Originally Posted by
rickair7777
Has nothing to do with unions, not their call regardless.
It has to do with employers. There was never in history a circumstance like the change from 60 to 65 involving a government-mandated age limit, in any industry.
ALPA certainly thought there was a real risk of 60+ suing to be re-instated with seniority... they negotiated language in the law to specifically preclude that. I kind of hope they do the same this time, although the potential disruption was far greater back then with potentially five years worth of returns.
And the fact that everybody had just had their pensions canx.
IMO the government should have a concrete, empirical basis if they're going to limit our ability to earn a living.
Don't care about pilot shortage either way... it's not really the government's business to solve the pilot shortage for the benefit of the airlines, or to enhance it for the benefit of unions. Although in the event of a severe, sustained shortage that impacted the overall economy it might be reasonable for government to intervene... student loans, pilot academies, whatever. But not fiddling with an age limit supposedly established for safety.
None of that seems concerning for only 2 more years. A small percentage of retirees would come back any way and there is not legal justification to be at their previous justification.
therefore ALPA can be politically irrelevant and stay on their present side, similar to asking for this secondary barrier that makes all of us and them look like they are trying to build a penitentiary in the fwd galley 24 years after 9/11