CHQ/XJT Pay

[BluDevAv8r]

Why does everyone have this notion that pay at CHQ is so much lower than XJT?

Let's take a quick look at the EMB-145 Captain Payscales:

5-Year: XJT= $66, CHQ=$64
10-Year: XJT= $76, CHQ= $75
15-Year: XJT= $87, CHQ= $87
18-Year: XJT= $92, CHQ= $95

XJT signed on for these rates after CHQ's last contract.

So, obviously pilot pay is not the deciding factor here. If money WAS a factor in CAL choosing a new carrier (I still maintain that it was for diversity), than it must be because CHQ management runs a much more efficient airline. A lower cost structure doesn't necessarily mean that the pilot being paid a lot less.

Oy...shame on me for stepping into this catfight. For starters, the fact that CHQ's contract was signed before XJT's is meaningless. We never looked at CHQ's numbers when we were negotiating the pay rate tables. What we did notice, however, was that CHQ copied verbatim the Comair Scheduling Section prior to even negotiating their own DRD for PBS, which we found very puzzling.

With that said, CHQ won this flying not based on labor terms alone. There was a lot more that went into this decision for CAL and trust me, labor was only a small part of the overall equation. However, to claim that CHQ's contract is in the same ball park as XJT's is incredibly misleading. CHQ is AA ball and XJT's is AAA ball...while some of the legacies out there are Major League ball (even despite their concessions).

Sure, XJT's Captain rates are only $2/hour higher than CHQ's on the 50 seaters. But...that could be up to $2300 or so per year, before taking into account profit sharing and the 401k match. But we all know (and if we don't, we should) that contracts aren't solely about pay rates. CHQ's contract isn't bad...it is quite liveable. But XJT's contract allows its pilots to enjoy more time off, far better trip trading, more vacation time, more sick bank time, more per diem, higher pay rates, much better reserve rules, better profit sharing, and a far better 401k/retirement provision (a 6th year captain at XJT gets 9% from the company while a 6th year captain at CHQ gets 4%...that is equivalent to a 5% hourly rate increase). There are others but those are some of the big ones.

I hope this doesn't develop into a p-ssing contest because it isn't. CHQ has decent rules...hopefully they will improve upon them in the future in their next round of negotiations. They definitely didn't take concessions to get this growth. This was CAL's decision and congratulations to the CHQ pilots. I just hope you will take this growth with class and respect with full knowledge of what this may do to the pilot group at XJT.

-Neal

 

[Captain Overs]

As always Neal, said with class and dignity. You guys rock over there at XJT.

 

[BluDevAv8r]

Congratulations, but I would give up most, if not all of that touch feely stuff to keep the flying, and I am sure the bottom 300 on your list would as well. Some of that other stuff is great, but what makes your safety committee pilots any more qualified than any other line pilot, did they get that extra special training that the hide from the rest of us? If I fly 82 hours and you fly 82 hours, how are you more productive than me?

If everything you said is true, I can see why you are more expensive... I am not dissing anyone, I am just wondering if you are trying to fight XJET's case or RP's?

And herein lies the problem...in my opinion. People are willing to give up all the other stuff for job security or growth. At some point the profession must advance, no? Why don't we all keep giving back what we have earned for shiny new jets? Maybe I am missing something in what you wrote and if I am putting words in your mouth, I apologize.

That said, our safety committee is really strong not because it is XJT but because we were lucky to have some really talented folks end up at XJT. One spent 20 years at Lockheed Martin doing accident investigations on F-16's (and he got a lot of experience with that jet sadly). Another spent years working at the FAA. I don't know McPickle brought up our Safety Committee though...has nothing to do with our contract, although our ASAP/FOQA language is second to none and the ALPA Safety School and Accident Investigation Class is incredible.

And when McPickle is talking about productivity, he is talking about average flight hours per day. I don't know what it is at CHQ so I can't comment but we have some pretty high time day trips and 2-days, etc.

-Neal

 

[captjim]

And herein lies the problem...in my opinion. People are willing to give up all the other stuff for job security or growth. At some point the profession must advance, no? Why don't we all keep giving back what we have earned for shiny new jets? Maybe I am missing something in what you wrote and if I am putting words in your mouth, I apologize.-Neal

Bingo, screw growth, it's about QOL. I think a few years of maturity teaches us all that time at home is more valuable than a new route or airplane. As a side note, I thank God for our managment team here, and I look forward to other oppurtunities in the future with XJT.

 

[Burt Gutherie]

"And our trip trade system is increadible."

Mr. mckpickle,

Is this better than good?


'

 

[foreverfo]

What I think people are forgetting is that XJT was created by CAL under Bethune. Bethune is gone. Kellner's at the helm now. Two different people with two different perspectives on us. Kellner hates the thought that we're their only "feeder"...hence CHQ. I could be wrong but I bet I'm close...at least Brandon C. can move up now from fueling my plane to being a Captain under someones flag, whether it's LCC, DAL or CAL or whoever CHQ flies for....to me, always a lineboy.

 

[BluDevAv8r]

"And our trip trade system is increadible."

Mr. mckpickle,

Is this better than good?


'

Don't knock the Pickle...he can write his name in the snow.

 

[regionaltard]

Congratulations, but I would give up most, if not all of that touch feely stuff to keep the flying

Spoken like someone who views flying as a commodity rather than as a career. Congratulations, you've been assimilated.

 

[Smoke Toliet]

Congratulations, but I would give up most, if not all of that touch feely stuff to keep the flying, and I am sure the bottom 300 on your list would as well. Some of that other stuff is great, but what makes your safety committee pilots any more qualified than any other line pilot, did they get that extra special training that the hide from the rest of us? If I fly 82 hours and you fly 82 hours, how are you more productive than me?

If everything you said is true, I can see why you are more expensive... I am not dissing anyone, I am just wondering if you are trying to fight XJET's case or RP's?

Congratulations, on being the idiot on this thread.

 

[FatAlbert]

Just glad ASA wasn't offered the deal. Sounds like Chautauqua is having a party over it. Not surprising.

Hell yeah b!tch!! Mooooooooooooooooovin on up!!! TOoooooooooooooooooooo the left seat. I finally got a piece of the money pieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.