Originally Posted by
757Driver
Not completely true. The Terry Neil group was singled out and despite being hired ahead of the scabs in '79, were placed behind them. Bob Wilson spearheaded an effort to get their seniority restored and was successful but for over 10 years, these battle star Pilots were robbed of their proper place on our seniority list.
I have to disagree with your term of being singled out and robbed. It's kind of a disingenuous statement that doesn't tell the whole story.
IIRC correctly there were actually two groups of pre strike furloughed pilots (only ones affected) who chose not to return until a time frame that damaged their position on the list. Their placement as you're referring above about being robbed and the damage I mentioned was strictly as a result of the framework of the negotiated return to work via order and award. Of which included a time constraint and deadlines to return. Which they did outside of the agreement. I'll withhold comment on that but it's fairly obvious as to why these 6 or 7 chose to.
The point I'm trying to make is any punishment, robbing or singled out was a direct result of the agreed upon order and award for the strikers return which I can absolutely say no scabs were involved in those negotiations. So who really screwed who? Devils advocate would say they were left hung out to dry in the first place with the order and award as written. That being said who were the negotiators and signatories of that agreement?
Its not a pretty picture of unionism and history and one that will probably ruffle some feathers on here. It certainly did to me.