Originally Posted by
xjcaptain
I certainly feel bad for those who are gong be be furloughed, maybe for a 2nd or 3rd time, and I know ALPA discourages people from picking up open time with people on furlough. However, I certainly see a double standard in that they voted in age 65 which cost each and every one of us countless thousands of dollars, and years of career progression. They weren't too concerned about the will of the membership in that case, and I feel it hypocritical of them to encourage people not to pick up time....even if it isn't an official policy. I think they unfortunately set the standard that it's all about #1. This is a job. I am here for only 1 reason, and that is to support my family, and if that means picking up a trip so be it.
Amen!
I have never understood people picking up open time when we have guys on the street. It's all about the ME mentality, that starts at the top of ALPA and goes to the bottom. Financially it made sense for ALPA to push age 65, financially a guy working until 65 will pay more in dues, second age 65 protects the top dogs at ALPA 5 more years of pay. Picking up open time when guys are on the street is a sign to the other pilots in your individual pilot group that you really don't care about there situation it's all about what best works for me. I don't understand why ALPA doesn't flat out ban the practice. I know there arguement is the fear of law suits and the what not blah, blah, blah. If nobody picked up open time it would show a unified pilot group that we do care about each other no matter what your seniority is. I am in favor of making a public list of pilots that pick up open time so the next time you fly with a furloughed guy he or she can ask you about what you did with the money while he or she was on the street. The longer I am in ALPA the more I see how weak the leadership is. Nobody want to rock the boat in fear of losing there position, other unions I am sure laugh at us on how uninified we really are. In closing I just want to say DON'T PICK UP OPEN TIME!!!!
Your whole post contradicts itself. Lets look at what has happened in the last 20 years. B payscale, regionals getting Jet flying(and bigger and bigger jets), and now age 65. Sure they get 5 more years from those guys, but if those guys left they would get the same $ from some one else taking their spot. When Prater mails a check to my house or stays in some flea bag Inn while traveling just maybe I could see not picking up open time. If I fly with a furloughed FO what would I tell them????I'll tell them I payed my mortgage and saved it for a rainy day when its my turn in front of the boot.Don't lump people who are trying to pay bills with scabs. If you have that mentality I'm sure you could call 1-800-Hand-Saw and find a union more to your taste. If the company didn't over hire we wouldn't have as many to furlough in the first place. A bunch of people shouldn't have been here or been CA's to begin with. That is not the pilot groups fault.