Actually, I was there when the Captain said to furlough. I know his name, but won't say it here. I had flown with him, and although he himself had been furloughed, I was shocked at what he said.
Basically, he said that furloughs were a part of this business, and the guys getting near to retirement should not have to suffer when they had been through it already.
I don't agree, but his gist was, "it happened to me, why should you be exempt?". In some ways, he has a point.
All in all, he was a great Captain to fly with. He was a good mentor and friend. He has long since retired, and last I heard, he had a stroke and was not doing well.
I couldn't have been the one saying that, because at the time, I was held in the right seat for over 6 years due to the way the company and the union implemented the regulatory age change.
If we don't increase the A plan, and switch to a pancake plan, the A plan will die. Mark my words. How is that spreading misinformation?
You say the openers explain that? The openers are intentionally vague, on purpose, so at the end, so the NC can do whatever they please.
Try getting your block rep to tell you the truth about what they are negotiating. I should be able to get that answer. I can't, because they know what they are doing is not favored by the crew force.
They are going to show their cards at the end, and then have road shows about how "lie flat seats" doesn't really mean what is says in black and white on paper. How did that turn out last time?
If the NC would be honest with the crew force, we wouldn't have to speculate, would we?
The company knows what we are negotiating for, why can't the pilots who pay the bills?
If we had listened to some of the cranky old Captains and voted down the 2015 contract like we should have, we might have a better retirement plan already. A lot of them, who would have retired before the TA could have been re-negotiated and had nothing to gain, said to vote no.
I am cranky because I have personally been screwed by the union, and we have been screwed by the union as a group more than once.
I caution you, and everyone, to actually read the TA, and listen when some cranky old Captain says something you don't want to believe.
Like "lie flat seats", his cranky old wisdom might just be better than yours.
COCN