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

[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 Feel like ALPA can no longer represent me and my interests!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.