Originally Posted by
webecheck
Logically what you're saying makes sense, if a company wants to lead turn an expected strike situation by half a decade or more. UA hired 62% mil last yr and from the looks of the new hire class pics the vast majority appears to be pension collecting retired mil. Why hire people who can sit and collect a paycheck if the ultimate goal is spineless picket line crossers? The argument goes both ways, if you want to be open minded about it, and ultimately there are future scabs from all backgrounds. Even the constant green slip bragging deltoids are filled with future scabs, although they will mention how cal is the scab airline, and united now by association. If you've studied it, whoever went up against Lorenzo was going to be a future scab airline. If he targeted delta, UA/cal would be talking smack about dal/nw these days. Not justifying any of it, but I educated myself on the industry history (I'm mil background), and believe whoever Lorenzo went after was doomed from the start unfortunately.
The ultimate goal isn't "spineless picketline crossers." They are hiring military guys because of the high value management puts on their vetting process. In Management's collective opinion, the military product is a "known commodity." No problems with probation, but a big trade off with guard/reserve and the effect it has on staffing (reserve).
I think Management knows the picketline in the traditional sense is gone. ALPA knows it too. It's like two armed Nuclear Nation States that both possess the launch button. Management has the lock out, and the union has the strike. Neither one wants to push the button and exercise the nuclear option.
Management's real goal is to staff the airline with competent pilots and who possess the acumen and aptitude to upgrade.
I also think that most of the military pilots value working for an airline with a strong union and a good contract. In my humble opinion, the current and former military officers we've hired have way too much honor to ever consider scabbing. I don't see an 0-6 crossing a picket line. I see him leading one.