AirTran pilots. Was Mad Dog a scab?

[Tripower455]

You should. They all exaggerate it to make themselves sound better. The reality is that neither ALPA National nor the EAL MEC told the pilots to return to work. Jack Bavis, the EAL MEC Chairman, stated that in his opinion, the pilots should go back to work. But he was referring to ending the strike, not to pilots crossing a lawful picket line. It was just his opinion that the strike was a failure, and continuing it would yield no better results. Those pilots who crossed the line just used Bavis's statement as an excuse to justify their crossing.

This is correct! Don't buy the BS sob stories these aholes tell to make them seem like less a scab.

 

[RLAblows]

If the EAL MEC chairman said he thinks the pilots should go back to work, should they not take the advise? Who officially gives the green light to go back? His opinion seems to be the one that counts.

 

[PCL_128]

If the EAL MEC chairman said he thinks the pilots should go back to work, should they not take the advise? Who officially gives the green light to go back? His opinion seems to be the one that counts.

To be clear, Bavis never told the pilots to go back to work. It was just his opinion that that's what they should vote to do. But unions are democracies (or representative democracies, depending on the issue being decided), not dictatorships, so one man can't make a decision. The MEC would have to vote on whether to return to work. They didn't approve an end to the strike, so it continued. Period.

Bavis didn't cross the picket line, by the way, despite his opinion that the strike was futile at that point. The people who did cross just use Bavis's opinion as cover for their decision, when they knew damned well that the strike was still on and no vote had been taken to return to work.

 

[RLAblows]

Thanks PCL. I agree about the harmonica PA. Who cares. It's just as bad as a "marry me and you'll fly for free," song being sung by a tone deaf FA on a PA that's not made for karaoke. It's been my observation that any attempt to make the miserable experience of flying in coach a little better is generally well perceived by the passengers. No matter which airline it is. Unfortunately the glory days of aviation are long gone and this is what we are left with.

 

[waveflyer]

Thanks for the info and perspective PCL

You just don't do it, and certainly don't cross on something as thin as that

 

[FIREMAN]

Is it mad dog a party to the lawsuit also?

 

[scoreboardII]

Is it true he is getting a retirement training center job?

 

[PCL_128]

I don't even think he ever worked in the training center while he was here.

 

[scoreboardII]

Didn't have to, just heard he is getting a retirement job at SWA training center, anyone?

 

[IAHERJ]

I remember my time at AirTran. People worshiped that redneck. What a joke.

 

[lorien]

Well, not all people.

 

[Luv2BFlyin]

No, many didn't. Those that didn't also never called him by that stupid nickname/callsign or whatever it is.

I don't call any commercial pilot by a former military call sign unless it's something funny like "scoots" or "brownie" and is embarrassing to them.

 

[Phlintstone]

Is it mad dog a party to the lawsuit also?

The last time I flew with him, I do believe that he mentioned that he was part of it. You ought to fly a 4 day with him...and all early morning reports. That harmonica gets OLD! The passengers loved but it though.

I could never call him by his call sign either.

Phred

 

[maru657]

Funny thing about that word "scab". Do you consider the pilots that crossed the PATCO line scabs? In 2000, it was reported that 75% of the Allied pilots campaign donations went to bush, a notoriously anti labor politician. Maybe we should consider them scabs too. What about all of those "forgiven" people at Continental. Consider mergers, if one pilot group uses superior financial advantages to delegate inferior positions to an acquired pilot group. I'll bet the losers in this arraingement are probably thinking scab. After 86, United ALPA couldn't risk a strike, ex-Frontier pilots would have felt privileged to cross that line. Maybe the question is in the definition.

 

[71driver]

No, many didn't. Those that didn't also never called him by that stupid nickname/callsign or whatever it is.

I don't call any commercial pilot by a former military call sign unless it's something funny like "scoots" or "brownie" and is embarrassing to them.

EXACTLY!!

for Military....It's not a "sortie" when I fly ATL-MDW, and I am pretty sure we're not going to take any small arms fire while we board.....I say let it go "sparky"

Mike did air shows in a Cub...however we're not going to do a hammerhead on our way to MCO and there is no announcer for our take off.

we had other folks that introduced themselves by their handle....a strange bunch

 

[71driver]

Let's please use the correct tense of the verb. He "is" a scab.

Nothing changes one's scab status. Not retirement. Not regret. And certainly not harmonica playing.

100% correct

They are sub contractors in a collective voice industry. They are a cancer to unity and those around them that are easily influenced. We had many Pilots that "marinated" with them too long here at AT and they too became subcontractors which made us the exploitable Pilot group we were.

Back to mike.. aka MD. AT furloughed 169 Pilots September 2008 (I think), far too many and as a result 2-3 weeks after....while our furloughed Pilots were still current and qualified...the company started asking our Captains to fly right seat to cover FO trips.
I was sitting next to MD as he was on the phone with a scheduler negotiating an FO trip for premium pay. Yes I told him it was wrong...but it fell on deaf ears.

 

[SWA Bubba]

Funny thing about that word "scab". Do you consider the pilots that crossed the PATCO line scabs? In 2000, it was reported that 75% of the Allied pilots campaign donations went to bush, a notoriously anti labor politician. Maybe we should consider them scabs too. What about all of those "forgiven" people at Continental. Consider mergers, if one pilot group uses superior financial advantages to delegate inferior positions to an acquired pilot group. I'll bet the losers in this arraingement are probably thinking scab. After 86, United ALPA couldn't risk a strike, ex-Frontier pilots would have felt privileged to cross that line. Maybe the question is in the definition.

Good God, Maru; I thought you were dead! Long time, no hear.

Of course the key is in the definition. The actual, accepted definition of a scab is "someone who performs legally-struck work." There's not really any wiggle room here, but individual pilots seem to want to try to make whatever they don't like fit into the definition. All that does is waters down and minimizes the actual act, in an attempt to greater stigmatize whatever it is that you don't like.

So, no, none of the things you postulated in your post above qualifies as labeling someone a scab. (Not to say that some things that are technically not scabbing aren't bad ideas, low or immoral.)

As far as PATCO goes, the key is "legally-struck." The PATCO strike was illegal insofar as it was an actual crime.

Bubba

 

[PCL_128]

Not only that, but it's questionable whether a sympathy strike would be legal even if the PATCO strike itself had been legal.

 

[redflyer65]

Back to mike.. aka MD. AT furloughed 169 Pilots September 2008 (I think), far too many and as a result 2-3 weeks after....while our furloughed Pilots were still current and qualified...the company started asking our Captains to fly right seat to cover FO trips.
I was sitting next to MD as he was on the phone with a scheduler negotiating an FO trip for premium pay. Yes I told him it was wrong...but it fell on deaf ears.

Wow.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

 

[Luv2BFlyin]

Wow.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

No, it happens everywhere. Nobody should be picking up open time during section 6 after the amendable date either, but many do. A lot of those guys were also the ones offering to help the company out when they furloughed and didn't need to at the tranny.

 

[waveflyer]

Are there two mad dogs there? One evil, one a good guy? A friend couldn't get the story straight flying with a couple AT fa's

 

[PCL_128]

Not that I know of.

 

[waveflyer]

Maybe same real name?

But the one SWA highlighted and who saved a disabled airplane, that's the scab, right?

 

[PCL_128]

Maybe same real name?

But the one SWA highlighted and who saved a disabled airplane, that's the scab, right?

I haven't checked the list myself, but yes, my understanding is that he's the one who crossed. I'm not familiar with anyone else with the same name or callsign, either.

 

[dicko]

Didn't have to, just heard he is getting a retirement job at SWA training center, anyone?

Has it occurred to anybody that management knows exactly how pilots view Maddogs scab past ? Randolph B certainly knows it.

Do you think that it's any coincidence that Maddog's being treated as a hero during Section 6 ?

 

[madjack]

Good point and yes...

 

[madjack]

I mean no to the coincidence

 

[PCL_128]

Has it occurred to anybody that management knows exactly how pilots view Maddogs scab past ? Randolph B certainly knows it.

Do you think that it's any coincidence that Maddog's being treated as a hero during Section 6 ?

Actually, I would bet that Randy didn't have anything to do with it. He was probably rather disgusted after he found out that a scab had been honored. This has "People Department" and "Culture Committee" nonsense written all over it.

 

[maru657]

Well bubba, PCL, you cross the lines you want and I'll cross yours.

 

[PCL_128]

I don't even know what that means.