There are some great ideas here and if we can all agree on something it's that there is a problem in this industry/profession.
We have common goals between operators and pilots the most important is that we all need to make a living/profit. When one group exploits another or allows ones self to be exploited we all lose in the long run.
It begs the question that, doctor's and lawyers aside, why does our profession on average pay so poorly and demand so much when there is money to be made. It seems that it is the order of the day, and possibly unfortunate mindset, that we are made to believe that salaries are killing aviation.
We can't control fuel, overhead, landing fees, aircraft costs or insurance like we can control salaries. You can't say to an insurance company, "sorry we can't pay that much so take it or leave it" and by the way "if you want to insure my airplane, you will have to come and answer the phones every weekend". It's people against people. The average pilot is on their own, they don't know what others are getting or how to define their worth.
Canadians in particular have come to expect more for less in general and nowhere like air tickets. People will pay for nice vacations, fancy meals and fancy cars but an air ticket is like paying taxes or having your furnace fixed. Not a luxury. You can fly to Europe and back for much less than you could in the 60's or 70's. Wal-Mart has done nobody any favours in our society.
We need an organization to bring perspective to our industry, to advance common goals and represent people and operators alike. The airline industry is largely represented by ATAC and presents a lopsided perspective to government.
We need to have a voice with government, support each other through communication and education, and advance technical and safety issues through a common effort. This has been said eloquently through earlier posts on this thread.
I want to work for an operator that respects me for my contribution and solicits my efforts as part of a team and rewards me or shares the fruits of our labours fairly. I am really tired of being lied to and exploited.
We do a valuable job, a high risk demanding job that although does not require 10years of university, demands constant learning, checking, risk and responsibility. We are the first to condemn our peers and collegues when they fail and this has to change.
