We're way past uniform harrassment as a mgt tactic.
Then they have won. I completely empathize. I was a regional reserve pilot who commuted. 10 days off a month. It takes strong character and will to keep the uniform looking good under these conditions.
We work so much it's a health and safety issue. That should be abundantly clear.
Then fatigue calls at CAL should be higher than the industry norm.
It's unfortunate that flight and duty time wasn't as important to Prater as 65 was.
There is some sophomoric joke about sex, you and prater... you just can't get off the guy.... :beer:
As ALPA prez the age 65 issue happened on his watch. Not sure how he is responsible as ALPA prez for CAL work rules.
I just hope the issue actually gets dealt with in a way that we are all healthier and better rested.
The reason why UAL has 1437 pilots on furlough is because of the work rules. More at the end of this post..
The embroidered wings are something that made their way to the mainland from CAL's Guam operation (I think). CAL Micronesia pilot uniforms didn't require ties at one time and the wings were a bit different. Today's pilot uniform is designed to do one thing: make everybody look the same. Some pilots end up looking better than they normally would and some look much worse. But everybody gets made to look the same.
Yet there is choice between embroidered wings and metal? How is that 'everyone looking the same'
It seems the effects of Lorenzo still linger at CAL.
The 1980s were tough for unions. Reagan/Thatcher union busting was going full force, giving Lorenzo the KY he needed to screw workers, including pilots. Note that the UAL pilots conducted a successful strike. Looking back it almost looks like socio-economic phenomenon, that the UAL pilots prevailed in 1985.
Let's be real... if Ferris and Lorenzo switched companies it might be the CAL pilots who prevailed....
Thus the UAL pilots have retained some pride because they did win (there was much at stake for the UAL pilots and the profession itself)... and that is what the ALPA pin is all about....
I see this as an opportunity for the CAL pilots to bury their Lorenzo past and use the UAL pilots total disdain of scabs. While I am sure it sucks to be CAL scabs, they should loath the merger. Life is going to get worse.