i play the skin flute during delays....where's my award?

The $10 you got WAS your reward. You didn't do well enough to get an award.

Give the guy a break; I personally would not break out an instrument during a ground delay but if he likes to play his Ukulele for the passengers it doesn't bother me. He didn't get the award for doing anything that could be viewed as unfavorable during contract negotiations and it will probably help him move on to whatever company he has his apps in at. Its a good "tell me about a time story" and he will have documentation to back it up, good for him. I don't know him personally and I am not not going to judge him or his actions as a person based on this award or what is rumored to be for. I will judge him as a person if I have the chance to meet or fly with him.

On the other hand I feel we have had some pilots make excellent flight related decisions in difficult situations that are more deserving of a pilot of the year award.

If you are going to accept this award in person at the banquet wear the green lanyard!

Baseless accusations..FAKE..., back in 09-10 we had a pretty split on how we felt for and some against our union, but nobody CROSSED. You don't know what you are talking about. Opinions, Like yours, lead to rumors and that doesn't end well. Save it.

Just my opinion.

Fair enough and it's all probably a mute point since a strike is hopefully not in the cards. And now that I think about it, I highly doubt anyone that lacks the backbone to wear a lanyard would have the balls to cross a picket line so that negates my original opinion anyway. Thanks for setting me straight

Moot point, not mute.

And I was most definitely prepare for a strike.

So...if its ok for him to play the ukulele because it turns out it will make a great TMAAT story for another interview, along with the award, should every pilot here be doing things (during contract negotiations) to aim for rewards and TMAT stories? "Well Delta, I got 99% of my flights out on time and never called in sick for 3 years"

Just playing devils advocate, but I dont think pilots accepting awards for a TMAAT during this stage in negotiations in a good thing.

I really dont care he busted out his ukulele. If I were there, I would have honestly felt embarrassed and walked to another terminal, but im sure the passengers loved it. But why cant we show an inch of resolve and not take the easy way of going to accept an award from a company who truly hates this pilot group right now? How can ANY pilot of Spirit attend a function and shake the hand of Jyri or Bendo, while they continue to delay delay delay?

The same with volunteering for job fairs. Why cant we as pilots, say "No thanks" to these company events until we have a contract? Selfish needs for a TMAAT or "I volunteer for job fairs?"

This has nothing to do with the ukulele, or even for me, his ALPA issues at the other carrier. It has completely to do with pilots, him and ET, attending a company circle jerk while they continue to give us the circle jerk on a new contract.

30 years ago, with unionized labor, what would have unionized pilots thought about pilots accepting awards from management during contentious contract negotiations? Now we say "Oh, lay off the guy...he is just doing it for an interview story." Im sorry but that doesnt work for me. He owes nothing to me personally, but as long as he is a pilot on this list, he owes it to everyone on the list, as we all owe it to one another to hold our end up.

You make some good points

I want to support ET in this forum. He's been through a horrible fume event as have I on a deadhead. It's serious business and he's worked tirelessly for the pilot group and their families. He's been able to get an otherwise apathetic and hostile management team to take the issue very seriously.

We would have had a higher chance of a smoking hole somewhere if not for him. Inadequate maintenance and poor pilot training regarding smoke/fumes in the past could have put the whole Spirit pilot group on the unemployment line. I'd buy him a beer next time you see him instead of busting his balls to help out this group.