Sideshow Bob

Reasonable questions...and to those I'll offer reasonable responses, unlike the toddler-like non-sensicle, pointless condemnations of the leadership, which IMO warrant little more than sarcasm. You say you're all adults, but clearly that's a subjective term. I'll agree that BT has over-reached...and I told him so. And if it were me I'd be a lot more mute regarding anything positive or negative. However, this having been my forth airline union I'll say that I'd wager that no matter what BT did, some of this crowd would be calling for his head no matter what he said or didn't say.

I suppose I see the point of brutal honesty, Connie Kalitta had that. My first day of class he said: "...Here's how it works around here...sometimes I'll ****** you, some days you'll ****** me. At the end of the month it all comes out even and we all get laid..." I had low expectations, and was rarely disappointed. But it was still a dirtbag with Teamsters as a union...pffft (little more than a dues vacuum).

Then there was ALPA leadership at USAir in the '90 furlough. They basically said that furloughs were a part of the industry, and that we'd just better accept it. Then they went on to ignore a staffing formula that would have recalled us all in favor or senior pilot interests and took three years to pay for sub-standard medical insurance...not the cadillac plan we have. But at least I got recalled after eight years of the membership picking up open time like it was going out of style. Well sport, that was "honesty", but somehow it didn't quite cut it either.

Us USAir furloughees we were effectively black-balled from many interviews. Alaska for example stopped interviewing any USAir types after a few went back after recall. UAL in a one year period hired 1/75 USAir types that applied..gotta love that ALPA brotherhood. The Deltoids hardly looked at us and AA hired a tiny handful. Descent corporate jobs? Forget about it. Don't think you're the first or the last ace. Nice knowing you're making more now than Sully did when he retired if you're still on property or hopefully soon return. But this is just a hobby, right? Just do me a favor...if you end up in my airplane please don't tell me I should have taken a pay cut or insisted on BT's resignation, because neither would have gotten you back a moment sooner. You have no idea who you work/worked for, or how far they'll go to demonstrate control even at massive expense. At the end of the day strictly financially speaking the whole furlough will likely be a loser, especially if the economy ever rebounds. If it tanks again, Davis will be a hero and Smith will be the fool.

Hey...my advice to BT is to keep swinging at UPS with everything he's got, uphold the CBA aggressively, not roll over like previous administrations with side letters and lame LOA's and back room deals, go for the best contract in the industry, and...oh yeah, to tell you guys you're hosed and you better give up on this place forever.

Happy now?