AV8OR -
Like I said, I'm not an aviation industry guru, it's just my opinion that this would be a good system. I am also speaking of an ideal situation. The system we have now, which doesn't work, would theoretically work in an ideal situation. (Of course in an ideal situation management would behave ethically and we wouldn't need unions anyway, which is what this thread is about). I realize that there are many interests in a particular pilot group. This is true no matter how large/small the group. You can't really say that it wouldn't work because there are too many interests. What do we do now? We negotiate the best we can get that will keep as many people as happy as possible. Not sure of a country where this has been tried before, so I don't have an example of how it has worked (not including the USSR - a lot of things didn't work under that system).
I'm glad to hear that you guys went out of your way to keep pilots on the property in the face of a furlough. But if it's only a matter of looking out for yourself, why bother? (At Comair the FA's took part time to save other FA's jobs - some pilots would have done it but couldn't). Why bother? Taking part time will hurt you moneterily (?) and therefore you should tell the junior guy "Tough luck." For that matter, with this reasoning, nobody on this forum should have anything to say to GJ pilots - they're just getting ahead. What about crossing a picket line? You're just doing what's best for you and your interests, who cares about the guys walking? Why not jump over senior guys at your own airline? It's just what's best for you.... This would be the same seniority system we already employ, just on a great, big scale.
There is no ideal situation, but in light of the system that we've had, which does not seem to be working, this seems to be worth a shot. Management has learned how to get around the rules, so we need to update the rules.
The RLA is a good example of an outdated principle or system. There has to be an absolute somewhere. You can't say "I'll support my pilot group but I don't care about United/Delta/American/Whoever guys." Next time it might be you.
The government's certainly not going to improve anything, nor do I think they should. It is the responsibility of the pilots to improve things if they want them improved. (My vote's still out on Regulation. Used to think it was a good idea, now I'm thinking that if it were truly a free market, when an airline went BK it'd be gone, good riddance, let someone do it right next time. But then what happens to the pilots? Aaaahh. We have an NSL!)
That's all. I'd still be furloughed either way, NSL or not, so this is kinda academic, but...
Your turn.