Originally Posted by ClappedOut145

“As the May 17 strike deadline neared, Ferris played his trump card. Through carefully orchestrated news releases, Ferris announced that he would hire “permanent replacements” in the event of a strike. To put teeth in his threat, Ferris had, since December 1984, trained, but not hired, 570 new second officers, telling them that they would be used for “expansion.” Clearly, Ferris expected to lure first officers across the picket line with promises of instant captaincies and to use “the 570” (as they came to be known) to fill out scab crews. The 570 were thus in an anomalous position, clearly contingent scabs, having neither union protection nor standing as employees.”

later….



“The young trainees with the odd nametags told Lindsey they were “pre-hires” who would be coming on the line as soon as ALPA signed a new contract. Lindsey, who had been an active “committee puke” at the MEC level, promptly phoned Roger Hall in Chicago to find out what he knew about them—which was nothing. Delegated by Hall to investigate these strange creatures further, Lindsey discovered that they were receiving only 19 days of training instead of the usual four to six weeks, that they were being paid a flat per diem rate of $26, with no allowance for either food or lodging, and that they were as bewilderedabout their status as ALPA was about them.

“Contacting them was real easy,” Lindsey laughs. “All I had to do was put up a sign that said, ‘Pre-hires Welcome Meeting, ALPA—FREE FOOD.’”

In short order, it became clear to everybody that the 570 were a strikebreaker force in training and that ALPA had better reach them quickly. With the assistance of Steve Forte, Bruce Lasch, and Raoul Bouher, Lindsey set up a systematic “contact program” aimed at the 570 as they came through the Denver training center each month. A key element in Lindsey’s “outreach” program involved offering the “pre-hires” tutoring and a “study hall” each evening staffed by ALPA volunteers. Since the 570 were getting nonstandard training but still had to go through the regular exams, they were very grateful. This assistance proved to the 570 in concrete terms that ALPA was more interested in their welfare than was management.”

Flying the Line Volume II.

The 570’s were hired with intent. There’s no argument about it. Now they laud themselves as the saviors of United because they didn’t cross (or went out on sick leave so as to not have to make a decision), but their entry into United was under suspicious terms and meant as a tool for Ferris to break ALPA.

Originally Posted by Total BS

It's always the young, who oppose raising the age

Originally Posted by billtaters

No, there are plenty closer to retirement who oppose it as well. If you're looking for an "always" rule in this scenario, it is as follows:

Those who favor raising the age today opposed doing so when they were young/junior.

Originally Posted by FriendlyPilot

If this ever passes and ICAO is still 65, ALPA needs to negotiate a deal where they can fly as FOs on the guppy so they can mentor new Captains as they claim. If they sue to change it, then we can add them to the scab list and treat them as scabs.

Originally Posted by FriendlyPilot

The GK bashing needs to stop. He literally risked his career to donate one of his kidneys to a friend (not spouse, child etc) because he was a match to her. He had to miss a bunch of work and take a risk there could be complications that would end his career. It cost him pay and time but he did it. He's not a selfish person. A lot of people don't like him because they are jealous he was hired so young or because he was on the MEC and didn't politically agree with him. He's a decent guy with a lot of talent and doesn't really deserve this public bashing. I can't imagine he even cares.

Originally Posted by billtaters

GK has done a lot of positive things over his career, your example above being one of them. That said, he also made the following comments on social media and in an anti-ALPA letter to Congress that he added his signature to:


A lifetime of positive contributions can be washed away or diminished by negative ones. In his statements above, GK is currently showing a lack of respect for those who have come behind him and are currently filling shoes that he himself once wore years ago (when he seemed fine with the mandatory retirement age). Was he "selfish" when he was young and junior for not attempting to raise the retirement age then, as he is currently calling his peers? Was he in need of a raised retirement age for mentoring his own inexperience when he was young and junior, yet "eagerly" sat silent and benefited from the existing system? Is it decent and selfless of him to be actively undermining our union for his own personal benefit?

He may otherwise be a decent and selfless guy, but the anti-union, disrespectful, obtuse, and self-serving behaviors he is currently displaying make it hard for me to have sympathy for the realities of his diminished reputation.

Originally Posted by StoneQOLdCrazy;[url=tel:3935582

3935582[/url]]I happened to run into a UALPA rep, and this individual was not shy about his fervent desire to raise the retirement age. He claimed that most of the UALPA MEC also favored Age 67, but had to play it cool until they could find some way to tip the scales decisively.

I guess the bottom line is that maybe UAL pilots against raising the age might want to make sure who their reps are, and that there aren't any "sleepers" who are sandbagging what the majority of United pilots would like.