I’ve been clear about this previously, but my take on this is definitely colored by the fact that I flew predominately with half-wingers. I heard many stories about what it took to get to UAL and how precarious their family lives often were trying to make the “dream job” work.

The overwhelming feeling I had was gratitude for my good fortune and now thinking about what will happen to many of the half-wingers I flew with doesn’t sit well with me. It doesn’t matter where we draw the furlough line… I could be on the good or the bad side, but I just do not philosophically believe that as a union member we pull up the ladder behind the system plug and tell furloughees “good luck” during one of the worst aviation employment environments in history

there are lots of different things we can leverage our power as a union to achieve… I will say once more that I do not have all the answers or think there are even right answers. But I think we want to be clear on what our values are… And not just view UAL ALPA as “dues paid” for collective bargaining and medical or legal advice