jsfBoat

I'm going to be a third generation commercial pilot. My grand father, and father always talked about "scabs". What exactly a scab, and how does one avoid becomming one? I remember the not so nice things they said about 'em.
-JSF

Slice

Don't cross a picket line and you have nothing to fear.

Spartan07

For some reason the line that defines 'scabs' seems to be getting blurred. Some pilots consider GoJets and SkyBus pilots scabs, and I've even heard the term used to describe Virgin America pilots. And someone please back me up here, did Southwest pilots not have a bad rep when that airline first started for helping undercut the industry?

To me, and this is from my point of view (My entire family has been in the aircraft manufacturing business but only two pilots so far) a scab is a person that performs the work of another (unionized) person that is on strike. The people that are striking are usually suffering through the strike with no pay and an uncertain future just to fight tooth and nail for a better contract from the company. The fact that there are workers that are going weeks with no pay to try and get better working conditions makes someone that will come along and undermine those strikers by working anyway leads to a lot of hate and discontent toward those 'Scabs'.

It seems that one of the worst things about being labeled a scab as a pilot is being denied jumpseat privileges by unionized pilots. Not to mention being despised by pretty much everyone in the industry.

dojetdriver

Sadly, that isn't the bad/dispicable act that it SHOULD be. A particular event that happened around 2003-2004 time frame (can't remember) proves this. When a certain organization let the biggest group of scabs back into it.

Yeah, I know there were reasons, but still.

Slice

I agree. We can only do our part and as a whole hopefully teach the new guys and penalize those who screwed their brothers.

B757200ER

True; Continental made sure all their scabs from '83 strike (about 800) were welcomed back into ALPA with open arms---no fines, removal of name from master SCAB list, no payment of back-dues, etc.

The lesson? Cross any ALPA picket line, and 15 years later, all is forgiven! You'll still get to fly B-777s and get industry-standard, ALPA-negotiated wages!

ewrbasedpilot

Where did you get your info? Posts like this one, incorrect I might add, are what's wrong with forums. Maybe you should post the REAL truth. Fanning the flames with incorrect statements and innuendo helps nothing. You might try researching your info before you make a fool of yourself posting bogus stuff.

dojetdriver

What about his post in inaccurate?

True; Continental made sure all their scabs from '83 strike (about 800) were welcomed back into ALPA with open arms---no fines, removal of name from master SCAB list, no payment of back-dues, etc.

Maybe not open arms. But were they charged back dues? Well, I think he may be wrong on the name removal. The one I have STILL has the names on it.

The lesson? Cross any ALPA picket line, and 15 years later, all is forgiven! You'll still get to fly B-777s and get industry-standard, ALPA-negotiated wages!

What, have these guys faced any REAL retribution? Do the CAL guys that walked deny them on their own jumpseats?

POPA

I wonder what your hire date was...

Ottopilot

Be very careful accusing someone of being a SCAB. It is not something to be thrown around. Even "I wonder if..." is not cool. I don't know EWRPilots date of hire, but I would not accuse him of being a SCAB (because I don't know). If you really want to know, send him a PM and ask. I think he was upset with the post saying CAL pilots welcomed back the 83-85 Scabs back into ALPA. No pilot had a say in this. I think ALPA wanted CAL and lettting the Scabs in was the only way to get them? I would love to hear from someone who knows more than me on this issue. I would have charged the dues owed and/or fired them for not paying. Actually, I wouldn't have let them into ALPA, but I had no say in this. ALPA wants all airline pilots in ALPA. The United Scabs are union too. So are the Eastern ones that work for many different airlines now.

I do agree the Scabs got off too easy and that doesn't help prevent future SCABS. Remember to be a Scab you have to cross a picket line (strike). Working for crappy airlines doen't make you a Scab. It may not help the industry, but either does flying any regional jet, if you want to use that argument. I got called a Scab when I worked for Continental Express. I even got the jumpseat denied me at some airlines. I tried to tell them I was just starting High School when it happend, but they didn't care. Of course, CAL denied me the jumpseat a couple times too. Some guys hate Express.