Forbes Magazine & War Is a Crime – 2011-09-30 00:41:19
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/09/29/union-airline-pilots-occupy-wall-street/
Union Airline Pilots
Occupy Wall Street
Erik Kain / Forbes Magazine
(September 29, 2011) — Over 700 hundred Continental and United pilots, joined by additional pilots from other Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) carriers, demonstrate in front of Wall Street on September 27, 2011 in New York City.
Hundreds of uniformed pilots, standing in stark contrast to the youthful Occupy Wall Street protesters, staged their own protest outside of Wall Street over the past couple of days, holding signs with the picture of the Hudson river crash asking “What’s a Pilot Worth” and others declaring “Management is Destroying Our Airline.”
This comes after pilots at United asked a federal judge to halt the merger with Continental, arguing that the whole thing is proceeding too quickly.
Piloting an airplane may seem like a good line of work, a high-skilled job that places many lives in the hands of a highly skilled worker. The highly-skilled portion of this assumption is true. However, pilots are among the most dismally paid workers in the country — at least when they start flying.
According to FltOps.com first year pilots make as little as $21,600 a year. Some airlines, such as Southwest, pay more than twice that. On average, starting pay for the major airlines is just above $36,000 a year.
Fortunately for pilots, the payscale does climb and it climbs pretty high. Fifth year median pay is close to double what first year pilots earn. Top pay can be much better. The high-end of the salary scale tops out with UPS and FedEx pilots who can earn over $200,000, though most major airlines average closer to $150,000.
Notably, non-unionized JetBlue is one of the lowest paying airlines. Southwest, which is almost entirely unionized, pays its pilots almost as well as UPS and FedEx. Something to think about.
See also:
Why I Support the Teachers Unions
Occupy Washington, DC
David Swanson / War Is a Crime.org
We are occupying Wall Street.
We will not be moved.
(September 29, 2011) — Without anyone having to set themselves on fire, a group of nonviolent fed-up people, young and old, has sparked something new. In less than two weeks they have gone through all of the stages of public protest: being ignored, mocked, attacked, and beginning to win.
People are joining together across race, age, gender, and culture. Labor unions are joining in a movement that was not begun by labor unions. Insider groups that would rather not be seen at protests are promoting this one. Cable television is denouncing police brutality. A conversation has been launched about the damage the wealthiest one percent is doing to the rest of us. And integral to the demand being made for social justice is the demand to cut military spending and end immoral wars.
Now is the moment to nonviolently resist on Wall Street (http://occupywallst.org) and around the country (http://occupytogether.org), and begi nning October 6th in Washington, D.C. (http://october2011.org).
Wall Street’s servants on K Street, in the Pentagon, and in our government think Wall Street is comfortably far away.
Pledge now to bring the occupation to Washington on October 6th:
http://october2011.org
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