DogwoodLynx
Well-Known Member
Just because that's how it is, doesn't mean that's how it should be.
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True, but most people just complain and do nothing to move themselves forward.
Just because that's how it is, doesn't mean that's how it should be.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk
I don't think Majors should pay less. I just think that this recent trend of every new contract significantly increasing wages is going to come to an end sooner rather than later. I think it will start trending more towards raises just for cost of living increases, rather than large raises at every contract renewal.Wait....there are people out there who thing guys at majors should be paid less?
That just made Lucile hurt.....
Regardless of what should be or shouldn't be, all the information is out there before one makes a decision to become a dispatcher.
I knew going into this that I would have to move to find my first job, that pay at said first job was going to be around 14 - 16 bucks an hour (which honestly for a single person isn't all that bad to start especially with OT every now and then), and that I'd have to bust my butt in order to have a chance to move up.
If that doesn't work for you, don't do it.
True, but most people just complain and do nothing to move themselves forward.
I can't give an honest opinion on the regionals. I know the pay isnt great, but I've never worked for one in order to form an opinion about how DXers are treated, or how the company views them.Are regional dispatchers seen by their employers as overpaid secretaries - as they're compensated currently - or competent people capable of bringing value to regional operations? This answer will determine much for me.
A big reason for the pay remaining stagnant is that the unions at the regional dispatch level are very weak. The reason for that is the majority of dispatchers st the regionals don't plan on staying. So while they are there they see the fight for a better contract as a waste of their time rather than trying to make the best of their situation while they are employed at a regional.A much bigger problem is folks accepting the status quo and allowing the regionals to require them to grovel for scraps like peasants, instead of recognizing the value that capable dispatchers can bring through compensation!
A big reason for the pay remaining stagnant is that the unions at the regional dispatch level are very weak. The reason for that is the majority of dispatchers st the regionals don't plan on staying. So while they are there they see the fight for a better contract as a waste of their time rather than trying to make the best of their situation while they are employed at a regional.
A much bigger problem is folks accepting the status quo and allowing the regionals to require them to grovel for scraps like peasants, instead of recognizing the value that capable dispatchers can bring through compensation!
To be clear I am talking about top out pay on contracts and not starting salaries. Major starting salaries are what I would expect, but the top outs seem inflated by the unions over time. Not saying they don't deserve good pay, and not saying regional pay is what we are worth. But people on the forum seem to always want more more more out do the contracts and it's never enough for them. How about our police, fire, EMS and teachers make more. It's the attitude that people always deserve more drives me nuts.
ALPA hasn't exactly been a shining knight in armor when it comes to representing the regional pilots. At the regional I was at there was little to no participation in the union, especially from the jr dispatchers. The reason they gave was always "well I don't plan on staying so I don't really care". Naturally everyone complained when we got saddled with terrible representation.I don't buy that argument. Regional pay across all work groups sucks plain and simple. A lot of the regional pilots are represented by ALPA and their pay sucks. Lets face it as long as the majors are the brass ring to strive for and pay the best the regionals are going to get away with paying the way they do. The pilot group is using flow programs to a major airline as a means to attract people to fly airplanes for crap wages. Until it gets to the point where they can't fill positions they will continue to pay the way they do and lets face it that is not likely to happen in the DX group there are not that many of you. It is more likely to happen in the pilot and mechanic groups.
You clearly missed my point of bringing up other u ionized positions. Major payscales have boomed in recent years which isn't typical to see in a union negotiation. Never said people should be paid less either. Noone ever said they feel guilty either. Just continue to put words in peoples mouths and miss the point.Final comment on this matter...what people in other career fields make has absolutely nothing to do with how much airline dispatchers make. If you want to feel guilty because dispatchers at major airlines make more than public school teachers, go right ahead...but I'm certainly not going to.
Just continue to put words in peoples mouths and miss the point.
Are regional dispatchers seen by their employers as overpaid secretaries - as they're compensated currently - or competent people capable of bringing value to regional operations? This answer will determine much for me.
I am really curious to see what is going to become of the regional industry as dispatch becomes more and more of a dead-end career. The word is out about dispatch and the overwhelming majority of current regional dispatchers will never make it to a legacy carrier unless they have a lot of friends/family who dispatch wherever they're applying. Even then it is a long shot as an external.
The Spirit and Allegiant types are still doable but even they are going to wind up with 1,000+ apps each time from desperate regional people with little to no opportunities to advance anywhere.
Either we will see a mass exodus of dispatchers abandoning the profession to make at least equal (probably a lot more) money in virtually any other job out there (and have a better QOL on top of that) or the regionals will be forced to pay A LOT more. But we know the latter will never happen.
My guess is that regionals are going to be stuck with mostly unqualified people happy to work for $14-24/hr for their entire working life. I think we will see that transition in the next 5 years or so IF the hiring scene at the majors continues its current trend, which it almost certainly will.
I was lucky enough to make it to a mid level carrier just before things got really bad. I really feel for my friends still stuck back at my regional. They are very qualified, professional people. They just aren't current AA/DL/UA/WN crew schedulers with no dispatch experience other than having gone to Sheffield 5 years ago. It's just sad to see what our profession has become.
I think the hiring above the regional level will continue for a little while longer due to retirements, maybe another year or 2. Long term though, IMO the dispatch function is going to evolve in the next 20-30 years to the role of backup pilot when (I think it's only a matter of time) we go to single pilot cockpits. When that happens you'll see mass dispatch hirings that will require a pilot license and a much lighter workload in regard to flight planning. Again, just my opinion.
Any ideas or advice for dispatchers at non-major carriers going forward? Is getting into a training/duty manager-type position at a non-major carrier the way to go, or is trying to go the internal route better? Either way it sounds like luck/timing will be a pretty large factor.
Here's a link to an article about the NASA study they did on the subject. There's a video also.
http://aviationweek.com/technology/nasa-advances-single-pilot-operations-concepts
But Seriously. We had a manager come in and brief us at the beginning of recurrent training going over this and how our jobs might be at risk within the foreseeable future, etc. And then he segued into (paraphrasing) "and dispatchers? Well, are they going to be worth the money to the airline? Maybe - maybe not. As long as they prove their worth... So, some of the stuff we're doing that y'all have been complaining about - just keep that in mind."