That's pretty much my point.


And yes, it was Clinton that allowed the NW pilots (ALPA) to go on strike.

Don't know what the difference is..Clinton stepped in on the AA pilots but let NW pilots strike.. Bush stepped in to stop the NW mechanics one time but not the next..Seems to me the companies made those calls and not the president regardless if he was republican or democrat.

Clear and continuing government intrusion into the free market. Labor, like any other vendor of goods and services, is an economic reality that must be addressed by all commercial enterprises. For the government to continue to insulate airlines because of the 'great economic harm' that could be caused in the event of a shutdown is unfair at best (and IMO should be illegal). No other industry besides rail has this level of government buffer to protect their economic interests.

If labor is successful in shutting down an airline, are we really naive enough to believe that no one else will be there to pick up the slack? The Railway Labor Act is an obscene affront to the working people that make an airline move its packages and people. Contracts should have an expiration date, which would force (economically speaking) both sides to the table long before a showdown ever occurs. If we (collectively speaking of course) ever grow a spine and tell the NMB and their enforcers, the federal judiciary, to shove it, the result would be eye opening.

Airlines, like any other business, should be subject to the full brunt of market forces, labor included. This is either a free market or it is not. Apparently the government, the NMB, and the judiciary believe that a selective free market is a better approach. I believe they are dead wrong.

Don't understand how you can say this. Everyone thought things would change, and things DID change. We have a former union chief running the FAA, and another as a member of the NMB! Think that would have happened with a Repub? C'mon. There have been at least 5 Alpa contracts signed during this administration's tenure. You think maybe the pro labor climate of the NMB may have had something to do with that? Instead of the perpetually mediated negotiations of the past administration, we are actually seeing signed contracts. Remember "no strikes on my watch"? The NMB is definitely more even keeled now, if not pro labor, but that doesn't quarantee anything. Negotiators on both sides have to be realistic.

When the NMB allows some component of a Major air carrier to strike I will concede true change, until then its alot of window dressing. I will agree that some positive personnel changes have been made and that at least is a start.

thanks for posting that Jsled