Originally Posted by
Bucking Bar
The reasons Giambusso cited were that if ASA & Comair were merged a military pilot would have a choice of flying an RJ for Delta, or a real airplane at American. By merging our carriers Delta would not be as attractive to military pilots. When asked if he was speaking on behalf of our union, or on the behalf of future military pilots, Giambusso stated he had been a military pilot for many more years than he had been an ALPA member. He also made comments about the education, experience level and belief that many ASA pilots had DUI's. In any event, ASA & Comair pilots were not former military pilots and generally not up to Delta's standards.
Portions of your history are BS.
If I remember correctly Giambusso was hired in 1978. These discussions that you reference took place in 2000. Giambusso wasn't a military pilot for 22 years.
I also remember that during Delta's strike prep for Contract 2000 that the
only two airlines that refused to sign a Mutual Assistance Protocol were ASA and Comair. Even the non-union Skywest pilots group signed it. Every international airline signed it. That was in February, 2001, prior to the Comair strike.
Bob Arnold saw the error of his ways and corrected his course later that year. JC Lawson never did. ASA grew. CMR shrank.
Still, it's water under the bridge. JC Lawson hasn't been MEC Chair at CMR since 2006. Holding grudges only holds us all back. NWA got its great start in Japan with a 1952 bilateral treaty, only 7 years after the US nuked that country. We shouldn't let the past restrict our future.