Originally Posted by
⌐ AV8OR WANNABE
Well, it depends on how you look at things but right after 9/11 the Airtran union agreed to a temporary pay freeze (not pay cut!); I think they’d just signed a new contract and were getting yearly pay increases at the time (sort of like we are right now) so basically they put those pay increases on hold for a year I believe. I cannot remember the exact time frame but when the agreement was penciled in it actually specified when their pay would go back to normal.
They did not furlough one single person after 9/11.
I’m not saying that’s what we should have because we are making money and therefore it’s not even an option.
However, me personally I would be willing to do whatever takes to make sure we NEVER furlough one single pilot. EVER!
I’m saying it today as a junior pilot and I promise you I’ll feel the same way as a senior captain.
To me a union is an association that protects and fights for ALL its members, not just the senior ones and lets the junior members take the full brunt of the slowdown/recession/lay offs, etc.
Tagging onto your "I would be willing to do whatever it takes" remark...
That is (pardon the over-used/tired phrase) a slippery slope, and one that the company would gladly use fire bombers to coat with Pam, and:
Like bridge/tunnel tolls (which were always supposed to be "temporary") we'd never get givebacks "back" as there will always be a crisis of some sort. (aka: the Obama Doctrine)
It would set a precedent that like our long lost "retro-pay" would haunt us forever.
Would destroy the hard earned gains that we sacrificed so much else for (ie: our shrinking QOL).
And please don't throw out the "have you ever been furloughed" card, because I have been twice, or the "this isn't a fraternity, hazing is so over" card either. In a "perfect" world, true socialism is on paper the best human system, but due to being human it simply doesn't work. While I'm certainly willing to pay assessments for health insurance, and likely other ways of minimizing the incentive should the company actually pull the trigger (O/T and J/A bans and hazing those who don't fall in line), I will draw the line at pay cuts. Management would certainly take the bait and then use another excuse to furlough, leaving you with that toddler who just had a toy stolen look on your face.
Don't panic...