Originally Posted by
fecav8r
If you don't mind, I'll give my shot here. First of all, the Over 60 guys have just won the lottery again> The first time was when they got hired here, the second tme was when they got a second chance to get back to the front seat. I won't go into the bashing, becasue not every guy over 60 petitioned Congress, bashed the young guys on ACP, or had virtually anythng to do with the law change. Kinda like the Senior Tour. It sucks that when Jack and Arnie were building the tour back in the 60's and 70's they played for a fraction of what the guys are today. Unfair, maybe. But you know what, sh1t happens.
I think the bid will play out just like the Company and Union wanted it to. All the sub 63 crew members get "their" seat back, the Company saves all that retirement money, the A fund is over funded now, and they fill a posting without really doing much and the Union gets it's "ethical" solution that was so important to DW. . I thought the FDA's wouldl be filled by new hires regardlesss of how good you made the LOA but with the stagnation now upon us,[COLOR="Lime"] I think we'll see a lot of guys who were sitting on the fence and see a plumbers life ahead of them go to the FDA and suck it up. [/COLOR]
I don't think all the over 60 guys will stay till 65. I think most of the guys who have 25 years at that point will go at 60 or so. They have planned for this time for years and realize that the longer you work, the less of Fred's money you'll spend after you retire. So assuming 60 per cent stay, you have a 2-3 year longer seat progression schedule.
I'm not sure all the guys in the back seat can even hold the left seat. I know for sure a few that are very junior FO's that are in the back seat. It would be curious to see those nubers, but I'm too lazy to do it.
Suck it up? Why should we have to do that. That is no way to start your career at a place that well had the means to make the FDA's more inviting. They skimped here as we all know; and I am sure not "sucking it up" for the betterment of the corporation.
So, you may be right...but you may be wrong. First of all it is the principle. Many of us could not vote on the LOA, but I have talked to many who would have had no qualms voting "no" despite the influential talk from thour MEC.
Second, I cannot see how the 2nd or 3rd year pay in an FDA can compare to the 2nd or 3rd year pay as an SO. I am not going to crunch numbers that have been done already. But I still take a plumber's life and pay versus the uncertainties and cost of going to an FDA. In addition, what if you jump for an FDA and then have no ability to bid back stateside for 4+ years? Which is very likely.
We'll have to see if you are right. It is the principle not to $uck, though.