With big raises and other quality of life wins coming to regional airline pilot groups in recent months, pilots at Boutique Air want to get in on the action. Or something like that. A letter was recently circulated at the company, claiming to come from a group of pilots with demands for improved work conditions and pay.
But the airline’s pilots are not represented by a union. Indeed, it remains unclear just how many pilots are behind the letter, or how organized the group is.
The letter appears to be on company letterhead, listing “improvements needed to ensure the proper staffing and quality of life for the Company and Pilot group.” It includes increased per hour pay rates and annual minimums for both the left and right seat.
It also covers a range of other quality of life concerns, including:
- Per diem rates
- Quality of hotels for layovers
- Deadhead pay
- Paid time off program
- 401(k) program with contribution from the airline
- Minimum rest and other duty-related considerations
In a statement issued to PaxEx.Aero CEO Shawn Simpson says he has seen the unsigned letter “claiming to represent the Boutique Air pilots.” The lack of detail regarding who it actually represents, however, makes it harder to consider it a starting point for negotiations. Among other challenges, who would the company negotiate with?
Simpson continued, “If some or all of our pilots would like to form a union then I would be happy to meet to discuss compensation matters with them.”
Whether the pilots choose to shed their anonymity to further pursue such negotiations – and how successful they can be without a formal bargaining structure – remains to be seen.
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I’m not sure what alternative reality these (this?) pilots are living in. Unless their charter operations are a much bigger part of their operations than is obvious, a look at their route map suggests they don’t generate nearly enough revenue from their scheduled operations to afford the kind of benefits much larger airlines pay.
Why do they want per diem and hotel benefits when all their pilots live where the planes start out in the morning and return at night, unless, again, this involves their charter operations and is a bigger part of their operations?