Originally Posted by
Ottopilot
ALPA doesn't do anything. The pilots in ALPA do. What can they do about agreements between the airlines and codeshare regionals? Nothing. Pilots fly and businessmen do business. Pilots can negotiate scope clauses to help protect flying. Limit the number of jets and/or the seats in them. Keep the good jobs at the major and give the regional pilots a chance at the job at the major. Too many regional jobs means fewer major jobs for everyone.
Redeyeav8er and ottopilot
ALPA has no problem loosening scope clauses and continuing/adding to the whipsawing. unlimited 50 seaters. 9-11 happens and the airlines start laying off people. What do the unions do but loosen scope to 70-90 seaters and increased #'s of 50 seaters. this adds to the further whipsawing and more job loses instead of holding to the scope clauses in place and demanding that these types of airplanes be flown at the majors. (nothing prevented these airplanes from being flown by the majors except our pilots egos) delta gave up 70 seaters to get the big contract that they had and look what happened. they have now taken pay cuts and they didn't get the 70 seaters back with those concessions did they. like my friend says "once the tooth paste is out of the tube there is no putting it back in". I have even now heard/seen that continental pilots (another ALPA carrier) are discussing whether to give up 70 seat flying. why not just give up the 777 flying instead I'm sure some of the regional guys would love to fly that. but that would affect ALL the pilots on the seniority list while 70 seat planes would only affect the most junior pilots. pilot's only think about what affects them and they only look forward and not behind. this is where ALPA has drastically dropped the ball. they have allowed all of this to happen.
when I started flying, all jet flying was done by the majors. hell even 2 years before that northwest was still flying turboprops (convairs) sp. who gave up all these airplanes since then? we all know management has always wanted to because that is why there is scope in the 1st place but ultimately is was the pilots which are ALPA.