Bengalsfan

My understanding of a scab is someone who crosses the picket line while a strike is going on. But I have a lot of questions I was hoping to clear up.

1. What if a pilot or flight attendant crosses a mechanics picket line (ie what might happen at NWA) are you a scab then?

2. What if a company's pilots (just for instance say Alsaka air) go on strike, and then Alaska hires replacements:
- Are the replacements scabs?
- will the replacements keep their jobs,when the strike is over, and if so
will they be treated nice?

3. Is there ever a time your peers will understand crossing the line? ie... you're about to loose your house, or your kid gets cancer and you need the money to pay for treatment... or any extreme case like that?

4. While on strike, does your company still provide all your insurances and other benefits, or are you temporarily at a loss for all those?

5. While on strike, what does your union provide you? Medical, pay, anything?

And finally is there one definition of a scab, or is it a term that everyone uses, but its based on an individuals thoughts and beliefs?

Just some questions I have... I really started thinking about it now that a bunch of my ex military buddies are now in the airlines, and I keep hearing all sorts of labor disputes and stike threats... hope someone will clear this up for my mind.

Thanks all

Widow's Son

You post some good questions.
As far as one employee group honoring another's picket line, that is kind of a gray area. I think it boils down to whether your own union formally declares support for the strike or not.
For example, The strike that doomed Eastern involved the pilots supporting the mechanics, but just a few years previous, the mechanics did not support the pilots.
When the AA flight attendants struck in the 90's, the pilots all flew by prearrangement. APA convinced the FA's that more damage would occur to AMR to fly empty airplanes around, but many think that the pilots just pulled a fast one on the FA's on that one.

Replacement workers are always scabs.

As far as crawl backs who return to work for family crisis issues, there will be some who understand, but most will not and there will always be a small but loud contingent who will make a big issue of it for decades.

A scab is supposed to be tainted for life, but interestingly, ALPA officially gave all the Continental scabs amnesty in order to re-organize there.

Another gray area that has come up in the past and may again are the runaway shop airlines. These are airlines set up directly or indirectly by the management of union carriers to be non-union. Thy many times are set up with planes, routes, and assets stolen from the union carriers giving their bosses fits.

New York Air was one of those set up by Lorenzo. Mesa Airlines recently had one of those but it was melded in to the main group after negotiation. People still argue whether those kinds of pilots are scabs or not.

av8r4aa

I did not know all that info. Thanks for the good explanation.

I was just worried that there would be a strike while on probation.
After probation was up a strike seemed less threatning.

When its time to either strike or work very sickening feeling.
The company pays the bills but the union says stop working.
Bad ju-ju either way.

Bengalsfan

I appreciate all your replies.

Obviously a bad situation all around...

I understand that the union needs to hold stong together, but I'm of the opinion that sometimes someone may have to cross the line (as their last option) to meet family needs, and I don't understand how anyone could fault someone for working to save their family, house, etc.

Just my $0.02

Hope this doesn't actually become an issue anywhere anytime soon.

mike734

I can blame them. In this industry you have to plan for these things. Save some money, get a Home Equity Line of Credit, sell the house. About the only reason I can think of for crossing a line would be if someone in your family needed an operation immediately and you had to have the medical insurance. After the operation I would expect you to walk.

Sorry if this seems harsh but there are few things lower than a scab.

BoynamedSue

..........

SkyHigh

The value of the "Union" concept is rapidly fading into history. In ten years no one will care anymore.

Rama

The way management treats the pilots at many companies still shows the need for unions. I'm not a big fan of unions myself, but they keep companies from giving you 22 hour duty days and other abuses.

SkyHigh

It is the FAA that keeps us from 22 hour days not unions. There are too many people out there these days who will work fro free for the unions to have any teeth anymore.

737AV8R

Every scab comes up with some reason that they crossed to attempt to justify their backstabbing behavior. There is no excuse. Period. Like Mike734 said, plan ahead. If you are on probation, your union will probably not ask you to strike. They will make it clear to the membership that probationary pilots are not being asked to walk. But even if you did walk, and management fired you, you would probably get your job back after everything was said and done anyhow.

If you cross, you will be branded for life. That is much worse than having to sell you house or borrow money for an emergency surgery. I know people's families come first, but if you are getting into this industry, make it clear to them NOW, ahead of time, that under NO circumstance will you ever cross a line. That way, no surprises or excuses.

Of course that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.