- Tim.png (484.21 KiB) Viewed 7159 times
Even the Meter Reader job, which requires no education makes $70k a year!
None of these jobs require signing a training bond or mandatory remote bush work or working the ramp for 2 years with a promise of maybe getting a job. They don’t require over $100k in training costs – if you haven’t looked recently, 1 hour solo in a flying club Cessna 172R is over $200/hr + instructor rates of $80/hr. Multi training is almost $500/hr. University and college tuition is rising, along with inflation.
All CAR700 pilots shouldn’t be accepting less than $90k to start in their upcoming contract negotiations if they want to be on par with any other junior professionals like Meter Readers and Tim Hortons delivery drivers.
If you are currently making less than 90k a year, go to your employer and argue that since a Meter Reader is making 70k with no education, you should be paid at least 70k to be aligned with the Meter Reader and add another 20k annually so you can pay off your education over 5 or 6 years.
You should be able to pay off student loans quickly and not carrying them into mid life.
If you have an ATPL, you aren’t a junior employee and shouldn’t be comparing yourself to a Meter Reader. Those piloting licenses and years of training and working your way up to 1500 hours has some value – with an ATPL demand no less than $120k a year.
ACPA and ALPA are failing as unions if they set the first year pay less than $120k. Is this a profession or is it not?
Medevac Pilots – start having some respect for yourself and what you do. Remote uncontrolled Medevac is the most dangerous and complex flying in civil aviation. You should be making at least as much as the nurse or doctor on board, regardless if it’s a PC-12, King Air or light jet. The government is willing to pay 20k or more for transporting the person onboard, and then maybe 100k or more for their hospital stay – they are as precious a payload as any airliner carrying 100 passenger. Don’t treat yourself as deserving less than airline pilots. Stand up to employers who pay low so they don’t undercut the Medevac companies who are willing to pay high.
If you have a union, scrap the training bonds. No other industry does this. You already subsided the training for your employer by paying 100k+ for your flight training and post-secondary.
New nurses and medical workers are being paid signing bonus of $10k to 20k. Set a new expectation for signing bonuses, and stop signing training agreements binding you to the company. You should have the ability to leave without penalty.
In your new contracts don’t:
- - Pay for aircraft type training or instrument renewals
- Pay for pilot medicals – still many companies requiring this. The company should pay you 1 hour time for driving to and taking your medical
- Pay for pilot shirts, dress pants, ties, black shoes or other company uniform requirements
- Pay for safety vests or winter clothing or gloves if you have to fuel or de-ice the plane, shovel snow or brush snow off the aircraft.
- Pay for charts and maps or iPads required for work - required by law, non-negotiable
- Pay for out of country or out of province cell phone plans – your employer should pay for all long distance charges and required data usage on your cell phones
- Pay for CPR and first aid courses
- Pay for taxis, rental cars or ground transport any time you are away from base
- Pay for gym or fitness facility access while away from base – the company has a responsibility to your Category 1 Medical health
- Pay for time in the FTD – especially instructors and those working on the ramp “waiting”
- Pay for flashlights, headsets or sunglasses – these are required for the job
- Pay for pens, paper or other basic office supplies
- Pay for meals, hotels or accommodations while on duty or on call
- Pay for pilot life insurance – make sure your employer’s insurance policy covers you. Many pilots, and almost all flight instructors, are directly exempt from the insurance policies you carry on board. Make sure you are covered by the company.
All time taking company required exams, initial and renewal training should be paid.
Time on call, on reserve, deadheading/relocation or waiting for clients should be paid at no less than half time for every hour – other industries charge call out fees and driving time for workers who have to spend time travelling.
If you are waiting around the airport for a broken plane or weather delay or scheduling issue, you should be paid half time for every hour waiting and not doing your job. Stop letting the companies position you without pay.
If you are required to show up to work, and then sent home, you should be paid for the expense of driving to work and for the time you spent waiting, usually no less than 4 hours pay.
All pilots should get a per diem which meet the level set by the federal government - non-negotiable
https://www.njc-cnm.gc.ca/directive/d10/v238/s659/en
Make sure your employer’s insurance policy covers you while on the job and any time you are travelling for work, commuting, or deadheading. Many pilots, and almost all flight instructors, are directly exempt from the insurance policies you carry on board. Make sure you are covered by the company at a minimum to the levels set by the federal government
https://www.njc-cnm.gc.ca/directive/d10/v238/s648/en
Like most other industries, if you are working outside the standard 6 am to 6 pm working hours at your home base, you should expect 10 – 20% extra pay for every hour worked as per the law in many jurisdictions.
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversig ... mployees/
If you are required to travel across more than 2 time zones, you should get additional time zone pay – 10% per hour while away from base.
If you are operating old aircraft without autopilot or moving map GPS, your work is more difficult, you should expect an extra 10% pay for this.
Dangerous flying such as crop-dusting, fire suppression, banner towing, low level surveillance or pipeline flying and non-paved landing strips should all have an extra 10% danger pay.
Pilots should never be loading/unloading cargo beyond a few passenger suitcases or for rich Amazon or UPS companies - they can afford baggage staff. Loading/unloading should always be the job of trained and paid ground handlers who have the appropriate safety equipment. If a pilot is required to do it, the company is required to train the pilots on lifting techniques and issue the pilots lifting harnesses and paid steel toe foot wear – which should not carried on board the aircraft due to its possible electromagnetic effects.
Any time deicing or fueling or doing office work must be paid.
Be a professional pilot. Flight planning, crew and aircraft preparation should be your ground duties, not loading or cleaning (thanks westjet).
