Alpa President John Prater's Video Response To Age 60

[Tejas-Jet]

I ask because Prater is doing just the opposite. The membership has spoken, and he hasn't done what the membership said.

Anybody ever stop to consider that Prater just might have had a private talk with Marion Blakley and maybe he already knows that this rule is going to change.

What he is possibly doing is trying to mitigte the damage the change might have and try to have a say in it's implementation.

Now, he can't have a say in the implementation if he comes in like a bull in a china closet...snorting and snarling at everybody....then later, expect to be invited to the table to talk about implementation. He's got to walk a fine line, and no doubt he has already told Ms. Blakely how his membership feels.

But remember, ALPA was also opposed to De-Regulation. The only 2 airlines in favor of De-regulation were UAL...and that little airline in operating just few 737's in Texas...and God knows they weren't gonna bother anybody. Yet Deregulation happened anyway, despite ALPA's opposition.

The ICAO change made this happen. The real noise shoud've been made back when the ICAO proposal was just a proposal. Now you've got the foreign airline pilots over age 60 in U.S. airspace...thats when the barn door got left open.

If you are gonna argue to keep the mandatory retirement age at 60...then you likewise have to argue to no longer allow foreign airline pilots in U.S. airspace over the age of 60. If you have one....the other naturally goes hand in hand.

Good luck in this NAFTA/Global economy driven environment.

Tejas

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Another question that begs to be asked is....how far is "the membership" willing to go to further their opposition this change? An industry wide SOS? IF so, would even your own pilots be 100% in favor of this....?

How about the ALPA members who have already spent their own time lobbying Congress in favor of this change...think they would walk with you?

And what would be the result one would be looking for? How long would one be willing to stay out in the pursuit of this goal? a day?...a week?...a month?...a year?

What other options are there?

 

[PCL_128]

Now, he can't have a say in the implementation if he comes in like a bull in a china closet...snorting and snarling at everybody....then later, expect to be invited to the table to talk about implementation. He's got to walk a fine line, and no doubt he has already told Ms. Blakely how his membership feels.

Exactly!!! Why is this so difficult for some of you to understand?

 

[Flopgut]

Exactly!!! Why is this so difficult for some of you to understand?

For me, I want to display sufficient inflexibility to these sorts of changes because I am concerned about what will come next. Things like 40/7, 1400 hrs/yr, 12 hrs flight time in 24 (for 2 pilots), age 70, etc are all things most pilots will understand are not good. However, you would see a minority of pilots bite at any one of them. If we continue to relent to minority wishes there won't be anything good left in this job.

Additionally, Captain Prater needs to make absolutely certain that this change somehow gets balanced out. This should not be a "captains only" raise and a dramatic paycut for everyone else. The starting point should be right seat only, and the ability to retire at 60 should not be marginalized.

 

[Flopgut]

Exactly!!! Why is this so difficult for some of you to understand?

I have to respond again because this kind of bugs me.

It boils down to leadership. We need great leadership; Great leadership would inspire us all to a same vision. Using an example of being on a jumpseat and talking to an FO who "get's it", implying then that 70% of your membership doesn't "get it" is certainly not great leadership, it's not leadership at all. We're paying for more than blatant disregard.

 

[PCL_128]

I have to respond again because this kind of bugs me.

It boils down to leadership. We need great leadership; Great leadership would inspire us all to a same vision. Using an example of being on a jumpseat and talking to an FO who "get's it", implying then that 70% of your membership doesn't "get it" is certainly not great leadership, it's not leadership at all. We're paying for more than blatant disregard.

You're putting words in Captain Prater's mouth. The story he told about the FO on that flight was not meant to say that anyone who disagrees with Age-65 doesn't "get it." The story was told merely to explain that we need to always be thinking about our fellow pilots, and not just ourselves.

 

[Flopgut]

Remove your rose colored glasses and watch it again please. I've listened and talked with Captain Prater more than most pilots, I don't think I'm wrong.

 

[Flopgut]

You're putting words in Captain Prater's mouth. The story he told about the FO on that flight was not meant to say that anyone who disagrees with Age-65 doesn't "get it." The story was told merely to explain that we need to always be thinking about our fellow pilots, and not just ourselves.

Notice how Captain Prater's example did not reveal any concern the captain had for the FO. There wasn't/isn't any. Just look how much they took from the bottom of the list trying to save their A fund.

 

[Falconjet]

Another question that begs to be asked is....how far is "the membership" willing to go to further their opposition this change? An industry wide SOS? IF so, would even your own pilots be 100% in favor of this....?

How about the ALPA members who have already spent their own time lobbying Congress in favor of this change...think they would walk with you?

And what would be the result one would be looking for? How long would one be willing to stay out in the pursuit of this goal? a day?...a week?...a month?...a year?

What other options are there?

I for one will be calling for a sickout of all under 60 FOs who find themselves flying with an over 60 Captain.

About a week of that and maybe the suits that came up with that lame caveat will figure out that taking away a pilot's ability to upgrade but making him sit there and pull the gear for the guy that is preventing his progression just isn't right.

Its kind of like pointing a gun at my head and passing a law that says I have to pull the trigger. Why would I do that?

Nationwide, under 60 sickout in protest of this rule change the day it takes place will wake up the FAA and the media about the lack of fairness or logic in this proposed age change.

FJ

 

[Snapshot]

You're putting words in Captain Prater's mouth... The story was told merely to explain that we need to always be thinking about our fellow pilots, and not just ourselves.

Actually, those words did come out of his mouth. Nobody put them there and his meaning was very clear. The MINORITY of the membership that are for the change are absolutely thinking of just themselves. His job is to represent the membership, not throw a guilt trip on junior pilots who want nothing more than the same opportunities the senior guys had and benefitted from. We need to go to the roadshows and make it absolutely clear that we expect him to do his duty. Coming to your town soon:
Vancouver, Seattle, Anchorage, St. Louis, Chicago, Newark, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, Memphis, and Boston.
I think the next one is in Seattle on 2/7.