My side of the story (Falcon F/O)

[kellwolf]

I think the whole situation has got silly - he has apologized, he wants to donate the money to the striking workers, join them on the line and at the end of the day it was 2 legs - it has not compromised the strike.

I'd argue that it had a negative impact on the strike. Allowing him a "free pass" might allow others to think "Okay. I can say 'I didn't know' throw a mea culpa and be forgiven." It's already a gray area with the CAL guys that were allowed back into ALPA. Do we REALLY want to add more gray areas?

I'm okay with the outbound leg. It's far fetched, but it's POSSIBLE he really didn't know it was struck work. Flying the leg back, though? He KNOWINGLY flew struck work at that point. How is that different than someone flying a leg outbound and saying "I knew it was struck work, but I needed the money?" Both are hollow reasons.

Any airline that would fire you for calling in sick and stranding an airplane is one I wouldn't want to work for anyway. I'd rather flip burgers than be subjected to the kind of tortures one such management could imagine.

 

[Tram]

I think the whole situation has got silly - he has apologized, he wants to donate the money to the striking workers, join them on the line and at the end of the day it was 2 legs - it has not compromised the strike.

I think your whole notion of "let the scab go" is silly..

 

[little_cricket]

Yes it is. I was pushed in this situation unknowingly. I later found out that I had crossed a picket line (unknowingly), and I am sorry for that.

Sorry, bud... That is a tough break. In the management/labor war, there is always collateral damage i.e passengers and perhaps even you. But, as far as I am concerned you flew struck work (knowingly or unknowingly doesn't matter) and therefore you are now a "Scab". That totally sucks for you, I understand. Life is not fair and this is a tough life lesson. But, unless the Spirit MEC says you're not a scab, as far as I'm concerned you are no matter what the story or excuse is.

I can only hope that this strike will be short and end with positive results. Then you can address the Spirit MEC and hope for a pardon of some sort. Till then Good luck to you. And, remember that the end of your professional flying career, doesn't have to be the end of you life either.

 

[Nick]

I think the whole situation has got silly - he has apologized, he wants to donate the money to the striking workers, join them on the line and at the end of the day it was 2 legs - it has not compromised the strike.

Imagine lots of people doing this on a larger scale though.

Dozens upon dozens of pilots saying they were clueless, only flew a couple legs, and now they'll picket.

Nope, can't have that.

 

[CaptBill]

There are scores of pilots that would love to reclaim a moment of history. It is not a luxury to be had unfortunately.

 

[Hacker15e]

Question from someone who is still pretty dumb about such things:

People in this thread have mentioned a "proceeding" or "process" that the Falcon F/O (accused scab) is going through...

Is there some way that he can have his named removed from the "scab list" via some decree from the Spirit MEC? Does he have the ability to go plead his case and get some kind of de-facto pardon?

 

[WacoFan]

Maybe when you talk to Donatelli, you can see if any of the strike personel think it'd be a wise move to come and take up an education segment at the Aviation Career Expo...so we can make sure people are informed about this stuff (non-airline included)...i can see that ALPA really needs to improve their education tactics.

Ok...here is a thought Kristie...if it isn't good you can rochambeau me at NJC.

You should have a thread on Jet Girls, or a program for wives at NJC about scabbing and the potential downside. Why??? Because I bet MANY, MANY scabs are pressured into it by the spouse at home. I can just hear the coversations that must ensue. The wife has no idea really about what the pilot is going to face if he scabs...she just generally knows about paychecks coming in. If the wives understood and were prepared for this, perhaps they would understand and support their man if a strike happened. Just a thought.

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

Question from someone who is still pretty dumb about such things:

People in this thread have mentioned a "proceeding" or "process" that the Falcon F/O (accused scab) is going through...

Is there some way that he can have his named removed from the "scab list" via some decree from the Spirit MEC? Does he have the ability to go plead his case and get some kind of de-facto pardon?

The only real scabs are those that have been certified as such by the striking party, in this case the Spirit MEC. I don't have as much experience in this area as some others but it seems likely that they will wait until the strike is over and then do them all in one go. The "scab list" that is online right now is not official.

It is theoretically possible that the Spirit MEC could decide that the Falcon FO has done nothing wrong. I don't think this is very likely though.

 

[KLB]

Ok...here is a thought Kristie...if it isn't good you can rochambeau me at NJC.

You should have a thread on Jet Girls, or a program for wives at NJC about scabbing and the potential downside. Why??? Because I bet MANY, MANY scabs are pressured into it by the spouse at home. I can just hear the coversations that must ensue. The wife has no idea really about what the pilot is going to face if he scabs...she just generally knows about paychecks coming in. If the wives understood and were prepared for this, perhaps they would understand and support their man if a strike happened. Just a thought.

I agree with this. My mom wasn't very happy when my dad went on strike along side his fellow teamsters. She stood behind him though.

 

[Polar742]

or a program for wives [spouses] at NJC about scabbing and the potential downside. Why??? Because I bet MANY, MANY scabs are pressured into it by the spouse at home. I can just hear the coversations that must ensue. The wife has no idea really about what the pilot is going to face if he scabs...she just generally knows about paychecks coming in. If the wives understood and were prepared for this, perhaps they would understand and support their man if a strike happened. Just a thought.

I agree with this. My mom wasn't very happy when my dad went on strike along side his fellow teamsters. She stood behind him though.

I like... +1

 

[flyingmaniac]

It seems to me that his airline was looking for someone gullible and found the right person. One has to remember that everyone is different and while most are up-to-date on what is going on in the airline industry, there are still a few that don't really understand how things operate and are more influenced by management than the rest of us.

I still say that you should continue to defend yourself and show everyone that you are still sorry for your actions by not flying anymore work. Day one, the other pilots might curse at you and throw things at you but if you continue to fight the cause (for day two and so on), they will see that you genuinely regret your past decision and will eventually forgive you.

More power to ya!

 

[Kristie]

Ok...here is a thought Kristie...if it isn't good you can rochambeau me at NJC.

You should have a thread on Jet Girls, or a program for wives at NJC about scabbing and the potential downside. Why??? Because I bet MANY, MANY scabs are pressured into it by the spouse at home. I can just hear the coversations that must ensue. The wife has no idea really about what the pilot is going to face if he scabs...she just generally knows about paychecks coming in. If the wives understood and were prepared for this, perhaps they would understand and support their man if a strike happened. Just a thought.

interesting idea!

 

[JoelT]

Ok...here is a thought Kristie...if it isn't good you can rochambeau me at NJC.

You should have a thread on Jet Girls, or a program for wives at NJC about scabbing and the potential downside. Why??? Because I bet MANY, MANY scabs are pressured into it by the spouse at home. I can just hear the coversations that must ensue. The wife has no idea really about what the pilot is going to face if he scabs...she just generally knows about paychecks coming in. If the wives understood and were prepared for this, perhaps they would understand and support their man if a strike happened. Just a thought.

Dubinsky (former UAL MEC Chair) said, "This contract will be won at the dinner table, not the negotiating table". Thus, kicking off ALPA's Family Awareness Committee. He figured out that a pilot group would never be fully unified if they did not have the full support of home. The Family Awareness Committee is an attempt to be more like the coal mining Unions where workers all lived in the same town, neighborhoods, streets and had a very large support group.

 

[WacoFan]

interesting idea!

I'm all about helping the women!

 

[Kristie]

Dubinsky (former UAL MEC Chair) said, "This contract will be won at the dinner table, not the negotiating table". Thus, kicking off ALPA's Family Awareness Committee. He figured out that a pilot group would never be fully unified if they did not have the full support of home. The Family Awareness Committee is an attempt to be more like the coal mining Unions where workers all lived in the same town, neighborhoods, streets and had a very large support group.

There's a family awareness committee? hmmm i'm not even aware of that?!

I think they need to get the word out a bit more.

 

[derg]

There's a family awareness committee? hmmm i'm not even aware of that?!

I think they need to get the word out a bit more.

Generally, it's on an airline-by-airline basis.

Dubinsky called it right, it's all won or lost at the dinner table, especially when it comes to financial preparation for a strike.

Why is primarily why whenever it came to an important vote, all mailed company materials went right to the garbage can.

 

[TheShortOne]

Ok...here is a thought Kristie...if it isn't good you can rochambeau me at NJC.

You should have a thread on Jet Girls, or a program for wives at NJC about scabbing and the potential downside. Why??? Because I bet MANY, MANY scabs are pressured into it by the spouse at home. I can just hear the coversations that must ensue. The wife has no idea really about what the pilot is going to face if he scabs...she just generally knows about paychecks coming in. If the wives understood and were prepared for this, perhaps they would understand and support their man if a strike happened. Just a thought.

In the Spirit strike thread on JG everyone has come out strongly in support of the pilots. I think we all realize how important it is to have a good contract and the ramifications industry wide of it (positive or negative)

 

[lostplanetairman]

interesting idea!

My wife tells me there was a whole GoJet argument back in the day on jetgirls and the wife left in a huff because they had to support the family.

 

[Kestrel452]

The pax had already boarded when I arrived, the captain had already picked up the clearance and loaded the FMS. I did a quick w&b, and we left. From the moment I arrived the captain never used the PA in my presence.

I find that just a little hard to believe, but ok.

 

[Kristie]

My wife tells me there was a whole GoJet argument back in the day on jetgirls and the wife left in a huff because they had to support the family.

that's true! that's why i just started up the thread to talk about the strike, preparedness and understanding struck work etc....

we need to increase awareness...i'm willing to do that but there's a LOT more wives out there than are on JG....question is...how do we get to them?

believe it or not, it seems to me that a lot of the ladies on JG don't talk because they're afraid their husband will see and quite a few of the wives have told me that their husbands have told them that they don't even like them being on the interweb talking about them and their professions...so it's somewhat of an uphill battle and has been for a while

 

[Kristie]

I find that just a little hard to believe, but ok.

if you ask me, I think you should just listen in this thread Mitch, no speaky

 

[CaptBill]

fftopic:

Kristie's new avatar is just plain naughty looking, and I don't even know what the hell it is. That's all.