Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Maybe a reson to vote Dem.

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web

Tank Commander

Jim "Tank Daddy" Bizzell
Joined
Jun 29, 2004
Posts
240
I didn't know he love pilots so much, and that I made so much money.....


STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHN McCAIN
CHAIRMAN SENATE COMMITTEE ON
COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION
FULL COMMITTEE HEARING
ON THE STATUS OF LABOR ISSUES IN THE AVIATION INDUSTRY
APRIL 25, 2001


We are all aware of the numerous problems facing the aviation industry.
Congestion, delays, and modernization of air traffic control are all issues
that seem to rise to the forefront to be addressed again and again. This
Committee, industry, the regulatory agencies and others have redoubled their
efforts to address these serious problems.

Recently, however, a new problem has risen, creating further havoc in our
system. While labor negotiations in the airline industry have been ongoing
for years, things have begun to worsen. The trend towards larger airlines
has given unions greater leverage which appears to have contributed to a
mind set that views any work stoppage as legitimate. Normally even
acrimonious labor negotiations are a part of the negotiating process with
both sides using what leverage is available to them to reach the best deal.
However, times have changed; these acrimonious negotiations now adversely
affect the American people.

Let me say from the outset that I have no problem with the right to strike.
Strikes are a legal remedy available under applicable labor statutes.
Recently, however, courts have found more and more that labor unions in the
airline industry have engaged in concerted illegal job actions. These
courts have issued temporary restraining orders and injunctions prohibiting
such actions. In recent months, United, American, Northwest, and Delta have
obtained court ordered relief from these alleged illegal job actions. In
American's case, the court fined American's pilots over $45 million for not
adhering to the injunction.

These actions have affected millions of consumers. Middle America has been
stranded time and time again as a result of this illegal union activity.
According to published reports, last year, United cancelled over 23,000
flights as a result of its pilots' refusal to fly overtime, destroying
carefully planned vacations and business trips. Northwest and Delta
cancelled thousands of flights preemptively over the holiday seasons to
combat alleged mechanic slowdowns and failure to fly overtime by pilots,
respectively. The pilots' sickout at American in 1999 left thousands of
people stranded, some of which have banded together to sue the pilots for
damages.

In this day and age, a job action at a major airline can have a catastrophic
effect on the aviation system and the consumer. The rest of the system
would have a difficult time absorbing the excess passengers and the system
could come to a standstill. While management and labor are affected by
this, both parties have contingencies planned in the event of a job action.
The consumer is the one most affected by this increase in labor actions. It
is family flying across country for their vacation, the daughter coming home
from college, and the son going to visit a sick parent who can not reach
their destinations because the unions have taken matters into their own
hands. In the case of pilots, these are people who, according to industry,
on average make $140,000 while working less than 80 hours a month. At the
same time, according to the most recent data in 1999,the average per capita
income was $21,281.

The last two pilot contract negotiations, United and Delta, both of which
had alleged job actions with far reaching effects on the consumer, resulted
in a pay scale where, by the end of the contract, the senior pilots will
make over $280,000 in base pay with the ability to make one-third more for
voluntarily flying 25 more hours a month. Not only should the consumer not
have to suffer as a result of this avarice, but many analysts are concerned
that with labor costs rising so high, airlines will not be able to survive
economically or will at least put themselves in a hole for years to come.
Labor costs for an airline are now projected to be over 33% of its fixed
costs.

Many people argue that management has a choice, but in reality, the choice
is to give in to higher salary demands that a company may not be able to
afford or face a debilitating strike that may cripple the airline and force
it out of business. I don't believe that anyone would argue that is a
choice.

We have convened this hearing to look at these issues. Although this
subject is one that can be very divisive along party lines, I have received
complaints from both sides of the aisle about the current situation. I
welcome the witnesses today and look forward to a lively and spirited
debate.
icon_smile.gif
 
The next POTUS and four years are going to be critical as air line pilots... The judges appointed and the agenda will determine the final direction this career takes...

From open skies to collective bargaining.....

McCain will destroy the profession
 
What good....

What the hell god is a "profession" when we have to pay 86% taxes to pay for all the crap "curious george" wants to fund?
 
As opposed to asking the chinese fund it and pay the interest on it? I would rather pay higher taxes and get something out of it than have to pay interest on money for years and years!
 
after burner is lit

What the hell god is a "profession" when we have to pay 86% taxes to pay for all the crap "curious george" wants to fund?

No ship. Free college for everyone, Free health care,
Free cheese, milk, xbox, speakers, tv, clothing.

Comrade Nobama is not the answer. None of the three (hillary, mcstain, nobama) will start drilling in anwr and elsewhere. They don't want to lose the 1 million tree hugger votes. Meanwhile we will wait another 10 plus years until gas finally goes over $5 a gallon and then they will drill and say it will take 10 years to make any change at the pump. Al fake gore will keep up flying around in his Gulfstream II while paying for fake carbon credits to feel good about roasting jet A all year round. Twice gore voted down drilling because he is still trying to figure out if he invented the internet.


Who knows why they won't drill for more oil? . Their to worried the spotted owl might lose a few feathers. A quote from McStain from 2001 should not be your deciding factor to vote for liberal nazi germany marxist comrade nobama.

Damn curious magic george will bring this nation to the brink of destruction. Canada may be invaded by North Americans from the lower 48.
 
Drilling in Alaska? Yeah I agree it should be done but your are talking about 600K/Barrel a day...or a drop of p-i-s-s in the ocean. The saudis increased production by 300K/Barrel a day, since may 10Th price are still risings, your talking about pissing against the wind,all you are going to get is getting wet...Try speculation and a weak green back. Obama for me.
 
Last edited:
Don't you just love politics...

What cracks me up is how some like to claim that Obama will raise taxes to some exorbitant amount while at the same time they argue that another four years of a Bush style presidency is just what this country needs.

How about keeping an open mind and listening to the issues? One thing Obama said in an interview that I couldn't agree with more, he's a bottom up kind of economist, as opposed to trickle down. If you give the tax cuts to the middle and lower classes (pilots fit nicely in this group), guess what they're going to do with that money? They're going to go buy more stuff and stimulate the economy. When you give all the breaks to the top income earners, yes, they reinvest some but also shelter, outsource and remove it from the US economy.

Just had to put my $.02 in...
 
Drilling in Alaska? Yeah I agree it should be done but your are talking about 600K/Barrel a day...or a drop of p-i-s-s in the ocean. The saudis increased production by 300K/Barrel a day, since may 10Th price are still risings, your talking about pissing against the wind,all you are going to get is getting wet...Try speculation and a weak green back. Obama for me.

It's not the amount that is in question. It's who controls the amount!
To continue to ignor our own resources puts us a day closer to Armageddon.
 
If you give the tax cuts to the middle and lower classes (pilots fit nicely in this group), guess what they're going to do with that money? They're going to go buy more stuff and stimulate the economy. When you give all the breaks to the top income earners, yes, they reinvest some but also shelter, outsource and remove it from the US economy.

Just had to put my $.02 in...

Nice play on the evil rich thing. Unfortunately the numbers don't really back up what you're saying. The evil tax-sheltering richest 1% pay 37% of the taxes. That percentage has gone up almost 12% in the last decade. Keep going back to them for more, that'll really help things out! As for the bottom brackets, the lowest 80% of income earners pay 26% of the taxes.

So who really is going to 'stimulate' the economy with tax breaks? As for the 'hiding it in a tax shelter', care to back that up or are you just throwing that out there because you really don't know what you're talking about?
 

Latest resources

Back
Top