Originally Posted by
John Pennekamp
And I hate to break this to you all, but unions in this industry are becoming more and more irrelevant every day. We have transitioned to what almost every other industry has... employment at will and merit based promotion.
That is the worse thing that can happen to the airline industry. See reason below.
Originally Posted by
John Pennekamp
Why do pilots think we're so special that we should have different rules apply to us?
Because special and different rules already apply to us. How many other employees in other industries are required to be randomly drug tested. Have to repeatedly requalify to do their jobs. Are constantly recorded sitting at their desk and where anything they say can be used against them. While there are other jobs out there, if the vast majority of employees in this country were held to this standard, they would rebel.
Originally Posted by
John Pennekamp
Why should we have guaranteed jobs and seniority based promotions? This is not the industry it was in 1977 anymore, and it's time we wake up and smell the coffee. Don't hate the pilots that realized that already, and now work at non-union carriers.
For safety. If airlines were allowed to only promote pilots who "toed the company line," were willing to fly broken airplanes and in subpar weather, the safety record would be different. If you ever read "Flying the Line," you've either forgotten what the early days were like, or didn't really understand whay was going on.