Originally Posted by rjlavender

This is an excellent opportunity to again briefly address the issue of pilot unity to the half dozen or so people who read this board. I have openly made the same points hundreds of times in papers and discussions:

1. Pilots who have been on strike for two years, given up ten years of their careers to protect the profession, been wiped out financially on behalf of their fellow pilots, and are now approaching an artificial retirement age, are not going to strike again for a group of historically-challenged, self-serving pilots who want to put them out of a job so that they can move up a number. Not going to happen. If certain pilots cannot tolerate or deal with this honest and open expression of reality, then they will have to deal with the internal weakness it creates;

2. An organization that willfully and purposefully puts its own people on the street solely on the basis of age is not a union. Call it anything you want but it is not a "Union." It is an embarrassment to unionism. Go explain to the California electricians union how pilots treat each other and see what kind of response you get. I was raised in a hard-core, striking Teamster family. I spent two years on strike myself and I am grateful to have had the opportunity. Resignation from ALPA is not resignation from a Union; it is resignation from ALPA...big difference;

3. I have never even once thought that a senior pilot was "in my seat," and wanted him out so that I could move up. Never. The very idea of this is the moral equivalent of crossing a picket line and it is the very "scab" mentality that has brought ALPA to its knees. Every morning, I wake up grateful to not be contributing to it financially. My contributions go where they will do some good for a broad range of individuals.

The Labor movement has collapsed in this country because of some of the very sentiments that have been expressed on this board by anonymous, risk-averse individuals. These are not the bold warriors that make up a strong organization. Union membership in this country is down to 7.8% of the private workforce--virtually extinct--and you wonder why? Reciprocity is a very big part of fairness. If pilots choose to disrespect and ignore the contributions of those who have paid the real "dues" for their profession, whether it was paid three years ago or 30 years ago, it clearly signals to everyone that paying the real dues is not worth it. Who do you think is going to fight the next war? Those who want their fellow pilots out so they can move up?

Now, I will entertain comments from non-anonymous contributors. When writing, please stand up and state your real name and credentials so that others may fairly assess your credibility:

Originally Posted by fedupbusdriver

Don't you guys get it. When a pilot is forced (by is own inablility) to fly the right seat instead of upgrading, he loses out on ALOT of money during his career. He then needs to fly until 65 just to recoup that difference in pay.