I still have a very difficult time accepting what pilots make. It's an absolute insult. Starting salary for a regional jet FO should be $75K. Hell, I hire customer service representatives in my business with little or no technical or college level training and pay them $40K a year to start.
Some how, some way, this needs to change. Although militant sounding, a total walk off should be organized and executed by ALPA. I would support that in any way possible and I am not even an airline pilot anymore.
I agree. It's an absolute insult. But here's some good news: you don't have to accept it! You are free to walk away from any employer that you feel does not pay you a fair market wage.
Owning a business, you must understand principles of supply and demand as they relate to hiring employees. You pay 40K for employees because at 39K you can't get qualified applicants, and at 41K you are over-run with applicants.
You should also understand that increased salaries bring increased expenses. Without a corresponding increase in revenues and profits, those increased salaries are not going to last very long, because your business won't last very long. Unless of course, you as the owner are willing to take less profit for yourself. Too each his own, but I don't see much point to going into business for yourself if someone else is going to benefit from it.
As a business owner you must understand that if the business is not not making money, than it doesn't matter what "should" be paid: You don't raise salaries (i.e, expenses) when you're already not taking in enough income to pay the bills, unless you can't get people to come work for you. That indicates a flawed business model, but that's a different issue.
Frankly, I find it difficult to believe you own a business, at least not a successful one. But if do, then you must be making a lot more than what you pay your employees. Why would you want to go into commercial aviation?
Going through the rest of this thread, I noted almost everyone's "solution" to the so-called problem involves
someone else changing
their behavior. "Pilots shouldn't do this" "ALPA should do that." "Government should do the other." Not one word do I hear about someone making a different choice. It's always "Someone should (insert solution here). Here's an idea folks. Take responsibility for your own choices and your own life. If aviation is not meeting your career needs, then find another vocation. There are countless ways of making a living out there. Choose one. But there is no woulda coulda shoulda here. That's for children. Accept aviation for what it is, or move on to something else. Either way, take responsibility for it rather than pawning it off on "someone else."
The thing that really concerns me is the amount of support this whole "three strikes and you're out" business is garnering. Are you serious? Do you really want the government to say who can and who can't be a pilot based on how long or how many attempts it takes?
That sets a dangerous precedent. What happens when someone takes 3 or 4 times to pass the bar exam? Should they be banned from being a lawyer? How about someone who takes 3 or 4 attempts at a teacher certification exam? Does the guy who fails his driver's test 3 times never get to have a driver's license? Do you really want the the
government controlling entry into a given career field in that manner?
That's not even considering the economic impact that such regulations would have.
All that being said, I refuse to accept the premise of the thread. Regional airline pilots are making 40K+ once off their probationary year. Captains are making $70-80K. Double those figures for guys at the majors. When did 160K a year become low pay? Granted it's not what it once was, but then again neither is the airline industry. You can't have one without the other. You want to go back to the old way, then you'd better be prepared to accept all that comes with it (for example, a lot fewer pilot jobs).