions are the next ones likely to be facing the music.

Maybe, maybe not, remember 1789, 1917, 2011, Riots in Egypt, Syria and London etc etc. Sometimes the rich just dont know when to stop, the smarter ones like Buffett see it, but others, and their stooges, dont. We have a huge pool of underemployed youth just like Egypt, Libya , Syria Geat Brittain, etc. They see their parents both working 60 hours a week just to get by while they have no job-they dont want to end up like their parents either. So we have older people working too long and too much, and idle youth without enough to do. Thats a huge pool of potential trouble just waiting to be stirred. Maybe when they burn down a few banks or mansions the rich wont be as cocky. Step back and listen to yourself, as the share of wealth in this country has shifted to the top you continued to attck the majority of people who are not rich and applaud anything that will make them poorer and their lives harder. What happened to you to make you so jealous of union workers? The fact is that when Uions are strong all people who sell their labor benefit. You are a sick person.

 

[Kev3188]

I guess the fact that fuel has more than tripled in price from the time you started has nothing to do with the fact your wages have stagnated?...


Oh, and the state troopers & transit guys? Maybe you slept thru the whole Wisconsin vs. the unions issue earlier in the year, but public sector unions are the next ones likely to be facing the music.

WI police and fire unions have their collective bargaining rights intact.

 

[Bob Owens]

Hell, let's get rid of the corporate jets and their owners altogether. Make them fly AA.

That would be fair, right? Never mind the fact that doing so eliminates a couple thousand jobs for pilots and support personnel, and ultimately, tens of thousands at Gulfstream, Bombardier, and all the suppliers making components. That'll show 'em...

Thats OK Boeing will be hiring and they pay better. The airlines will need them as well.

Keep spinning, the fact is money going to those who already have more than enough will not help the economy because no matter how rich you get , once your needs are met you do not continue to increase your consumption. Give a Rich man another Million dollars and it will dissapear, spread that million across 100,000 unemployed and every penny ends up creating demand for some product or service.

The fact is that America was at its peek when wealth was more spread out, when the Rich were taxed much much more and Unions were at their peak as well.

 

[Bob Owens]

UPS drivers work their ass off, and don't sit around in the break room watching Oprah reruns or surfing their laptops. But they're also not public sector employees.

No but their Aircraft Mechanics do and they $104 k without OT.

Give it time. NYCTA will have their day, too. That contract expires in January, and Local 100 is already pissed about how their prospects are looking: http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-09-13/local/30173747_1_mta-president-john-samuelsen-metropolitan-transportation-authority

Pissed at their 'prospects" or taking on the MTA? I know Samuelson and they are gearing up for the fight.

I used to live off of Jones Beach. I know better

You lived "off of Jones Beach"? You lived in the Atlantic Ocean?

 

[WorldTraveler]

WI police and fire unions have their collective bargaining rights intact.

While public safety employees were spared, the trend toward government reductions on public employee salaries continues. As long as the economy remains weak, labor of all stripes has very little bargaining power... and as tax income shrinks, states and local governments must cut... the federal government may have the technical ability to run deficits but that has limits as we are all seeing.

 

[AANOTOK]

While public safety employees were spared, the trend toward government reductions on public employee salaries continues. As long as the economy remains weak, labor of all stripes has very little bargaining power... and as tax income shrinks, states and local governments must cut... the federal government may have the technical ability to run deficits but that has limits as we are all seeing.
[/quote
And just how big of a cut did the folks who are ordering all these cuts take? Probably the same cuts the boys on the hill are taking to help the economy and their districts.

 

[eolesen]

Bob, you're sounding more and more like that official from the SEIU, who is promising revolution and "creating a crisis for the rich".

Burning mansions? Burning banks? Sounds great. I'm sure it will advance the labor movement's agenda. Really.

 

[mike7863]

Yep, it's all about the greedy rich fat cats. Ignore all that other stuff. Really.

Clearly, you've bought into the DNC's approach for Campaign 2012 -- distract everyone with the notion of class warfare, and hope they get all worked up on that instead of considering the real issues.

Scream about corporate jet flying executives who aren't paying their fare share, while ignoring the fact that 47% of legal taxable workers pay nothing at all, and dismissing the fact that those corporate jet flying executives pay more taxes than anyone else...

Hell, let's get rid of the corporate jets and their owners altogether. Make them fly AA.

That would be fair, right? Never mind the fact that doing so eliminates a couple thousand jobs for pilots and support personnel, and ultimately, tens of thousands at Gulfstream, Bombardier, and all the suppliers making components. That'll show 'em...

i have personally worked on those private jets for 4 years while laid off from aa. i worked for a company call midcoast aviation. and in that time i have seen these poor executives spend $2000 for throw pillows i have seen $4000 dog beds. i have seen them rip out perfectly good interiors because they were tired of the old ones. and the best was installing a shower in two of this companies planes at a million dollars a piece, the to read in the paper how said company was laying people off. but thats alright they deserve it because they pay there fair taxes. when said company was just in the news for not paying taxes because of loop holes.

 

[Bob Owens]

Bob, you're sounding more and more like that official from the SEIU, who is promising revolution and "creating a crisis for the rich".

See, now there are two of us, tomorrow 4, then 8, then 16, then 32, then 64 etc etc etc!!!

 

[Hopeful]

i have personally worked on those private jets for 4 years while laid off from aa. i worked for a company call midcoast aviation. and in that time i have seen these poor executives spend $2000 for throw pillows i have seen $4000 dog beds. i have seen them rip out perfectly good interiors because they were tired of the old ones. and the best was installing a shower in two of this companies planes at a million dollars a piece, the to read in the paper how said company was laying people off. but thats alright they deserve it because they pay there fair taxes. when said company was just in the news for not paying taxes because of loop holes.

Those are the people that are admired most by other wannabe greedy fat cats.

 

[Bob Owens]

i have personally worked on those private jets for 4 years while laid off from aa. i worked for a company call midcoast aviation. and in that time i have seen these poor executives spend $2000 for throw pillows i have seen $4000 dog beds. i have seen them rip out perfectly good interiors because they were tired of the old ones. and the best was installing a shower in two of this companies planes at a million dollars a piece, the to read in the paper how said company was laying people off. but thats alright they deserve it because they pay there fair taxes. when said company was just in the news for not paying taxes because of loop holes.

Million dollar showers and $2000 throw pillows are an "investment" to people like FWAAA, Eoleson an commovia, their executives wont have to go to a Hotel room first and can go diectly to their meeting!!! What they consider evil wasteful expenditures is paying people like you and I enough so that we can send our kids to college, maintain our health, enjoy life and retire one day. Come on now, where are your priorities? Should the rich have to do without their $1,000,000 showers, $2000 throw pilows and $4000 dog beds so the rif raff like us can send our kids to college?

 

[WorldTraveler]

Whether it be public or private employees, cuts have been made and will continue to be made.
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I hear (read) a lot of frustration here with "the system" that is out "to screw" the little guy while the execs/leaders manage to walk away unharmed.
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So, the question, then, is what do YOU do to change the system?
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And specifically, what do YOU accomplish at AA if you shut the company down for its "greed?"
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Do you really think you will make any kind of change in the economic system? Do you not think there will be other airlines that won't swoop in and take AA's business? After all, they have cut capacity so still have more than enough resources AND employees of their own to do what AA has done.
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What do YOU really gain by sinking the company REGARDLESS of how they got into this situation?
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Think it thru and let me know. .. I have yet to hear a viable explanation as to what will really be accomplished.... or how it will really stop million dollar showers, executive pay raises etc... the stuff which you argue - perhaps rightfully is wrong - but somehow you can't seem to articulate how your internet writing campaign against them and your apparent willingness to shut AA down will change any of that.

 

[strikeforce]

Million dollar showers and $2000 throw pillows are an "investment" to people like FWAAA, Eoleson an commovia, their executives wont have to go to a Hotel room first and can go diectly to their meeting!!! What they consider evil wasteful expenditures is paying people like you and I enough so that we can send our kids to college, maintain our health, enjoy life and retire one day. Come on now, where are your priorities? Should the rich have to do without their $1,000,000 showers, $2000 throw pilows and $4000 dog beds so the rif raff like us can send our kids to college?

Social unrest will come to the USA if the rich continue to hose the middle class workers. 401K's, mortgage mess, tarp, operation twist, debt ceiling......all fancy ponzi scheme names to screw the middle class and poor, and reward the rich.

Kind of tells you how screwed up WE are as a society......and as union workers.