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Ode to a scab

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SWPA Pilot

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 31, 2005
Posts
100
If you have never read this, it is worth reading. It is on the cover of the scab list of Eastern pilots from the 1989 strike. It is pretty harsh.

Ode to a scab

After God had finished the rattlesnake, the toad, and the vampire, He had some awful substance left with which He made a SCAB. A SCAB is a two-legged animal with a corkscrew soul, a water-logged brain, and a combination backbone made of jelly and glue. Where others have hearts, he carries a tumor of rotton principles.

When a SCAB comes down the street, men turn their backs and angles weep in Heaven, and the devil shuts the gates of hell to keep him out. No man has a right to SCAB as long as there is a pool of water deep enough to drown his body in, or a rope long enough to hang his carcass with. Judas Iscariot was a gentleman compared with a SCAB. For betraying his Master, he had the character enough to hang himself. A SCAB HASN'T!

Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. Judas Iscariot sold his Savior for thirty pieces of silver. Benedict Arnold sold his country for a promise of a commission in the British Army. The modern strike-breaker sells his birthright, his country, his wife, his children and his fellow-men for an unfulfilled promise from his employer, trust or corporation.

Jack London, 1915
 
somebody meant "...angels weep in Heaven..."
 
SWPA Pilot said:
If you have never read this, it is worth reading. It is on the cover of the scab list of Eastern pilots from the 1989 strike. It is pretty harsh.

Ode to a scab

After God had finished the rattlesnake, the toad, and the vampire, He had some awful substance left with which He made a SCAB. A SCAB is a two-legged animal with a corkscrew soul, a water-logged brain, and a combination backbone made of jelly and glue. Where others have hearts, he carries a tumor of rotton principles.

When a SCAB comes down the street, men turn their backs and angles weep in Heaven, and the devil shuts the gates of hell to keep him out. No man has a right to SCAB as long as there is a pool of water deep enough to drown his body in, or a rope long enough to hang his carcass with. Judas Iscariot was a gentleman compared with a SCAB. For betraying his Master, he had the character enough to hang himself. A SCAB HASN'T!

Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. Judas Iscariot sold his Savior for thirty pieces of silver. Benedict Arnold sold his country for a promise of a commission in the British Army. The modern strike-breaker sells his birthright, his country, his wife, his children and his fellow-men for an unfulfilled promise from his employer, trust or corporation.

Jack London, 1915

Spoken like a true Union goon.
 
Buckaroo said:
Spoken like a true Union goon.

Spoken like someone that it describes.
 
Buckaroo said:
Spoken like a true Union goon.

My thoughts exactly ... :eek:

Not that I agree with crossing a picket line, but getting heaven and hell somehow involved with labor relations and collective bargaining is taking things a bit far. Somehow I don't think a "Hoffa 'esk" attitude is what is going to save our profession.
 
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IT'S NOT ABOUT LABOR RELATIONS AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.....IT'S ABOUT SOLIDARITY AS A PILOT GROUP. If you are picketing, obviously the labor relations and collective bargaining didn't do squat.

We try and stick together to get a fair shake in this industry but some selfish, spineless lizards undermine it. It allows management to take advantage of us. The strength of a pilot group is only as strong as its weakest link.

How many times have you "seen" on this board people complaining about pilots willing to fly jets for darn near free, all the while they complain about the industry wages taking a nose dive because of it. It is a somewhat similar situation.

As long as there a SCABS and people willing to whore themselves out as a professional pilot flying 70 seaters for 24k/year we will never, ever, ever have any true strength at the table.

Unfortuneatley, there will always be the ones willing to sell out the profession..........it is here to stay, that is why our jobs don't have the "shine" to them that they used to.

So, off to work I go.
 
it is not a similar situation,not even close.by the way what are these aspiring new pilots supposed to do? just continue to flight instruct until the 1st year pay at a regional is 50 grand.the pay at regionals has always sucked and always will,solidarity or not.a scab and someone working for low wages are not similar.it is quite amusing how everyone seems to forget where they came from.how much was the pay at your first flying job?if you are not happy,just get a job with fed ex or ups they are hiring and i hear the pay is pretty good.
 
With all due respect, what is anyone suppose to do to get into the majors then? The way I see it there are basically three types of pilots in the majors. They have each chosen their particular route for their own individual reasons and situations.

1) First there are the Military pilots who (for the most part) flew fixed wing fighters/bombers, etc. and were able to get the PIC time and quals to go directly to a major. Good on them for making it all happen. It's not easy and it's not given to them. I'd say it's similar to earning a scholarship to a good college and maintaining the strict requirements to keep it. You don't pay all of the monetary costs, but you sure as heck have to earn it and work hard to hang on to it.

2) Then there are the civilians who flight instruct, fly charter, move up to a regional and eventually with any luck get their break too. Good on them. I don't know if I have it in me to go into major debt for a slim chance at the majors, but they've worked hard. They've earned it if they make it to the top. It's a hard road for sure no matter what your feelings are about what it does to the industry.

3) Finally there are the old guys who had incredible timing, luck, and skill and quals to move quickly though the wickets and get a great job with a pension and great pay. Sure, things have gone down hill since then. But the ones who have made it through it all are still relatively fortunate.

So which route is the right one. Which one is blessed? Out of these three options (which are the only options for most of us) what is an aspiring airline pilot to do? And oh by the way, how can we have "solidarity as a pilot group" if the guys at the top aren't fighting for better wages for the guys at the bottom and vice versa? When we pit the different groups against each other like that management wins and we all lose.
 
PS. Just want to clarify that I'm NOT condoning the self serving disloyal actions of "SCABS"
 

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