fadec

Is the pilot fully to blame? I heard about this first through United's FB post. Why didn't the company just fire him silently? Is a customer more likely to follow United on Facebook or a looney toon pilot on twitter? Why air dirty laundry? Is United getting involved in politics for some reason?

gettinbumped

Yes the pilot is fully to blame. You can't blame United for trying to do damage control after that moron landed himself on the front page of the news.

I'm having trouble understanding why this is mystifying in some way. Take the guy down in Houston who was running a brothel in his spare time. Should United have kept him on the payroll? Let him serve his time in prison and then come on back? What's the difference? That one act was illegal and the other was merely dunce cap worthy? Company policy and the ALPA Code of Ethics does not require activity to rise to the level of criminal behavior to be subject to discipline. If you want to work for United, or almost any company for that matter, you can, will, and should be held accountable for what you say and do in the world even when you aren't in uniform at the airport. If you don't like it, you should probably work towards being self employed.

Packrat

Really? Did he tweet it or not? Does he work for United or not? Looks like he smeared himself with his own dirt.

I guess he just couldn't help himself and jumped on the Faux News bandwagon probably after a couple drinks. Now he's going to pay for it.

I've seen Companies fire employees for identifying themselves as such and then posting embarrassing pictures on social media. Just don't do it.

Chuck D

No kidding! Maybe Trump will hire him to fly his old 757 around, but there's a line you can cross with public statements when you're job is to fly the general public around. It seems to me that he took a few huge strides beyond that line...

BMEP100

It is amazing to see the lack of respect for the Constitution and our right to free speech on this board and from fellow pilots.

It is a good thing this kind of thinking was not prevalent in the early days of Flying the Line or the early days of our country. None of you would be where you are.

The photo was picked up from the web, been around a long time and posted by twitter or someone else with a political agenda.

While it is true that the first amendment applies to government actions, we as Americans should expect to be protected from persecution by big corporations and employers. After all, other so called protections such as equal opportunity, affirmative action etc are now required of all employers as well as the government. Free speech should not be exempted.

How ironic that so many so called "ALPA members" on this board will violate the ALPA code of ethics by publicly making false claims and criticisms against a fellow pilot. What a load of hypocrites.

I don't know this guy other than to have flown with him a couple years ago. I remember he is a good pilot and passionate about representing his district.

He is also an elected official- a state representative. If anyone should be afforded an extra measure of protection under the first amendment it should be an elected representative.

The fact that he works for United is just leverage the detractors of his political party are trying to use to shut down the political discourse. Apparently they are being somewhat successful, and supported by some people here.

Many of you apparently don't know that many state legislators are part timers and get a small stipend ( a couple thousand a year) for their service, so they must be employed in the private sector.

The US congress used to be made up of part timers. Good thing they were not sucessfully shut down in their criticisms of King George.

AxlF16

Before you're tried (and possibly convicted) there is this thing called an 'indictment'. Without an indictment, there are NO CHARGES UPON WHICH TO TRY SOMEONE. So until you either become an attorney general or a grand jury, your opinion doesn't mean jack squat. You don't get to situationally pick and choose which parts of the judicial process you want to use .

Scott Stoops

You don't get it do you. His free speech is protected. Peoples response to it and the consequences that result are not. He signed multiple agreements when he agreed to be a United employee. It is all very clearly spelled out. Did he violate them? Not for me to say. I suspect, as the others have said that he will not miss a paycheck.

BMEP100

One of us doesn't apparently.


When someone uses their power and authority to suppress the free speech of another, they violate their civil rights. The law is supposed to protect that speaker from the "consequences", otherwise the protection is empty.

Get it now?

There are other laws that do allow for the correct prosecution of "consequences", such as libel. Those processes belong in a court, not a chief pilot's office.

With major corporations becoming so big and politically strong and connected these days, we are seeing ( and accepting) this kind of persecution more often. Doesn’t make it right.

CALTanker

We all have the right to free speech. I'm trying to teach my child that she too has the right to free speech but there may be consequences. I could go on with examples ad nauseam, but suffice it to say there are consequences for everything we say. People will judge you and or draw conclusions and these may have ramifications we do not desire.
comments do not occur in a vacuum.

Chuck D

No No No!! It doesn't work that way...

You can't, for example expect to work at Burger King and yell all day long that cows are sacred and should not be killed - or McDonald's is far better... you will rightfully get fired from that job and no-one is violating your free speech.

You can't expect to work at a church for long while professing your adoration for satan... it just doesn't work that way.

You CAN protest for Westboro Baptist Church if that's your thing and you won't necessarily get tossed in jail, but you won't make many friends of get a lot of job offers either... It's protected free speech.



You mentioned the ALPA code of ethics... how does calling for the public lynching of an elected official square with:

"On his days off, he will not engage in any occupation or activity that will diminish his efficiency or bring discredit to his profession."

"He will realize that he represents the airline to all who meet him and will at all times keep his personal appearance and conduct above reproach."

"He will remember that to his neighbors, friends, and acquaintances he represents both the profession and ALPA, and that his actions represent to them the conduct and character of all members of the profession and ALPA."

"He will not publish articles, give interviews, or permit his name to be used in any manner likely to bring discredit to another pilot, the airline industry, the profession, or ALPA."