What gets old is listening to naive pilots "selling the PAC" as the answer. THere is no political solution, magic or otherwise. THats why the PAC isn't the answer. All solutions are market driven combined with appropriate and enforceable regulations that are enforced by people without an agenda.

The hidden agenda won the day for NAI. NAI out lobbied US pilots by appealing to the hidden agenda of the current administration.

I wrote my congressional delegation and senators. Called the White House on numerous occasions.

We got out hustled by NAI who has less than a thousand pilots and who wrote zero letters or emails. It's like fighting a ghost. They aren't here, no picket signs, no presence, yet they won.

THat (sic) is too funny. The agenda is only hidden from those who are simply not reality based.

Ever heard of consumers? Despite what we would like to think pilots aren't the center of the universe.

Don't tell bb that - his head will "im"plode.

That's exactly my point. Pilots are not the center of the universe. And, so the PAC should likely realize that too.

I agree with the earlier comment. Things are market driven. So, the comment about consumers is spot on.

The balancing act is the "regulation side".

Joe Six Pack still wants to go from Chicago to Orlando and back for 79 bucks.

We don't seem to be very good at talking up the "consumer angle" via our political action committee, and so the real crux of it will be on the regulation side. Not the anti-competition and fair trade regulations, but the qualifications, competence, and safety ones. ALPA has always been a strong and successful advocate there. That may be where ALPA choose to wage its fight.

I still think our real fight will be a higher age limit than 65. If it changes again, I think we lose allot of leverage because we will lose the under 40 pilots who will be so fet up they won't wear their ALPA pins, much less wear them upside down.

I agree.

First and foremost is You can't pay taxes if you don't make a living. I don't think Trump cares weather or not you pay union dues, but he definitely wants people to start knowing what it feels like to earn a living. The reason "baseball" is America's past-time is because of one simple precept in my opinion...."You get what you earn and you earn what you get." Baseball is about work ethic and sweat equity. If America gets back to what made our greatest generation so great, then our citizens will have enough income to take care of themselves, and their families' and of course buy an airline ticket for business and/or leisure travel.

I would love to see some current stats on the "labor participation rate" and of those out of work, un-employed, under-employed, or just on welfare....When was the last time they had the money to buy an airline ticket? After you start paying for your needs you can start paying for you wants. I see a robust economy as a benefit to all industries, to include the airline industry.

And HR 5090 with its 175 co-sponsors died in committee with the do nothing Congress unwilling to move it. Our own political gridlock is mostly to blame and BO is no friend of labor.


Speaking of labor, this will give you nightmares:

New House labor committee chair questions need for unions | Reuters

They don't care about you and your salary, the tally for "right to work states" is now 26. Someone wil do the job for less and they will happily enable that.

Anyone wanna take a stab on when the Treaty on Open Skies was signed?

So they outlobbied us and won but let's not contribute to the PAC (that lobbies) and get in the ring... wow.

May the hidden agendas and ghost of Christmas Past guide us to prosperity...