Hero Sullenberger pushes for pilot pay, dignity
Sully Sullenberger is promoting his book, Highest Duty, co-written with the WSJ's Jeff Zaslow. Sullenberger of course is the guy who landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson after it got crippled by birds. I haven't read the book, but I saw him on the Daily Show last night. I'm glad he's using his platform to talk about working conditions and compensation for his fellow pilots.
The message is: If you want competent guys like me who can handle an emergency, you need to pay us decently and not overwork us. It's a message that needs to be heard, especially in the wake of the shocking revelations about working conditions for regional airline pilots that emerged after Continental Connection Flight 3407 crashed in Buffalo in February. The co-pilot was making $16,254 a year and had worked in coffee shop to pay the bills. From Sully's book:
Over the years, we've lost a good deal of respect from our management, our fellow employees and the general public. The whole concept of being a pilot is diminished, and I worry that safety can be compromised as a result. People used to say that airline pilots were one step below astronauts. Now the joke is: We're one step above bus drivers, but bus drivers have better pensions.
Comments
I'm so proud of Chesley all the way around! There's another article in the NYTimes that touched on the economics of being a pilot a day or so ago. It's sad that skills are discounted so much, and we're very fortunate that good pilots stick around even with crappy pay coupled with lower expectations, standards, and respect in the airline industry.
Posted by: Laura | October 15, 2009 11:06 AM
Good for Sully. He's a good man and an honest advocate for better pay for pilots.
I wonder, though, will we support his efforts when asked to pay more for our airfares?
At some level, if we are dissatisfied with who is flying our aircraft, we need to look in the mirror.
The $99.00 airfares need to paid for by somebody. At present, it is by the flight crews.
How much is YOUR life worth?
Posted by: Robert Schulte | October 15, 2009 9:51 PM
Quit calling him a hero. 90% of pilots out there would have done the same. If this accident would have happened 30 seconds before, he wouldn't have made it to the Hudson, if it would have been 30 seconds after he would have overshot the Huddson or made it to another airport. The guy got lucky, as any experienced airline pilot. Are they under paid, well from industry standards of the TWA years, yes. But do pilots really need to make 200k plus, no. The real underpaid people are the ones at the beginning. Sorry to say it, but it is pilots that have been in the industry the longest and control the pilot unions that they are so underpaid. They are robbing Peter to pay Paul, and Paul controls the union. I am a pilot myself, would I like to get paid more, heck ya everyone wants to get paid more, but every pilot knows that airline mergers, furloughs, and low pay is part of the game. It is like complaining about pay when you work at McD's, you knew what you were getting into, quite complaining and fly from point A to point B, or set your autopilot and let it do all the work like most pilots do anyway.
Posted by: Levi | October 16, 2009 10:40 AM
As the wife of a USAirways captain I have had to grow a thick skin and often push back my emotions- But every time I hear Sully I weep- I weep. It has been such a long hard road. I heard him talk about how the pilots have had to pack their own food which is very difficult since they often get into hotels late and are carless. My, already thin, husband has lost several pounds over the past few years. I suppose that my packing a suitcase full of fruit and cereal is healthier but it is the utter lack of respect that this and the many many other practices at USAirways that is difficult to endure. I wonder what the fat cat CEO’s are having for dinner.
Posted by: karen walker | October 16, 2009 10:42 PM