Originally Posted by psychtobe
My guess: there just isn't a lot of sympathy for a mechanic who, despite having experience and a family to feed, makes $58,000 per year. That is a solid 40% more than the average American, for a 40 hour work week - and that doesn't include all those fat union benefits, like 150% pay for overtime, sick leave, vacation, etc. And although being an airline mechanic is specialized work, and no one wants the average guy on the street fixing their plane, it probably isn't quite rocket science; it didn't require investing 4 or 8 or 12 or more years of education (all the while paying out of pocket for that education); and there are a lot of people out there who may be willing to do the work for less - even without resorting to "outsourcing" or "foreign workers." I bet you can find those willing workers right here in the USA - and I bet the mechanics are about to find this out.
Psychtobe, I have to ask exactly where you live, how much you paid for your house, and what you make in a year. Why? Because you seem to think that nobody has sympathy for a mechanic making $58k per year with a family to feed. You seem to think that because it's 40% more than what the average American makes that he's well off.
I beg to differ with you on all counts. I don't have a breakdown on where NW mechanics are based, but I'm sure they have mechs based at LAX. I've seen them. I guarantee you this: Living in L.A. on one income, $58k is nothing. Fat union benefits? If I'm not mistaken, federal law requires that overtime (at the rate of 150%) be paid for any hours over 40 worked in a week. Vacation? Sick? I'd hardly call those fat union benefits either. Most people in non union jobs have those benefits as well. I have them in mine. School? Requires 2000 hours of training. It's commonly accepted that that is a 2-year degree, paid for out of the employee's own pocket.
I refuse to play the "blame the mechanic" game in this one. I have a lot of sympathy for their position, because I sincerely believe that they're not asking for a lot of money. I also believe that one of the reasons a person belongs to a union is to protect their job, like keeping them on American soil. If they gave what NW is asking, I highly doubt they would feel that they have a job even worth protecting.