2tofly

No argument from me! My main point is YOU ALL have a CHOICE on where you decide to fly. Go where it is best for you, your family, and your career goals. The MAIN reason I came to SkyWest is because (at age 51) I am comfortable staying here for the next 14 years until I reach age 65 if I cannot get on with my chosen Major, LCC. I chose to come here despite the lower pay because of the company's reputation, pilots I know here, and what I stated above. I have a military pension and retired military healthcare so I chose COMPANY over pay but that's me! Do what is BEST for you!

Excargodog

Increasingly, Skywest captains are lucky to have ANY FOs. Not their fault certainly. Many of them went to Skywest back when it was still the regional to go to. They've paid their dues and now are FINALLY getting the TPIC they will need to eventually be competitive for a job at the majors. Within a year or two, they have every reason to expect that they will finally get a good return on what has been a long and difficult investment.

Except to get those next 1000 hours of left seat time, there has actually got to be someone in the right seat, and to do that recruiting has got to be competitive. That's EXACTLY why the management floated the ability to pay new hire signing bonuses of up to $30K in the TA that was recently turned down overwhelmingly.

And management, despite record profits, are just plain chintzy, not just with hotel rooms but with training pay, overall pay scales, and with everything else. We understand that. They'd like to recruit people by just giving them a big bonus and once they have them trapped by a couple year's seniority, just continue to under pay them like they are already doing for everyone else.


The problem is that this all comes down to either paying people what they are worth or somehow tricking junior people into signing on for far less than they are worth, then stringing them along as long as possible for that proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, which is Skywest management's preferred option.

Right now there is sort of a game of chicken going on between the pilots already at Skywest and management. The only real card that the pilot group has to get industry-matching pay scales is to hold new hire salaries hostage - most of us understand that and don't really blame them. It's the only card they really have and their pay is lagging so badly that they have to play it.

But it's also important for the pilots currently there to be honest with the newbie's too. They too are playing you. Management is entirely willing to sweeten the pot for you guys to get you in the door so they can get you to work for below industry rates later, but your senior pilots are holding you hostage too. And while none of us really blame them for doing that, it's hypocritical as hell for them to also chide you for complaining about wanting things that are industry standard - like single hotel rooms, or 74 hour guarantee during training, or per Diem in training when not in your base, while they are both holding your pay and signing bonus hostage to them getting what they want.

If the senior pilots in the group - whose own careers depend upon keeping a constant inflow of FOs - are going to chide applicants for expecting industry standard conditions, why should the pilot's group expect to get industry standard pay and work rules themselves?

More to the point, if both sides don't see anything wrong with treating new FO applicants with disrespect, why would any one want to apply to Skywest at all?

WesternSkies

Are you Ok? Or did skyw do something to you?

Excargodog

I'm fine. Is there some part of that posting you disagree with?

SilentLurker

Piggy-back this....

When folks stop thinking of only themselves and realize Skywest record profits are off the backs of regional pilots. The industry (pilots) are watching you guys more closely! Please don’t sell yourself short for short term personal gains, at the expense of various regional carriers trying to get the bar higher for ALL OF US in the same PROFESSION.

SilentLurker

If mainline pilots and other regional pilots had let the bar of soap fall post bankruptcy era, we’d all (industry wide) remain bent over trying to pick up that bar of soap! While Big INC comes stepping into the shower and finds a treat!

Don’t give him the treat! Stand up! Tighten up ur butt cheeks.


Skywest shareholders are making a killing off your a**es, you perform mainline duties unlike the commuter puddle jumps of the past age! How the company decides to farm you out as a low bidder is your business because you allow them! Set a higher expectation! You earned your position as a regional airline pilot flying damn near the same route structure, hubs, airspace and altitude!

Take pride in yourself and profession and demand the wage and QOL you deserve! Stop picking up the soap for Big INC! You don’t owe INC squat! It’s a two way street and relationship. Implement what ever leverage you all need to make it change happen, or stop complaining. The whole regional industry is watching you guys wondering if your going to keep bending over picking up the SOAP for shareholders.

WidgetDriver

Skywest management is the Frank Lorenzo management of today. Union busting management that cares nothing about you.

Plenty of much better regionals to work for with better pay and better work rules.

If you want to come to Delta it helps if you come from an ALPA regional. Same with United and FedEx. Skywest pilots don’t get that preferential scoring.

MEDHawkDriver

Great point 2toFly, and I am in the same boat. I retire from the military in another year, will be 50 when I am ready to start, and SkyWest in my number one region of choice due to a domicile location that is shared with just one other regional. My military retirement with 28 years, Tricare for Life, and the ability to finally move home after 28 years makes it a simple choice.

rickair7777

It must not be much of a preference, plenty OO people going to all majors, esp. DL and UA. As much as some regional pilots would like them to, majors don't care.

If regional ALPA was truly effective, all ALPA majors would hire only from ALPA regionals.

Excargodog

Let's assume that with 28 years you are AT LEAST a CW5. With 28 years, you are going to be pulling in right around $72,000 a year retirement pay before taxes and yeah, Tricare for life has an annual 'catastrophic' cap if $3,000 a year which one ER visit will max you out at, plus you are entitled to free care at any uniformed services medical facility.

So yeah, for those of you who COME IN TO SKYWEST with a pension equal to what a Skywest six-year captain makes (only better, because the military retirement us inflation adjusted) and essentially no worries about medical insurance costs...that us, if you are already set up for retirement and simply want somebody else to fund your recreational jet flying, Skywest's low wages simply aren't that big a deal.

And I am personally delighted that works for both iof you.

But for those who are not in those particular circumstances, that is MOST OF THE PROSPECTIVE NEWBIES, wages that at least meet the industry median woukd sure be nice.