sandman2122

Since when has there ever been non-members walking a picket line??

Maybe Bob will be the first.

rjlavender

The pilots who crossed the picket line at CAL are all ALPA members now. They were brought into the fold with no penance on their part nor any abridgement of their seniority. They were brought in for their dues dollars and now you and they are "brothers." You are on the same side. On the other hand, some longtime CAL pilots such as striker, Jim Personett, have resigned from ALPA because of its breach of ethics. Thanks for asking.

In my opinion, there should be no age restriction on flying commercially; individual competence and capability should be the rule. A change to 65 should be only temporary until the lid can come off all together. In the long run, this is healthy for our society in every way as long as people have an option in how to run their own lives.

I have been writing about the impending Age 60 train wreck at FedEx for 10 years and have always been opposed to the Rule. The ideal situation is to have the OPTION to fly to 65 just as ALPA carrier, Air Canada Jazz, is currently doing. They may retire at 55 with a penalty, 60 with no penalty, and fly to 65 if they desire to put more money in their Plans. This is the best model as it permits people to choose which option is best for them, personally, given the changes in the industry over the last 28 years. Unfortunately, we are stuck in the past and this is causing significant disunity within the profession.

ALPA's inability to deal with the retirement problem on several levels is symbolic of its general failure to perform. I will have some more comments later. Fortunately, as someone wrote: Lurkers vote.

Bob

Busdrivr

"I will have some more comments later. Fortunately, as someone wrote: Lurkers vote."

Yes we do Bob. I just voted Yes.

FXDX

Hmmm, the "majority" of those in the profession now are in favor of keeping the retirement age at 60. You should realize that ALPA represents its members, and the majority of those members were in favor of the current age.

Just because you say you have been in favor of a change for 10 years doesn't mean that you are in the majority or that your OPINION on the retirement age is any more credible or correct than anybody else's.

I've read your box stuffings and I happen to disagree with you on the issue. The majority of pilots do to. Why is that so hard for you to accept?

FXDX

Oh yeah, that was a majority that didn't even include probationary members or furloughees, but did include our Canandian friends. ALPA tried as hard as they could to skew the results in favor of a change, yet the MAJORITY still preferred to keep the status quo.

L-1011-500

Well the age 60 thing reminds me of a captain I flew with at brand X who was crying the blues he was turning 60 that year and couldn't afford to retire. He of course had 3 ex-wives and was currently married to a 32 year old FA who by the way was having his baby. I had a whole month of listening to his woes. It reminded me of what my dad used to say "Poor planning on your part doesn't mean an emergency on mine".
IMHO I have met just as many guys who lived outside their means for years and never saved enough to retire as the ones who had a good gig ripped away unfairly. Mr. Lavender if you are so concerned with the age 60 rule my guess is you are coming close to that age. Working for FedEx if you have not saved enough to retire SHAME ON YOU! I myself have never worked for anyone bigger than ATA and I have managed to put money into a 401k the whole time. Even now working for a supplemental 121 cargo operator I am putting money into my 401k. So I know my annual salary is way less than yours and I am ready to retire at 60. I want to retire at 60! I don't want to be doing this anymore by then. If you have been writing about the impending train wreck at FedEx for 10 years. The you should have been planning ahead. Now what was it my dad used to say?

pinseeker

Boob,

The lurkers vote but you don't, you gave up that right. You don't even have a voice any more. As far as the flying as long as you are compitent argument goes, who makes that decision? Why don't we let people who can pass a driving test have a license unless they are 16? They pass the test so they must be competent. We don't make 60 year olds pass driving tests, yet, by default they are competent. Statistics show that the two most dangerous driving groups are those under 20 and over 60. So again I ask, who determines competence? What would be the tests? The only age 60 train wreck I see at FDX is guys like you who cry like babies when they don't get their way. You are no better than those who you despise and are a freeloader. That name, freeloader, probably wouldn't hurt you so much if you didn't believe it deep down yourself.

CaptainMark

enjoy all that siba carryover...an old f/o..scared to upgrade and broke(i guess that is what all the carryover is for)...what a career!!!!!

MD11HOG

I'm responding to him here because we can't tell these losers what we think of them on company property. They run crying to management like Lombardo because he's intimidated. It would be nice if everytime one of these guys walked into a crew room, someone would just point him out and yell, "NON MEMBER". And then, treat them with the respect they deserve.

MaydayMark

Hey Bob,

Return your ALPA negotiated signing bonus and maybe I'll start taking you seriously (or for that matter, donate it to charity ... not the Bob L charity either) ... until then, you're just another freeloader.

Wwwwaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh

Regards,


Mark