You missed my point: You friend was not "forced to work for Great Lakes." The American workforce is, for the most part, voluntary. You can't be forced to join the military and you can't be forced to work for a particular company or a particular industry. You friend, if he really objected to the pay, could work someplace else. Another thing: there's this attitude in the USA today that people think they should get the big bucks right away. Yes, it is supply and demand and has nothing to do with treating people as commodities. It's why a 22 year old friend of mine makes $70,000 a year right out of nursing school while your friend makes approximately $15,000 (assuming 1,000 flight hours a year). Question: Doesn't a pilot's pay include ALL duty hours, not just flight time? For example, a pilot may be required to report for duty 1 hour before a 3 hour flight. Would he not be paid for 4 hours and not 3? David R http://home.comcast.net/~damiross/books.html www.sequoians.com www.chanticleers.org =>-----Original Message----- =>From: The Airline List [mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of =>Bahadir Acuner =>Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 20:37 =>To: AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx =>Subject: Re: Airline Pilot's Pay => => =>You are correct, the per diem is not taxable. =>My friend was forced to work for Great Lakes because of the market =>conditions and many more pilots who are standing behind to take his place. =>You can always argue it's a demand / supply issue, but I kind of =>tend not to =>think of humans as commodities.. => =>Best regards, => =>Baha => =>-----Original Message----- =>From: The Airline List [mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On =>Behalf Of David =>MR =>Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 7:22 PM =>To: AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx =>Subject: Re: Airline Pilot's Pay => =>=>-----Original Message----- =>=>From: The Airline List [mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of =>=>Bahadir Acuner =>=>Also remember that a regular 9-5 job is about 2,000 =>=>hrs /year. So when you are calculating pilot salaries =>=>the pay you have to consider is hourly pay/2. =>=>Last but not least a buddy of mine started in Great =>=>Lakes last week. He is getting 15/hr. Assuming he is =>=>going to get 1000 hrs in a year (which he won't) he =>=>will get paid less than minimum wage for the job. =>NO, NO, NO! If he gets paid $15 an hour, he is not making =>minimum wage. He =>is making twice the minimum wage for what is a part time job. If =>I work at =>Taco Bell and make $10 an hour and work 500 hours a year, I am =>still making =>above the minimum wage. According to your logic, I would be making less =>than minimum wage because you would divide my pay by 4 (2000 =>hours for "9 to =>5" divided by 500). => =>Was your friend forced to fly for Great Lakes at gun point? This =>is still a =>mostly free country. If a pilot doesn't want to be paid =>so-called low wages =>then he shouldn't be a pilot. => =>Another thing: the per diem is usually found money for, if I recall =>correctly, it is not taxable. => =>David R =>http://home.comcast.net/~damiross/books.html =>www.sequoians.com =>www.chanticleers.org =>-- =>No virus found in this outgoing message. =>Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. =>Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.8.8 - Release Date: 2/14/2005 =>-- =>No virus found in this incoming message. =>Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. =>Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.8.8 - Release Date: 2/14/2005 => -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.8.8 - Release Date: 2/14/2005