Age 65 right around corner... 15 year upgrades at SWA!!!

[jimEJet]

House votes to extend airline pilot retirement age from 60 to 65
By JIM ABRAMS , Associated Press
Last update: December 11, 2007 - 6:27 PM
The House voted unanimously Tuesday to extend the retirement age for commercial pilots to 65, changing a 1960 Federal Aviation Administration regulation forcing pilots to leave the cockpit at age 60.
The bill, if approved by the Senate, would put the U.S. retirement age in line with international standards. The International Civil Aviation Organization adopted an age 65 retirement age in November, 2006. The measure passed on a 390-0 vote.
"Each day that passes without raising the retirement age to 65, approximately five of our senior, most experienced pilots will be forced to retire," Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., said.
The retirement age provision was originally included in a larger bill to reauthorize FAA programs that the House passed in September. But with the FAA bill unlikely to see action in the Senate this year, Oberstar and his Republican counterpart, Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., agreed to move the retirement bill separately in hopes of winning quick Senate approval.
The bill would require pilots who reach age 60 to have a medical certificate renewed every six months, to continue to participate in FAA pilot training and qualification programs and be administered a line check every six months.
Following international practices, flights out of U.S. airports for foreign destinations would have to have at least one pilot under age 60.
The legislation is not retroactive, and airlines would not be required to hire back pilots who retire before the measure goes into effect.___
The bill is H.R. 4343.

 

[Jolly Roger]

luvley.

 

[flyingid]

I've heard that the medical requirements would be a lot harder to pass. So all those old farts would lose there medicals anyways. Anyone else hear about the additional restrictions on the medicals?

 

[NoJoy]

You beat me to it! Why ALPA suppport this I don't know. Does anyone know when the Senate is supposed to vote on this?

 

[PCL_128]

I've heard that the medical requirements would be a lot harder to pass. So all those old farts would lose there medicals anyways. Anyone else hear about the additional restrictions on the medicals?

You heard wrong. Oberstar's language doesn't allow for increased medical standards. Still a POS bill, however.

 

[Deadalus]

Greeeaaaat. I can hear management now. "You guys don't need better pay and retirement, because now you can fly 90 hours a month until you're 65, then you'll drop dead" I can't believe how $#@%#@%! stupid some of my co-workers are.

 

[LJDRVR]

Why ALPA suppport this I don't know.

Here's why:

H.R.4343 will clarify non-retroactivity, provide sufficient liability protection for unions...

ALPA national has some explaining to do. Something along the lines of why we ignored the wishes of the majority of our members, couched that in the cloak of "we need to be involved with the process cause it's gonna happen anyway." Then, when the House passes it, comes out with a public statement praising "bold politicians"

YGTBFSM.

 

[Deadalus]

I think we all need to vote for the recall of Prater, that stupid pr!ck.

 

[NoJoy]

True-most of ALPA's members who took the survey way back when were against the increase. My idea on their survey was if it passes, absolutley no Captains at age 60.

 

[PCL_128]

A question to those of you angry at ALPA: did you participate in the survey? Are you aware that not even 50% of the membership even bothered to vote in the survey? I think Prater has handled this horribly, and I disagree with ALPA's current position on this issue, but the fact of the matter is that the membership didn't even bother to get involved in this.

 

[waveflyer]

So what's the end skinny?

When's this going to happen? Anyone know?

 

[Superpilot92]

I took the survey and VOTED NO

Every one of us got into this knowing that age 60 was it. It isn't a surprise!! The guys at the top reaped the benefits of the age 60 rule and now want it changed to soak it up while they can. Meanwhile the majority of the ALPA members didn't want the change. I agree, something is VERY wrong here.

 

[BeCareful!]

A question to those of you angry at ALPA: did you participate in the survey? Are you aware that not even 50% of the membership even bothered to vote in the survey? I think Prater has handled this horribly, and I disagree with ALPA's current position on this issue, but the fact of the matter is that the membership didn't even bother to get involved in this.

Yes, and yes.

Prater probably wants an extra five years himself, and thus the change of heart ALPA had when he took over. That's the impression got from speaking to him last year. I knew this was coming.

F&%$ ALPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Flyarcticcat]

I just hope that the Senate does not get to this bill and adjorns with it left on the table.

 

[Splert]

Still needs to be attached to the Spending Bill that the president said he will veto. Correct?

Not sure!

 

[SuperFLUF]

So what's the end skinny?

When's this going to happen? Anyone know?

As I understand it, the change would be effective immediately upon the president signing the bill in to law.

The senate still has to manuver the bill to the front of the line for a vote and then pass it. I doubt there would be any delay in conference since both the house and senate versions are similar.

If you don't want your senator voting for this write them now and call them tomorrow.

If you do want you senator voting for this then write them next year and call them next Christmas....

 

[redbook]

Age 65:

Just in time for rising oil and a slowing economy. Beautiful.

The only silver lining would be the end of ALPA.

 

[redbook]

from Captain Prater today:

“I salute Chairman Oberstar and his colleagues for this bold step,” said Capt. John Prater, ALPA’s president. “The legislation passed by the House of Representatives is consistent with ALPA’s Executive Board resolution that is designed to protect the interests of airline pilots and this Association.”

 

[800Dog]

A question to those of you angry at ALPA: did you participate in the survey? Are you aware that not even 50% of the membership even bothered to vote in the survey? I think Prater has handled this horribly, and I disagree with ALPA's current position on this issue, but the fact of the matter is that the membership didn't even bother to get involved in this.

Participated in the survey. Involved with this. Done ALPA volunteer work. Feel like ALPA can no longer represent me and my interests! APA looking for new members? Anymore questions?

 

[PCL_128]

The membership hated Duane and screamed for his head on a platter. In return, they got this dimwit Prater. You've made your bed, now lie in it. Plenty of people, myself included, warned you that Prater wasn't the guy for the job, but everyone's hatred for Duane blinded them. Nevermind the fact that Duane was an adamant supporter of Age-60. No, you had to have Duane's blood. I hope you're happy with the results.

 

[vetrider]

I've been missing Duane for awhile now.

 

[eaglefly]

I've been missing Duane for awhile now.

Give hime a call and ask his butler to put you through.

 

[vetrider]

Give hime a call and ask his butler to put you through.

Do you have that number?

 

[Andy Neill]

Still needs to be attached to the Spending Bill that the president said he will veto. Correct?

Not sure!

The Presidential threat of veto was on a previous versions of Transportation Appropriations bills. I don't know how he feels about the latest version that came out of conference committee and was passed by the House.

No, it doesn't need to be attached. One version is, but this one is a stand alone measure and identical to the included provisions of the other bill. I think it has a greater chance of passage as part of an appripriations bill since that has to be passed eventually. There is no nationally recognized need for the stand-alone version to pass.

 

[Splert]

So is this Bill political cover for the members of the house if the other bill which is included in the Omnibus legislation is vetoed by W.?

 

[SpoolDaddy]

My relply to [email protected] after receiving their gloating announcement regarding the events on the Hill:

Capt Prater,

This legislation and the pro-ALPA stance that accompanies it does not reflect the views of this member, nor of the majority of the ALPA membership. Simply, the will of the majority was hijacked by the over-50 minority, who well served their self-interests by changing the rules every time a vote by members yielded a result that did not suit their desires.

Happy Holidays while the majority of the membership prays this thing dies in the Senate, and best wishes to the American Airlines APA, a union not afraid to stand up for what their majority believes.

 

[IronCityBlue]

You heard wrong. Oberstar's language doesn't allow for increased medical standards. Still a POS bill, however.

True, but nothing in the bill will stop increased medical standards for us all in the future. That's how they will get around it. It will soon be harder to make it to 60, and management will point to the increased costs of the actuarials this will effect. It will cost airlines more, so there will have to be some *ahem* "cost neutral" way to account for that going forward.

Translation: Anyone under 50 will be forced to work until they are 65 in order to make the same pay and retirement they would have made by 60 now. For guys on the verge of 60 now though, its a free ride in the bonus round. Who cares if someone medicals out after 60. Until the next round of contracts takes this into account that is.

At least Oil is cheap, all furloughs are recalled and we're starting to see a bull market on wall street. :erm:

 

[Freight Dog]

ALPA sold their young down the river... what did you expect? Sympathy? Sorry junior... a few more years in the right seat, less contribution to your retirement plan... but smile, you can now work longer!

Thank you Captain Prater!

 

[Kugelblitz]

This is like everything ALPA ever does, that is, worry about the most senior membership. I have been with ALPA for 13 years and every contract ever passed always is about senior pilots and what they want. F#ck us junior guys, as they are so apt too say.

The real tragedy for us at CAL is that many of our senior pilots are scabs, who have no life, care for no one else but themselves, and have no incentive to leave our company regardless of their financial situation. More transatlantic flights with overflowing sh*tters.....

I realize that there are those who have a legitimate need to work due to the industry disaster after 9-11 ( I was furloughed by AA 5 years ago..and counting) but for those of us at CAL, it will make for more cockpit misery.

Like our management didn't do a good enough job of that on their own.

 

[flygirlqt]

My Dad used to call ALPA "The Captains union". Nothing has changed since the old days, except Prater and the top echelon will get to enjoy their exorbitant and outrageous ALPA salaries for another 5 years.

Time to dump ALPA.