That sure seems to be your go to line. You asked me on another thread to stop wearing my ALPA pin for being against concessions that weaken the contract. I wasn’t aware that only those who agree with your vision were worthy of wearing the pin. Too bad, many of those people who disagree with you have been active members for decades, served on committees, and walked off of their jobs to man a picket line. Most of the people who are in the no concessions camp have learned from their scars, many have served throughout their careers, and have even laid their jobs on the line and walked off the job in mass rather than accept a subpar contract. I’d say that they are worthy of the pin.

 

Any givebacks will only lower the bar in BK.

Mgmt will ignore their promise of "permanent improvements" the second it benefits them.

Don't be suckers.

 

No doubt, those who've been around this place for more than a few decades have seen this show before and have every right as ALPA stakeholders to be skeptical.

I'm a firm NO until the agreement convinces me otherwise. Like TI said early on, when we look across the landscape and see Stroopwafel and every other vendor, other employee groups, airport facilities, and management sharing the sacrifice, then maybe there's a conversation. Pilot concessions alone won't save the airline and I'm done putting my head on the chopping block.

 

It seems that almost every turn of the decade, the Airline Industry is in crisis. The following timeline is partially excerpted from a recent update from Council 173.

1970’s- Oil Crisis
1980’s- Airline De-regulation
1990’s- Gulf War and Recession
2000’s- 9/11 Terror Attacks, SARS, Bankruptcies
2010’s- Great Recession
2020’s- Covid-19

Each decade and each crisis presented its own set of trials and tribulations.

This crisis will not be the last airline industry crisis. The pattern of crisis shows another one will follow in the 2030’s, 2040’s and 2050’s, and each crisis will be unprecedented if history continues to predict the future. Pilots will be told in the intervening years that the industry has changed and management is different, but it will be the same cyclical nature of the industry. It is crucial that we look at the career ahead to be certain that harm is not done in the long run while trying to protect the near term. Last week’s announcement from the company that they were accelerating the timeline of previously announced furloughs, and their corresponding errors made in sending two furlough notices with different dates to several pilots is unprecedented. Once this crisis has passed, you will each draw your own conclusions of whether this management is different as each prior pilot group has.

 

Too late, just embrace the suck.

 

That’s exactly it: the pilots will give concessions so the executives can pay off the restricted loans, resume stock buybacks and bonuses then pocket the rest. Happens every time.

 

IF? This is a done deal already. It’ll pass the MEC with 4-5 dissenting and then will be ratified with an 86% approval by the pilot group.

 

Chopping this thing up into 1/3rds based on seniority is wonderful to get this thing passed. The long term ramifications for UAL ALPA will be disastrous.

 

I’m not a firm no for anything without reading it and asking questions. I’m a firm no for anything that after reading the proposal shows that we are weakening the contract. I don’t trust airline management, I don’t trust any snap back clause or similar language, and I believe that they have better attorneys and will always win.

 

We all get they may not have read Dale Carnegie's book but their institutional knowledge was invaluable. The Brit may have worn out his caps lock but what he was saying two months ago is coming to fruition.