Boyds take on "the airlines letter to Congress"

[FmrFreightDog]

I think you're right; I've read more than one article that suggests some "delays" are fabricated.

I remember well at my last airline the "work to rule" campaign that produced a TA in one month after 5 years of negotiating. Needless to say, very few Captains went to work without ink in their pen. At no time during said month did I ever have one unionized mechanic give me one cross word about anything I had seen fit to write up. At no time did I ever feel anything less than 100% supported by the unionized mechanics that were bearing the brunt of our particular labor battle. At some point during that month, I made a vow to myself that if I was still at said airline when the mechanics were fighting their contract fight that I would do anything and everything I could to support them as best I could. I left before I got the chance to do that, but the concept is still valid.

The folks you talk to on the radio each and every day are fighting the same fight against management that you are. While you fight against the management of a private company, they fight against the federal government (complete with all its power and the all too recent PATCO strike precedent).

As I see it, at least, If a controller feels that I need 50 miles of separation over RBV, then I'll happy sit on the ground... ON THE CLOCK, by the way.... and happily oblige their wishes. I will not call my dispatcher and work out alternate routing. I will not call my company's ATC coordinator and attempt to play "slot time bingo".

I may well miss my commute flight home. It won't be the first time. I'll sleep a lot sounder in a DTW hotel missing my family that I would sleep in my own bed knowing that I undermined another union's initiative in order to get there.

One man's opinion...