My hero....JC Lawson... Profile in CVG Enquirer...bring some Kleenex

[General Lee]

Look Who's Talking
J.C. Lawson
After nearly a decade of leading Comair's section of the Air Line Pilots Association, J.C. Lawson late last month decided to step down.

As the industry obsesses in 2008 over a potential wave of mergers among legacy airlines - with much of the attention focusing on Comair's parent Delta Air Lines, Lawson says the latest turmoil is nothing new.

During his tenure, starting in 1999, the regional airline grew. Then in early 2001, Lawson led a strike against the Erlanger-based carrier that won for a time an industry-leading contract. Then following the 9/11 attacks, an industry tailspin ultimately plunged Delta and Comair into bankruptcy from which it emerged last spring.

As his union prepares this week to elect his replacement, Lawson reflected on the industry and the road ahead.

WHY DID YOU step down?

It was time for me. I feel like I accomplished what I wanted in the job and it was time for another generation to take leadership. It gives me a chance to work on other issues in the union as well as riding as a Comair pilot.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD you give your successor?

Figure out a way to work with the company - neither side gets everything they want every time. You've got to cultivate a working relationship with people. You can't get everything you want by just fighting.

WHAT WAS THE high point of your tenure?

It was the 2½ to 3 years after the work stoppage and before the Delta bankruptcy. It was wonderful - we had a great working agreement. We ran a great airline - ALPA and the company as a team. When bankruptcy kicked in, it became difficult. (That was the low point for many junior Delta pilots)

WHAT DO YOU SEE in Comair's future?

Mergers will certainly play a role, but the future will be bright for Comair. With legacy players cutting domestic flying, it means they'll do more and more with small jets. The last two years affected us - but they affected everybody. We're positioned to do well in the future.

COMAIR IS SOMETHING of a family business to you, isn't it?

I've got two sons, Brad, 25, and Sean, 27, flying for Comair. Their grandfather was a WW II pilot who wanted to fly for an airline, but he had to take over his father's business when he died after the war. Right after I got hired at Comair in 1989, he told me, "You're living my dream, son."

The J.C. Lawson file
Age: 55

Title: Former chairman of the Comair chapter of the Air Line Pilots association's master executive committee

Residence: Crescent Springs

Field: Flying airplanes and pilot union activity

Most recent books read: "Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West" by Stephen Ambrose

CD in music player: " Simply the Best" by Tina Turner


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[John Pennekamp]

Gag me... uke:

 

[On Your Six]

Good riddence. Lawson is a major loser. He did more damage than good for Comair folks. Most of the ASA pilots hired at Delta over the past few years should be thanking Lawson for his stupidity...

 

[samballs]

Stepped down because he has acomplished everything he could. AHHHHH JC why doesn't your fat A$$ say you found out what the LEC had up its sleeve and you stepped down instead if being embarrased. Cory knew, and he moved on so he would not fall on the sword with you. Now go away fatty.
I hope JC chokes on a D%ck

 

[DrewBlows]

Give it a rest General. Everyone on this board knows what you think about Comair. This article has absolutely nothing to do with Delta yet somehow you managed to interject yourself into it. Contrary to popular believe amongst some Delta pilots the world does not revolve around Delta airplanes.

 

[General Lee]

Give it a rest General. Everyone on this board knows what you think about Comair. This article has absolutely nothing to do with Delta yet somehow you managed to interject yourself into it. Contrary to popular believe amongst some Delta pilots the world does not revolve around Delta airplanes.

Hey, I just saw the profile and almost choked laughing. Tina Turner? Simply the best? Come on now. Hillarious. Are they really positioned well for the future? Really?

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[John Pennekamp]

Give it a rest General. Everyone on this board knows what you think about Comair. This article has absolutely nothing to do with Delta yet somehow you managed to interject yourself into it. Contrary to popular believe amongst some Delta pilots the world does not revolve around Delta airplanes.

Drew, JC was a hell of a nice guy to have a beer with, but when it came down to business, he stepped on his crank every time. He spent way too much time worrying about his image and too little time watching what his MEC members were doing and saying. And he never stood up to the people who needed to be stood up to.

No, as much as The General irritates me, I must defend him here. He didn't pass judgment on JC. He just posted the article. But you gotta admit, the article was a little nauseating, especially for someone like me who knew him well. JC is full of himself to a T. Always was, always will be. The appropriate response when asked for an interview would have been "no, thanks". Not an ego piece on all of his "accomplishments" which only include leading a strike (then subsequently giving back more than you won) and alienating the entire industry with his decisions.

And Tina Turner? YGBFKM, JC!

 

[TheInsider]

Stepped down because he has acomplished everything he could. AHHHHH JC why doesn't your fat A$$ say you found out what the LEC had up its sleeve and you stepped down instead if being embarrased. Cory knew, and he moved on so he would not fall on the sword with you. Now go away fatty.
I hope JC chokes on a D%ck

What in the world does body shape have to do with anything? Take the high road and disagree but don't be childish about it.

 

[PCL_128]

Yeah, the article was corny and self-indulgent, but JC is a good guy. He doesn't deserve the hatred that is expressed on this board all too often.

 

[DrewBlows]

Drew, JC was a hell of a nice guy to have a beer with, but when it came down to business, he stepped on his crank every time. He spent way too much time worrying about his image and too little time watching what his MEC members were doing and saying. And he never stood up to the people who needed to be stood up to.

Having been at Comair through bankruptcy I would disagree with this sentiment. JC and the MEC as a whole could have done better, but they also could have done a whole lot worse. I'm not at Comair anymore but I was glad to see an overhaul of the MEC. I don't think it's fair to make blanket statements about JC's performance. He certainly wasn't a great MEC chairman, however I don't think Comair pilots would be in a much different position today if he were a great MEC chairman.

No, as much as The General irritates me, I must defend him here. He didn't pass judgment on JC. He just posted the article.

Had he posted the article without his own comments you would have a point. He posted an article about the Comair MEC chairman and made it about Delta pilots.

But you gotta admit, the article was a little nauseating, especially for someone like me who knew him well. JC is full of himself to a T. Always was, always will be. The appropriate response when asked for an interview would have been "no, thanks". Not an ego piece on all of his "accomplishments" which only include leading a strike (then subsequently giving back more than you won) and alienating the entire industry with his decisions.

Agreed...sort of. Delta took Comair into a sham bankruptcy and JC negotiated a deal which left some Comair pilots (myself included) better off than if there were no bankruptcy (in fairness the Flight Attendants had a lot to do with the deal we got). It was a horrible experience which I don't wish on anyone, but Comair pilots were going to take hits, the only questions was how big the hit was. It was pretty big, but it could have been worse.

And Tina Turner? YGBFKM, JC!

Wow, can't defend that. What horrible taste in music.

 

[samballs]

Yeah, the article was corny and self-indulgent, but JC is a good guy. He doesn't deserve the hatred that is expressed on this board all too often.

Very false statement, JC made many bad choices without the pilot groups consent, these choices hurt the industry.
1. would not allow DElta pilots to come to Comair during furlough without giving up their seniority at delta, unless we got flying.
2. Pay freeze for 170 (good job for falling for that one you grandpas at OH) without any kick backs if it did not happen. It did not happen.
3. First paycut during BK where the LEC was tied on the LOA and he put it to the pilot group anyway, stating either we take this and keep getting flying or we fight and go out of business. Thank god the Flight Attendants fought the company and our LOA was null and void. This was the beginning of the end for JC, most people saw he was working more for the company and himself then the pilot group.
4. Would not hold the company to the entire contract. People that were on the different committees were asked to resign when they would argue with JC on this.
5. Was not willing to work with anyone but the person he saw in the mirror in the morning.

I have a long list of arguments against him but that should do for awhile. And yes, I volunteer with the union

 

[PCL_128]

JC made mistakes just as any leader does. I was a very vocal critic of his actions in regards to the DAL furloughs and how he handled the original LOA during BK. But people tend to focus on the mistakes rather than thinking of the decade of union work he did, including leading a strike that secured the best regional contract in the history of the profession. He also worked hard at the National level to increase awareness of the growing divide between regional and mainline MECs and pilot groups. Look, the guy made mistakes just as anyone does, but the pure vitriol that's directed at him by so many people isn't warranted.

 

[John Pennekamp]

JC made mistakes just as any leader does. I was a very vocal critic of his actions in regards to the DAL furloughs and how he handled the original LOA during BK. But people tend to focus on the mistakes rather than thinking of the decade of union work he did, including leading a strike that secured the best regional contract in the history of the profession. He also worked hard at the National level to increase awareness of the growing divide between regional and mainline MECs and pilot groups. Look, the guy made mistakes just as anyone does, but the pure vitriol that's directed at him by so many people isn't warranted.

Um, truth check.

The contract they settled on after the strike was not much better than the company's final offer before the strike. Some sections were worse.

Also, grandiose speeches at the BOD does not qualify as working "hard at the National level to increase awareness of the growing divide between regional and mainline MECs and pilot groups". Usually, when JC stood up with his BS everyone groaned ans said, "here we go again", then made fun of him at the hospitality suites that night.

 

[imacdog]

Please go away PCL. Comair pilots know exactly what to think of JC.

 

[John Pennekamp]

Yeah, the article was corny and self-indulgent, but JC is a good guy. He doesn't deserve the hatred that is expressed on this board all too often.

Agreed, JC is a good guy. I enjoyed having drinks or dinner with him and hearing his views on things. But as a leader, he made some pretty poor decisions.

 

[PCL_128]

The contract they settled on after the strike was not much better than the company's final offer before the strike. Some sections were worse.

True. But JC would say that the strike itself was an important achievement because it showed regional managements that regional pilots are willing to go to the mat when necessary. It's just a shame that no other regional group was willing to follow suit. Now the strike is a distant memory, and many of the regional pilots today don't even know anything about it.

Usually, when JC stood up with his BS everyone groaned ans said, "here we go again", then made fun of him at the hospitality suites that night.

Also true. But just because someone is shrugged off doesn't mean that they aren't right. JC actually understands true trade unionism and what it will take to fix things within ALPA. It's a shame that no one wants to listen.

 

[PCL_128]

Please go away PCL. Comair pilots know exactly what to think of JC.

I doubt that. Very few pilots have the slightest clue about what goes on in their union. Crew room gossip doesn't count.

 

[imacdog]

Yeah the Comair pilot group only went through a bankruptcy and witnessed first hand the poor job the union leadership did in leading the pilot group. So please, you PFT hypocrite, take your preaching somewhere else.

 

[PA44Jockey]

So much for not talking to the press...........

 

[samballs]

I doubt that. Very few pilots have the slightest clue about what goes on in their union. Crew room gossip doesn't count.

I have a feeling most pilots at Comair knew what our union was up to for the last 2-3 years. I know there is the saying two wrongs don't make a right, but I think JC one day thought "if I do all wrong will it come out right". PCL128, stop defending him he did a lot of damage, you say he was trying to educate mainline pilots on the fued between them and regionals, but as always with JC he would say something was bad but it was ok for him to do it. I think the Delta pilots will confirm that, Comair and Delta pilots get along the least and it's all because of him. PCL why do you always act like its ok for the Alpa leaders to make errors "its human" you say. YOu can never say Alpa messed up, you always say "they made a mistake, but look what they have done good" well did you ever stop to think the bad out weighs the good. You sure like the Alpa koolaid.