Originally Posted by
13n144e
No we can’t. Labor contracts don’t supersede federal statutes. But regardless, my point is that mindlessly blaming this age group or that for this bill is ridiculous because no one has anything to do with it right now except Lindsay Graham (and maybe Manchin, Kelly et al.) If it passes someday you can blame/credit congress. But that’s about it. Your fellow pilots on either side of the issue have very little say (or blame) in the matter.
Well, I don’t think that’s correct. The proposal is for a maximum retirement age, just like we have maximum duty periods, etc but our contract can be more restrictive than FAR 117. The UPA governs what happens in a United cockpit and it can be more restrictive than regulations, but never less.
Perhaps someone would bring an age discrimination law suit against ALPA to alter the UPA, but I don’t think it’s as simple as “no you can’t.”