Originally Posted by
say that again
While 70% of the membership may not have wanted to change the retirement age, I do believe it was a done deal with or without the blessing of ALPA. The change of heart by ALPA National and your MEC may have been the result of them realizing how much liability exposure their position created. I am 51 years old and personal viewpoints aside, by maintaining a position that supported age discrimination against their own members, ALPA National could have been a huge target of a very expensive lawsuit. Remember, prior to the age change it was legal for an
over 60 year old foreign pilot to fly in the USA carrying US citizens while pilots employed by US carriers were prevented from doing the same, hence the discrimination. Don't shoot the messenger or your MEC, their hands were tied on this one, regardless of what the membership wanted.
Funny, when I read the ALPA provided Kool Aid "Flying the line"....I don't remember any of those original guys worrying too much about lawsuits. The solution is not to ditch alpa or agency shop, the solution is to pay attention to the block elections, and put guys in there that will listen. Vic, Albie, that other guy who used to post on here
, and one more when SM goes to Herndon. So pay attention, vote, come to Memphis for block meetings, and help stack the deck.
Growing up, I learned that when someone gets ill while ocean racing, don't barf into the wind. Go to the low side of the sailboat and then get rid of your upset stomach. Knowing how physics (and the system works), then applying that knowledge, often keeps you from standing in a puddle of your own vomit.