Age 65 thought

[CHIEEEEFS]

Who else, maybe for the ump-teenth time, has put together:

UAL and USAir are the two airlines limping along in Chap11.

After the leadership made bad moves, at the end of the 'do no wrong 90's', are now squeezing down their pilot contracts and forcing everyone to follow. And dumped the pension plans.

UAL and USAir represent approx 33% of ALPA mainline membership.

Now ALPA is hinting at supporting a lift in the age rule that contracts and the whole airline pilot process is molded around. To help some pilots shore up their retirement.

I would like to be forced to retire at 60.

I thought it would be better if UAL and USAir survived.

 

[Dizel8]

Just say NO!

 

[AMRCostUnit]

They want to dump the lump sum and give us an annuity in hopes that we will kick the bucket after the first payment at 65 years and one month. Then they get to keep a whole bunch of our money.

At AA every 1% increase in interest rates decreases the A Fund by 10%. And the A Fund is going to be re-indexed in Jan 2006 to a 1.5% higher rate which equals to 15% decreased payout. That is why there are some 800 guys locked in and ready to retire.

Unit

 

[bart]

I support an age 80 rule. Anything to keep from having to fly with retired airline captains...

 

[BeCareful!]

This is a greasy kid's stuff job now, with a matching 401K and crappy benifits.

The RJDC crowd has all but insured that it will stay that way. They've shown management that there's an entire population of pilots who WANT to fly very large jets for sub-standard wages and benifits.

Thanks, Boys. Enjoy your Jet; maybe next month they'll have you in a 90 seater. You'll look cool, for sure......

 

[Jim Smyth]

I'm all for getting it raised. So is our Union.

SWAPA Legislative Action Alert

February 8, 2005
​

S. 65 and H.R. 65 are being considered in Congress now. Two fellow pilots in the U.S. Congress have introduced legislation to end the arbitrary discrimination of the FAA Age 60 rule. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) a veteran private pilot has introduced S. 65 in the Senate, and Rep. Jim Gibbons

(R-NV) a former Delta Airlines and USAF pilot has introduced an identical bill H.R. 65 in the House. The bills would tie pilot retirement age to 65--the age at which individuals retire with full Social Security benefits.

Call your Senators and your member of Congress now and tell them to stop the FAA’s discriminatory Age 60 rule by becoming a cosponsor of S. or H.R. 65!

We ask that you make three calls:

Please call **both** your United States Senators and ask them to cosponsor S. 65. To find your senators click the link below:

​

http://www.senate.gov/
​

Please call your representative and have him or her cosponsor H.R. 65. To find your representative click the link below:

​

http://www.house.gov/
​

How do you call?

Both Senators and members of Congress can be reached via the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121. If you don’t know who your representative is, you can find out on the House of Representatives Website: http://www.house.gov. The Senate Website is: http://www.senate.gov.

Talking points for your call:
​

• I’m Capt/FO _______ from _______ (City, State) calling on behalf of the Southwest Airline Pilots' Association, and I would like to speak to the person on your staff who handles aviation issues.
  
• I would like to ask that you have your boss cosponsor (HOUSE H.R. 65/SENATE S. 65) and help us end the FAA Age 60 rule (or leave a message to that effect). Don’t let the FAA make me hang up my wings at 60 because of an arbitrary and discriminatory rule.
  
• The Aerospace Medical Association told Congress last year that the rule is not based on science and that there is no medical evidence to show that pilots over 60 are less safe.
  
• Most other developed nations have an age restriction of 65 or higher and Canada has no age restriction.
  
• The American Association of Retired Persons and the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission say the rule is discriminatory and should be ended.
  
• The FAA has developed a fail-safe cockpit with at least two pilots in case of medical or other emergencies.
  
• 
  
  The FAA and the airlines have already developed a rigorous testing and training regime; significant safety checks are in place make piloting safe regardless of age:
  • Pilots are tested in physicals twice a year, including an annual EKG which is sent directly to the FAA Aeromedical office;
    
  • Pilots are subject to random checkrides with FAA inspectors at any time, and;
    
  • Pilots must undergo simulator training designed to put them in situations they are likely to never see in the cockpit.
    
• These checks are enough to ensure that pilots at any age are safe and qualified to be in the cockpit. Given the current financial state of the airline industry, removing the Age 60 rule makes sense. Pilots would have longer to pay into pension funds and would be able to earn more for their own retirement as well. S. 65 and H.R. 65 make sense and are not arbitrary because they are tied to the Social Security retirement age.

After you make your calls let us know what they said via email: mailto:[email protected].

Your feedback is critical to helping us win on this key issue. If your representative or senator’s staff person says that they will cosponsor the bill or they give you a reason why they cannot cosponsor it, please let us know by sending an email to mailto:[email protected]. Tell us who you spoke with and when you called. If you leave a message with a receptionist or on voice mail, remember to say that the reason for your call is to have the member become a cosponsor of S. or H.R. 65.

Please call today. Your participation will make a difference!

SWAPA Government Affairs

 

[Falcon Jet 1]

Capt Smyth,

I propose we take anothe vote on the monies spent on this BS. by the union, pls refer to previous threads about this age 60.

 

[Jim Smyth]

Please knock off the Capt $hit. Its just Jim.

Your a little late to the party there FJ. Its has been voted on more than once since I have been at SWA. Thanks for contirbuting. Writing is on the wall.........................