Canpilot7 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 17, 2023 11:43 am
IMHO, as someone not at either carrier, is that "working together" makes sense as long as everyone is on the same page that it wouldn't make sense for AC pilots to not maximize their scope and use all bargaining capital on the mainline operation, not on helping the regionals.
Pulling from the top helps everyone, helping to grow regional flying isn't a winning move. Growth in jobs at mainline pulls the whole industry up.
Regardless of the above, AC pilots don't need to represent the rest of us. Their negotiation should benefit them.
But outside of that, I think the WestJet negotiation was a good sign that industry-wide pilots are being proactive about helping each other's negotiations.
No, you are right, they should be maximizing their gains, my point was more about righting the wrongs of the past, this is where things went wrong for Jazz.
Often forgotten is that Jazz was an AC company, sold as the only provider for tier two with a lucrative contract, all chipped away at over the years but AC pilots were complicit in that.
Also, not really relevant right now but lower wages at a company that does work for your company is an anchor to your wages.
If things shift around again, to where AC is not hiring and paying their pilots too much, AC will certainly look to shift work where it is cheaper. They are currently well below the threshold and could shift more work to regional.
So, let’s say AC pilots get massive gains from a strike or threat of one, suddenly it’s cheaper to focus on staffing regional aircraft, stop hiring at mainline, pilots will go where there is a hope of eventually getting on at mainline. Jazz will look fairly good at that point.
The hiring at AC doesn’t make sense, is anyone aware of a massive aircraft order that needs staffing, or any announcements of massive route expansion. It just doesn’t add up and only time will tell if it will.