Quote:
in May '85, hundreds of pilots rode in buses from remote lots right to the terminal - wearing groucho marx big nose glasses with hairy mustaches. after the strike settled and strikers returned to work, the pilots could never be sure who had flown during the strike. (some who flew trips did great jobs of hiding that they had. some rabid union types flew; some non-members did not cross).
the union gave out pins to pilots who were verified as having not flown during the strike. then pilots wore the pins regularly as a sign to others that they had not flown.
if any pilot today needs to see this pin as a sign today, well, it's like relying on seeing someone's chain with a tiny cross to know if they faithfully follow the teachings of the Church. ie, it's just a hollow symbol now.
there are pilots who did not cross in '85 (or '83 down south) who do not wear the pin. and there are the complete opposite too.
the pin is not the key here. towing the line is. don't fly sick. don't fly fatigued. start the damn apu and cool the jet. don't always take broken planes. don't go the extra mile during negotiations; just fly your schedule.
don't worry if the other guy wears a pin. worry if the other guy gets what collective bargaining means.
lesson complete
Yes, those who did not cross can wear the pin. They chose to fight the B scale and support the profession. Pilots who would not be affected by the B scale struck because it was the right thing to do. Those who were slick signified someone who would take advantage of your wallet, your career and put your family at risk. Originally Posted by buscappy
prior to May '85, not many ua pilots wore alpa pins. union officers did. and pilots with battlestars from strikes. but many (maybe most) did not even wear a union pin to work. in May '85, hundreds of pilots rode in buses from remote lots right to the terminal - wearing groucho marx big nose glasses with hairy mustaches. after the strike settled and strikers returned to work, the pilots could never be sure who had flown during the strike. (some who flew trips did great jobs of hiding that they had. some rabid union types flew; some non-members did not cross).
the union gave out pins to pilots who were verified as having not flown during the strike. then pilots wore the pins regularly as a sign to others that they had not flown.
if any pilot today needs to see this pin as a sign today, well, it's like relying on seeing someone's chain with a tiny cross to know if they faithfully follow the teachings of the Church. ie, it's just a hollow symbol now.
there are pilots who did not cross in '85 (or '83 down south) who do not wear the pin. and there are the complete opposite too.
the pin is not the key here. towing the line is. don't fly sick. don't fly fatigued. start the damn apu and cool the jet. don't always take broken planes. don't go the extra mile during negotiations; just fly your schedule.
don't worry if the other guy wears a pin. worry if the other guy gets what collective bargaining means.
lesson complete
The pin might be under some pressure. Dirtied by CAL scabs who flaunt it like Flavor Flav with a clock around his neck. Degraded by others who think that with every perceived ALPA slight, off goes the pin.
I was mentored for over two decades that the pin isn't about so much about ALPA but about unified pilots who refused to cross a picket line. Pilots who supported a cause that was more about the profession than the individual. It represents pilots who wouldn't shave a contract for a few extra bucks.
So, you might call it a hollow symbol. I haven't given up on it yet. To me, it represents a lot more.