A read for all negotiating pilots - Even the Meter Reader job, which requires no education makes $70k a year!

[rookiepilot]

From talking to (admittedly a fairly limited amount of) healthcare workers, it seems that small remote towns don't care who wants the job, as long as *someone* with the right qualifications shows up. And big cities have a long list of docs wanting to work there, which greatly takes away their leverage to ask for more money.

A long list of doctors wanting to work in Canadian cities?
I think not. Not here.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -1.6653832

Nearly 2 million people in Ontario don’t have a family doctor.

[photofly]

Again, the amount that doctors make or don't make is entirely irrelevant to pilots. They're not doctors. The way other jobs are structured so that individuals can earn more, or less, within that job, might be of interest.

[rookiepilot]

Again, the amount that doctors make or don't make is entirely irrelevant to pilots. They're not doctors. The way other jobs are structured so that individuals can earn more, or less, within that job, might be of interest.

Agreed.

But if people are going to post data, to make a point, they should at least be accurate about it.

Meter readers make 20 bucks an hour, BTW.

https://ca.indeed.com/career/meter-reader/salaries

[Bede]

Yes. And bad doctors regularly get shuffled out of the profession. Don’t ask me how I know.

You used to be a doctor and now you're a pilot?

[digits_]

Yes. And bad doctors regularly get shuffled out of the profession. Don’t ask me how I know.

You used to be a doctor and now you're a pilot?

He used to be a bad doctor and now he's a pilot?

[goldeneagle]

You could say that promotion to training cpt, chief pilot and other management positions in aviation are also based on merit. So that might be a bit similar.

Not even close. How many years does one have to spend in school to be eligible for the promotion to training cpt ?

Do the best doctors make more than the 'as long as he's breathing' doc'?

By a long shot.

Sees to me you are of the impression all docs are paid the same, but that is far from the state of reality. I am not well informed on how the mechanics of billing work in all the provinces, but I do know the BC system. Some doctors have their own practise, so they see patients in an office, and bill the BC Medical System directly. Others work in a clinic, typically owned and operated by another doctor. They may be paid based on billing, or they may be on a salary, each will negotiate their own pay rates. Then there are docs employed directly by a hospital, they could be an ER doc, or they could be a specialist of some type, ie an anesthesiologist is typically employed by the hospital in which they provide services. I know folks in all of these situations, thru my wife's work we know a lot of docs, she is part of the hiring team for our local hospital. I also know another gal that doesn't want the hassles of running a clinic with employees, and doesn't want to do 'same old thing' all the time working in somebody else's clinic, so she offers services as a locum. She could be home working for a local clinic one week, then the following week up in a small town in the northern stretches of the province for a week while the local folks there are on vacation.

As far as that 'as long as he is breathing' doc, it's usually not hard to find those either. Most of them will typically not be handling patients on a regular basis, instead they will be working out of a clinic that does things like medicals and drug testing for industry. Easiest way to find one of them, put a posting on AvCanada asking 'where is there a good doc for a medical'. Find one that doesn't have a regular practise, just does medicals, and you have found your 'as long as he is breating' doc.

[digits_]

You could say that promotion to training cpt, chief pilot and other management positions in aviation are also based on merit. So that might be a bit similar.

Not even close. How many years does one have to spend in school to be eligible for the promotion to training cpt ?

Do the best doctors make more than the 'as long as he's breathing' doc'?

By a long shot.

Sees to me you are of the impression all docs are paid the same, but that is far from the state of reality. I am not well informed on how the mechanics of billing work in all the provinces, but I do know the BC system. Some doctors have their own practise, so they see patients in an office, and bill the BC Medical System directly. Others work in a clinic, typically owned and operated by another doctor. They may be paid based on billing, or they may be on a salary, each will negotiate their own pay rates. Then there are docs employed directly by a hospital, they could be an ER doc, or they could be a specialist of some type, ie an anesthesiologist is typically employed by the hospital in which they provide services. I know folks in all of these situations, thru my wife's work we know a lot of docs, she is part of the hiring team for our local hospital. I also know another gal that doesn't want the hassles of running a clinic with employees, and doesn't want to do 'same old thing' all the time working in somebody else's clinic, so she offers services as a locum. She could be home working for a local clinic one week, then the following week up in a small town in the northern stretches of the province for a week while the local folks there are on vacation.

As far as that 'as long as he is breathing' doc, it's usually not hard to find those either. Most of them will typically not be handling patients on a regular basis, instead they will be working out of a clinic that does things like medicals and drug testing for industry. Easiest way to find one of them, put a posting on AvCanada asking 'where is there a good doc for a medical'. Find one that doesn't have a regular practise, just does medicals, and you have found your 'as long as he is breating' doc.

Thanks for the info!

[Bede]

Physicians and surgeons working on the FFS (fee for service) make more money when they're either faster or less thorough in their procedures. For example, we have an orthopedic surgeon in town who just does hip replacements. He does them arthroscopically and apparently it takes him less than an hour to replace a hip joint. I've heard that he makes around $1M but he picks up extra call. I've heard that my family doctor does all right (but lost a bunch of money in bad investment decisions). His appointments take around 2 minutes, which, from what I hear, doesn't meet the standard of practice, but, whatever, I get next day service. (I may change my tune when I'm actually concerned about my health.)

I'm told that having good people skills and going into administration is a pay-cut. Yes they give you a bit of extra money, but it doesn't make up for the lack of billable procedures that you could be doing.

TL;dr: being a better doctor doesn't result in more money.

[photofly]

Physicians and surgeons working on the FFS (fee for service) make more money when they're either faster or less thorough in their procedures.
TL;dr: being a better doctor doesn't result in more money.

It does pretty much everywhere in the world, except possibly Ontario which is FFS.

Once again, it's not important that you have to be a *better* doctor to make more money; the point is that as a doctor your individual efforts count for something, and your pay reflects that. US Doctors are (essentially) paid based on how good their marketing efforts are - but that will do. If you're a doctor and you're not earning enough, it's "your fault". If you're an airline pilot and you're not earning enough, it's the airline's fault.

As I said earlier, it wouldn't make any difference if pilots were graded (and paid) based on the crisp starchiness of their shirts or the softness of their landings, as long as it's something they control. Date of seniority isn't such a thing.

[digits_]

Physicians and surgeons working on the FFS (fee for service) make more money when they're either faster or less thorough in their procedures.
TL;dr: being a better doctor doesn't result in more money.

It does pretty much everywhere in the world, except possibly Ontario which is FFS.

Once again, it's not important that you have to be a *better* doctor to make more money; the point is that as a doctor your individual efforts count for something, and your pay reflects that. US Doctors are (essentially) paid based on how good their marketing efforts are - but that will do. If you're a doctor and you're not earning enough, it's "your fault". If you're an airline pilot and you're not earning enough, it's the airline's fault.

As I said earlier, it wouldn't make any difference if pilots were graded (and paid) based on the crisp starchiness of their shirts or the softness of their landings, as long as it's something they control. Date of seniority isn't such a thing.

If you agree that it's not necessarily the 'better' doctor who makes more money, then why would you even want such a system in an airline environment?

Why does it have to be something they control, if the issue which they control would be irrelevant to the main performance of their duties (complete a flight safely and legally)?

[Bede]

I can't say I 100% agree with photofly, but I do think that he's on the right track. One of the issues with our seniority system is that you are tied to your airline. Any gains you make are because of collective bargaining which has a mixed track record. If a "good" pilot had the opportunity to leave for another airline and make more money, or advance to captain earlier, this would place upward pressure on wages. Unfortunately, such a system works only in an industry where a "good" employee can be more productive (ie generate more revenue). Flying is not such an industry.

[digits_]

I can't say I 100% agree with photofly, but I do think that he's on the right track. One of the issues with our seniority system is that you are tied to your airline. Any gains you make are because of collective bargaining which has a mixed track record. If a "good" pilot had the opportunity to leave for another airline and make more money, or advance to captain earlier, this would place upward pressure on wages. Unfortunately, such a system works only in an industry where a "good" employee can be more productive (ie generate more revenue). Flying is not such an industry.

Yes, I agree completely with this post.

[photofly]

If you agree that it's not necessarily the 'better' doctor who makes more money, then why would you even want such a system in an airline environment?

Why does it have to be something they control, if the issue which they control would be irrelevant to the main performance of their duties (complete a flight safely and legally)?

I think it might be a way to decrease dissatisfaction.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but pilots as a whole are *really* whiny, moany and bitchy about their salaries and working conditions. You are all, to a quite stunning degree, obsessed by comparing pay scales, conditions, who's doing better, who's doing worse, which group of pilots are being screwed over, and which group of pilots is doing the screwing over. If you don't believe me, take a step back and read some of the discussions on this board. I understand it's important stuff, but overall it's really quite a stand-out feature of the job, and to a much greater extent than people who work as, for example, engineers, lawyers, surveyors, dentists, meter-readers (yes!), refuse collectors, and doctors, pretty much anything I can think of. I honestly don't think it has anything to do with the actual pay or conditions which are - and are always going to be - worse than some jobs, and better than many others.

So you have to ask, why is this? And I think that one of the equally stand-out features of being an airline pilot is that individual performance and efforts go totally and completely unrecognized. The only way to get to any significant increase in pay and status is to watch the years roll on. I think that's pretty de-humanizing, actually.

I have this feeling that if an airline pilot had some individual control and input into their pay, it might be more satisfying. A (very) long time ago I held a consulting position - basic pay (extremely generous) plus a generous bonus. The bonus was based not on how well I served my customers, which I was expected to do at the highest level, regardless - but on, for example, how quickly I turned in my paperwork, whether I wrote technical reports for my colleagues, and other stuff. I didn't always get 100% of the available bonus but at least I felt in control. If I was really good at the side-stuff, then I could look for promotion, project management and so forth. It was open to me.

Maybe you could think of something pilots could do, of value, that could be rewarded, and could be the basis of promotion and advancement. Because if the only thing that's going to get you a more senior position and more at your company is waiting patiently for old age, that's pretty lousy.

[rookiepilot]

If you agree that it's not necessarily the 'better' doctor who makes more money, then why would you even want such a system in an airline environment?

Why does it have to be something they control, if the issue which they control would be irrelevant to the main performance of their duties (complete a flight safely and legally)?

I think it might be a way to decrease dissatisfaction.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but pilots as a whole are *really* whiny, moany and bitchy about their salaries and working conditions. You are all, to a quite stunning degree, obsessed by comparing pay scales, conditions, who's doing better, who's doing worse, which group of pilots are being screwed over, and which group of pilots is doing the screwing over. If you don't believe me, take a step back and read some of the discussions on this board. I understand it's important stuff, but overall it's really quite a stand-out feature of the job, and to a much greater extent than people who work as, for example, engineers, lawyers, surveyors, dentists, meter-readers (yes!), refuse collectors, and doctors, pretty much anything I can think of. I honestly don't think it has anything to do with the actual pay or conditions which are - and are always going to be - worse than some jobs, and better than many others.

So you have to ask, why is this? And I think that one of the equally stand-out features of being an airline pilot is that individual performance and efforts go totally and completely unrecognized. The only way to get to any significant increase in pay and status is to watch the years roll on. I think that's pretty de-humanizing, actually.

I have this feeling that if an airline pilot had some individual control and input into their pay, it might be more satisfying. A (very) long time ago I held a consulting position - basic pay (extremely generous) plus a generous bonus. The bonus was based not on how well I served my customers, which I was expected to do at the highest level, regardless - but on, for example, how quickly I turned in my paperwork, whether I wrote technical reports for my colleagues, and other stuff. I didn't always get 100% of the available bonus but at least I felt in control.

Maybe you could think of something pilots could do, of value, that could be rewarded, and could be the basis of promotion and advancement. Because if the only thing that's going to get you a more senior position at your company is waiting patiently for old age, that's pretty lousy.

This post is a big reason why I never once considered flying for an airline. (plus the repetitive nature of it is boring to me)

[JHR]

If you agree that it's not necessarily the 'better' doctor who makes more money, then why would you even want such a system in an airline environment?

Why does it have to be something they control, if the issue which they control would be irrelevant to the main performance of their duties (complete a flight safely and legally)?

I think it might be a way to decrease dissatisfaction.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but pilots as a whole are *really* whiny, moany and bitchy about their salaries and working conditions. You are all, to a quite stunning degree, obsessed by comparing pay scales, conditions, who's doing better, who's doing worse, which group of pilots are being screwed over, and which group of pilots is doing the screwing over. If you don't believe me, take a step back and read some of the discussions on this board. I understand it's important stuff, but overall it's really quite a stand-out feature of the job, and to a much greater extent than people who work as, for example, engineers, lawyers, surveyors, dentists, meter-readers (yes!), refuse collectors, and doctors, pretty much anything I can think of. I honestly don't think it has anything to do with the actual pay or conditions which are - and are always going to be - worse than some jobs, and better than many others.

So you have to ask, why is this? And I think that one of the equally stand-out features of being an airline pilot is that individual performance and efforts go totally and completely unrecognized. The only way to get to any significant increase in pay and status is to watch the years roll on. I think that's pretty de-humanizing, actually.

I have this feeling that if an airline pilot had some individual control and input into their pay, it might be more satisfying. A (very) long time ago I held a consulting position - basic pay (extremely generous) plus a generous bonus. The bonus was based not on how well I served my customers, which I was expected to do at the highest level, regardless - but on, for example, how quickly I turned in my paperwork, whether I wrote technical reports for my colleagues, and other stuff. I didn't always get 100% of the available bonus but at least I felt in control.

Maybe you could think of something pilots could do, of value, that could be rewarded, and could be the basis of promotion and advancement. Because if the only thing that's going to get you a more senior position at your company is waiting patiently for old age, that's pretty lousy.

This post is a big reason why I never once considered flying for an airline. (plus the repetitive nature of it is boring to me)

I think your attitude would have sunk your career

[Bede]

Doctors are more whiny than pilots. For example, surgeons all complain about the ridiculous on call hours. There are new surgeons that can't find work.* (Dead serious.) The existing surgeons could ease their workload and still make a respectable salary if they allowed more surgeons into their practice groups but they don't want to give up the call that pays so well.

The other thing to add is that while we may be a whiny bunch, pilots are probably the most easy to get along with of any profession. I've probably worked with about a thousand pilots in my career. I can count on one hand the number of pilots I wouldn't want to see again. I don't think there's anyone else in other professions that could say the same.

* You can't get in to see a surgeon because there's a shortage of OR time, not a shortage of surgeons.

[photofly]

The other thing to add is that while we may be a whiny bunch, pilots are probably the most easy to get along with of any profession. I've probably worked with about a thousand pilots in my career. I can count on one hand the number of pilots I wouldn't want to see again. I don't think there's anyone else in other professions that could say the same.

I completely agree. It's absolutely not a personality or individual personal thing; there's just something about the career structure that drives those involved to it.

[Slats]

In the vast majority of flying jobs, merit is unfortunately not a reasonable basis on which to demand a higher wage for the simple reason that there is no added value to the company if a pilot far exceeds the standard, versus one who only meets it. Automation and standardization have made it so that there is essentially no difference between pilots in a given group. Charles Yeager and Average Joe will both be expected to follow the same set of SOPs, and assuming they both meet the minimum competency standards in doing so, that Charles is a far better pilot than Joe is irrelevant, and their respective values to their company are the same. I have seen this scenario play out many times at non-unionized companies as highly experienced, highly competent pilots reach a level of skill that would merit better compensation only to be told to pound sand when they ask for it. They quit and the company upgrades or hires a less skilled, less experienced pilot that will do the same job for less. In light of that reality, the only way for Charles to maximize his earnings is in a seniority based system, regardless of whether or not he's better at his job than Joe. For better or worse, that's the reality of our industry, generally. Unfortunately there are no good objective, measurable, clear metrics that can differentiate a good pilot from a great one, and even if there were, they would not be important to a company. The ONLY thing that moves the needle for operators with regards to pilot wages and working conditions is how easy or difficult it is to put asses in the front two seats. This is why we are seeing wages starting to go up as demand for pilots increases, and it is why now is the time for all pilots in Canadian aviation to take advantage of this moment, stick together and negotiate better for all of us. The rising tide can float all boats on this one.

[photofly]

It doesn’t have to be strictly flying merit that leads to promotion. It could be, but doesn’t have to be. And flying merit could be tested in a variety of simulator scenarios, not just flying the line. But really any individual contribution will do.

I agree that pilot shortage will raise salaries, but I don’t actually think that will make Canadian pilots happier, because it will raise salaries at other airlines too, and you’ll still be making the same comparisons with how pilots elsewhere are doing better than you and that’s one bit that makes you unhappy.

[cdnavater]

In the vast majority of flying jobs, merit is unfortunately not a reasonable basis on which to demand a higher wage for the simple reason that there is no added value to the company if a pilot far exceeds the standard, versus one who only meets it. Automation and standardization have made it so that there is essentially no difference between pilots in a given group. Charles Yeager and Average Joe will both be expected to follow the same set of SOPs, and assuming they both meet the minimum competency standards in doing so, that Charles is a far better pilot than Joe is irrelevant, and their respective values to their company are the same. I have seen this scenario play out many times at non-unionized companies as highly experienced, highly competent pilots reach a level of skill that would merit better compensation only to be told to pound sand when they ask for it. They quit and the company upgrades or hires a less skilled, less experienced pilot that will do the same job for less. In light of that reality, the only way for Charles to maximize his earnings is in a seniority based system, regardless of whether or not he's better at his job than Joe. For better or worse, that's the reality of our industry, generally. Unfortunately there are no good objective, measurable, clear metrics that can differentiate a good pilot from a great one, and even if there were, they would not be important to a company. The ONLY thing that moves the needle for operators with regards to pilot wages and working conditions is how easy or difficult it is to put asses in the front two seats. This is why we are seeing wages starting to go up as demand for pilots increases, and it is why now is the time for all pilots in Canadian aviation to take advantage of this moment, stick together and negotiate better for all of us. The rising tide can float all boats on this one.

Photofly,
Above is a very good, actually great explanation and you double down with below, you clearly have zero understanding of the industry and it’s needs.
The reality is, the companies do not care if you are better, they care if the airplane goes from A to B and back safely, if you can’t do it safely, then you get remedial training or demoted(less pay) but not less than every other FO.
I worked at a company that had one of those super pilots that would go when we all cancelled due to weather, the only thing added for him was extra risk, we were all paid the same.

It doesn’t have to be strictly flying merit that leads to promotion. It could be, but doesn’t have to be. And flying merit could be tested in a variety of simulator scenarios, not just flying the line. But really any individual contribution will do.

I agree that pilot shortage will raise salaries, but I don’t actually think that will make Canadian pilots happier, because it will raise salaries at other airlines too, and you’ll still be making the same comparisons with how pilots elsewhere are doing better than you and that’s one bit that makes you unhappy

[/quote].

[photofly]

Photofly,
Above is a very good, actually great explanation and you double down with below, you clearly have zero understanding of the industry and it’s needs.

With respect, you’ve missed my point. What I’ve been suggesting absolutely isn’t in the industry’s best interests. What you have now is 100% in the industry’s best interest, which is why you’ve been allowed to have it. It’s very much not in individual pilots’ best interests though, because look at how unhappy you all are.

Automation and standardization have made it so that there is essentially no difference between pilots in a given group. Charles Yeager and Average Joe will both be expected to follow the same set of SOPs, and assuming they both meet the minimum competency standards in doing so, that Charles is a far better pilot than Joe is irrelevant, and their respective values to their company are the same.

Let's address this point for a minute. It means (and it's true) that any pilot can expect to rise to the very high salaries that WB captains get, with no selection based on merit and without competition from their peers. I got poo-pooed for saying it, but it is true that anyone who enters the pilot profession has enough skill to rise to the very top levels of compensation. They simply have to wait long enough. Among all the better paying jobs this is unique. If you want to rise to be among the best paid lawyers, engineers, doctors, surveyors, technologists - you had better be damn good at your job. That means that a lot of people in those jobs who would like to, don't get there. Pilots? No such problems. All you have to do is wait. And anyone can do that.

I think that's a privilege position you have to acknowledge. And it comes at the psychological cost of zero individual input into your own career advancement, which is dehumanizing.

I have seen this scenario play out many times at non-unionized companies as highly experienced, highly competent pilots reach a level of skill that would merit better compensation only to be told to pound sand when they ask for it. They quit and the company upgrades or hires a less skilled, less experienced pilot that will do the same job for less.

There is nothing stopping the same happening to pilots now - being denied higher pay on the basis of seniority until they quit - except the union. In the same way that the union protects seniority now, it could protect skills-based promotion in the future. The problem you saw was the lack of a union, not the promotional basis. Now there are reasons why union houses promote on seniority - because it empowers the union, rather than the employee. And since it's the union that negotiates for you...

[rookiepilot]

Let's address this point for a minute. It means (and it's true) that any pilot can expect to rise to the very high salaries that WB captains get, with no selection based on merit and without competition from their peers. I got poo-pooed for saying it, but it is true that anyone who enters the pilot profession has enough skill to rise to the very top levels of compensation. They simply have to wait long enough. Among all the better paying jobs this is unique. If you want to rise to be among the best paid lawyers, engineers, doctors, surveyors, technologists - you had better be damn good at your job. That means that a lot of people in those jobs who would like to, don't get there. Pilots? No such problems. All you have to do is wait. And anyone can do that.

I think that's a privilege position you have to acknowledge. And it comes at the psychological cost of zero individual input into your own career advancement, which is dehumanizing.

No wonder everyone wants to be a pilot, and starting end pay is dismal. They all see the pay and working conditions at the end, and never consider if they would actually enjoy the path to get there.

For a happy life, that matters, and few seem to understand this. Do many even enjoy flying? Curious.

I don’t know the industry, but I profess to be pretty knowledgeable on human nature. Part of my job.

Anyway,
In no other career I am aware of, is continued mediocrity (calm down, while competent, yes!) almost automatically lead to a long term giant pot of gold — eventually.

[JeppsOnFire]

Airlines are certainly subject to the seniority system. It's unfortunate, but if you were paid by the sum of your check ride evaluation marks - which would be fairly subjective, I imagine that could cause other issues. By definition, most people are average, and it would appear average is pretty good. Or, flying has become so much easier over the decades thanks to technology that just about anyone can do it (we'd never admit that!).

In other parts of the industry, meritocracy plays a bigger role. Not just knowledge, stick and rudder or decision making skills seem to top the list; at a certain level these skills are at least average and average is all you need. Importance is placed on your ability to work well with others, particularly, your ability to create a positive interaction with the folks paying the bill in the back. If owners/clients love you, you will certainly create a significant value for yourself.

[digits_]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but pilots as a whole are *really* whiny, moany and bitchy about their salaries and working conditions. You are all, to a quite stunning degree, obsessed by comparing pay scales, conditions, who's doing better, who's doing worse, which group of pilots are being screwed over, and which group of pilots is doing the screwing over.

Well yes, I think that's a logical consequence of having the strong YOS/union/collective agreements.

A senior pilot can't really switch to another company to improve their situation. The only option that's left is to make noise and try to get collective gains that way.

Or better yet, have your colleagues quit their job so management will have to raise wages. That way *you* get the raise while keeping your seniority.

Things are slowly changing though, here is a link to the keewatin payscale, based on TT experience instead of years of service
https://tinyurl.com/2p9a52ht

[Slats]

Top lawyers, doctors and engineers can command higher wages based on merit because they can bring added value to their customers, clients, employers, etc. A good lawyer can save their client money that a mediocre lawyer could not. A good doctor or surgeon can improve a person's quality of life to a degree that a lesser one could not. A good engineer can design a more efficient system that saves their employer time and money. That being said, no one is hiring Harvey Specter to represent them when Saul Goodman will suffice. An exceptional pilot does not have the luxury of commanding an above average wage because their exceptional skills do not bring any added value to their employer that can be measured in dollars and cents. Their job is to operate safely while following SOPs. If they do this, the end result is the same as it is for any other pilot up to the standard, regardless of if they did it with plenty of untapped skills in reserve. And while it may be tempting to think that it's as simple as "wait your turn" to make it to the left seat big bucks, it's simply not true. Due to the massive responsibility for public safety, the standard is necessarily high and in the course of progressing towards that goal, people wash out at various points all the time. That responsibility to safety is why pilots deserve above average wages. And the facts that safety is the ultimate goal, and that skills beyond that don't bring additional value to the employer is the reason that jockeying for merit based pay is pointless. Unfortunately for pilots, we exist in an industry where the ONLY leverage we have to increase our income is predicated on there not being enough pilots willing to fill the cockpit for what a given operator is offering. There is simply no other way to get them to pay more. This is why pilots are often chronically upset about their wages. It has nothing to do with being upset at someone else for making more, and everything to do with the fact that for decades, lots of pilots in this country have crawled through their own version of a mile of shit to try to get ahead, while the operators have taken advantage of them and made it abundantly clear that if they dared to think they should be paid on merit, they could try their luck with that argument elsewhere, because there was an abundance of pilots all trying to prove their merit who would take their job for the terms offered. Pilots who could produce the same results with less skill. Operators used the thought of merit based progression to extract everything they could from pilots, but when the time came to actually pay up for that merit, they pulled the bait and switch and told us we were a dime a dozen and all that skill we took care to develop, was actually meaningless. Well, it cuts both ways and now the day of reckoning is here. Those same operators who refused to pay based on merit before are reaping what they've sowed. Now they can't find pilots because the situation they never envisioned has finally begun to take shape: demand for qualified pilots has started to outpace supply. We ALL need to make sure we are awake to this shift in reality so that we can ALL capitalize on it, and move EVERYONE'S wages up to what is appropriate for the level of responsibility we all have.