What's awesome is everyone is so used to trying to strike at a BANKRUPT airline that no one has done it at a PROFITABLE one in a long time...and realize the rules are a lil' different. BANKRUPTCY judges prevented previous strikes...if you're company is not in bankruptcy....game on :D

Note: There is still a lengthy process to go through before you are released for self-help including a fun little cooling off period at which, right before you strike, your company and your union will cave and find something in the middle to work with.

In spite of what ALPA may tell you, it is not just this administation that plays into this. After all, the same stuff happened under Clinton. Airline management sucks up to whoever is in office and tells them there will be ramifications in the polls if they permit a strike.
The only option is to do away with the RLA. I am all for it, and if we have a chance of doing so, it is probably better with a Republican in office. Unfortunately, ALPA and managment like things the way they are.

The difference is that during the Clinton and Bush Sr. administrations there were multiple strikes. This administration as stated before will not allow a strike, plain and simple, that is their policy.

Please don't turn this into a democrat vs republican thread.

Not to turn it into a political thread but simply. Does anyone know or think which candidates would be best for unions? I believe they are all liars but I am curios if any one of them supports unions. Tancredo was a school teacher so he at least once probably belonged to a union.

I'm sure out of the TWENTY candidates there is one. Threadjack : Anyone else think these 18 month til election debates are ridiculous?

I agree Sanchez, neither should you though <g>

Bush "let" Polar pilots out on strike in 2005. The company and union agreed upon a TA that stopped the strike after 2 weeks. Clinton let the AA pilots out on strike for a few minutes but let the Northwest pilots have 4 days.
All administrations will act like this since Clinton started this after a 30 year hiatus, why you hear some say RLA sucks and it does.
SaaBa, you walk out, you will lose your job. Illegal. Union leaders will be prosecuted if shown they organized (even if not they will likely face prosecution) so you won't get there help doing illegal job actions unless they like possible time in jail. A strong union however is a force to be reckoned with. It shows in a million little ways, and RLA doesn't make it easy, but you had better stay legal.

Typical politician response to airline labor. Insert either party
Clinton was first President to intervene in 30 years making it easier for any President to intervene.
Example: Clinton
"American Airlines Resuming Service After Clinton Stops Strike

By Brian Knowlton International Herald Tribune

Monday, February 17, 1997
...Mr. Clinton intervened Saturday to halt a minutes-old strike at the nation's second-largest airline, appointing a board to study the dispute and postponing a walkout by American's 9,000 pilots for at least 60 days.

In explaining Mr. Clinton's intervention, spokesmen cited the huge impact a strike would have had on the economy and on Americans' travel plans. The airline carries 20 percent of U.S. passengers and has 86,000 employees.
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The strike threatened losses to the U.S. economy estimated at $200 million a day and to the airline of $30 million a day. Even with a strike averted, for now, American is likely to lose many millions of dollars because of reduced bookings, analysts say.

Mr. Clinton's intervention was the first by a U.S. president in an airline dispute in nearly 30 years, though there have been 18 major airline strikes in that period. Some critics of his action said he was ill-advised to intervene now..
"It sets a dangerous precedent," Kenneth Quinn, former chief counsel of the Federal Aviation Administration, said Sunday on CNN. "It's going to be very difficult for this president, or any president in the future, to face a strike by a major airline and say it does not constitute an emergency."
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The White House spokesman, Michael McCurry, touched on the sensitivity of presidential intervention in a labor-management dispute.
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"No Democratic president likes to prevent the ability of workers to strike," he said. "But at the same time, there were legal grounds and economic grounds for doing this, as well as the travelers who would be stranded on a holiday weekend." Monday is Presidents Day, a federal holiday.
.Other critics of the president's move said the 60-day cooling off period he ordered might only have postponed an inevitable confrontation between American, a unit of AMR Corp. and the Allied Pilots Association.

Mr. Clinton intervened Saturday to halt a minutes-old strike at the nation's second-largest airline, appointing a board to study the dispute and postponing a walkout by American's 9,000 pilots for at least 60 days.
.The strike threatened losses to the U.S. economy estimated at $200 million a day and to the airline of $30 million a day. Even with a strike averted, for now, American is likely to lose many millions of dollars because of reduced bookings, analysts say.
.
Example 2: Bush
"December 21, 2001
Bush Heads Off United Strike
To head off a United Airlines mechanics strike that would have stranded thousands of travelers over the Christmas holidays, President Bush has appointed an emergency board that will review the labor dispute. "The president is concerned about the economy, particularly after September 11, and the effect that airline strikes would have on the economy, on the ability of the public to travel at this time," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Thursday in announcing the appointment of the board.

The Washington Post reports that the action postpones a strike by 60 days. During that time, the board will review the dispute and recommend terms of a settlement. If no agreement is reached at the end of the cooling off period, only Congress can step in to avoid a walkout. "

Notice the similiarities? Lots of them. Doesn't really matter of party, RLA and the economy is all any political party needs to quash any airline labor union it wants.

My use of the term 'administration' does not refer to the current president or his political party. My frustration lies with the NMB and it's members, who are presidentially appointed. They make the decision to release a pilot group into self-help. This is a rare occurence with the current NMB.

Re-read the post, I used two former presidents from the two parties. You guys need to learn how to read before posting.

Sanchez,
First you left off the <g> , secondly, historically, I was pointing out that Clinton was the first President in 30 years to intervene. So Bush 1 was pointless. As would be Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon.....
I read the post clearly. I also used your post as a jumping point to show lots of younger folks the animosity the govt. (read political parties) has to our profession. Reread my post perhaps.
Note to self. Do not post to Sanchez :D (maybe you will see that ) as <g> is invisible?

Actually, as some others have pointed out, Clinton STOPPED airline strikes and was the first president I can remember to do so. Bush junior permitted the COMAIR strike and the NWA mechanic strike. Probably some others, but I can't remember them.