FoxHunter
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- Jan 4, 2002
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An Open Letter to Fellow ALPA Pilots, January 7, 2007
It is hard to believe that May of this year will be the 22nd anniversary of the United Airline (UAL) Pilot strike of May of 1985. It seems like it was just yesterday.
I remember graduating from college and reporting to Air Force Pilot Training in November of 1972. After 6 years on active duty and 1 year in the Reserves I was able to finally get my “dream” job as a pilot with Untied Airlines. I was hired in June of 1979, as a B-737 “Flight Engineer/Door Guard”, but I didn’t care, I had a great career in aviation ahead of me. In May of 1980 I was excited to upgrade to the B-727 as a real Flight Engineer, but just 6 months later, in November of 1980, I was furloughed. After 4 years on furlough I was finally recalled in November of 1984 and once again excited to continue my career.
Then in early 1985, the Untied CEO, Dick Ferris, announced to union that he wanted to start a permanent B-scale for all the new hires at UAL. The B-scale salary would be half of the A-scale salary. The deal was we would be able to maintain our current A-scale salaries if we agreed to put all the new hires on a permanent B-scale. This meant there would be a group pilots doing the exact same job we were doing, but they would only make half of what we were making for their entire career at United Airlines. This could be up to 30 to 40 years for some pilots.
Then in April of 1985 I received a very interesting phone call from my Flight Manager who stated, “Steve, ALPA will soon be going on strike over the proposed B-scale and other issues, do not listen to the union and go on strike, I want you to stay on the property. We are going to rebid the airline and we will immediately upgrade you to a B-737 Captain position if you are loyal to the company and continue to work. If you listen to ALPA and go on strike you will loose your job and be permanently replaced and never work for this company again.” The company was going to try to break the union.
Well, what a great opportunity for me and my family. At that time we had people who had been on the property as a B-727 Flight Engineer for over 30 years before they could even upgrade to a B-737 Co-Pilot and here I was being offered a Captain position after only 6 years with the company. But the problem was I would be enhancing my career at the expense of the career of my fellow pilots. I would be moving up to a Captain seat that was vacated because I allowed and supported the termination of fellow pilots. That and imposing a B scale on the new hires just did not seem like the right thing to do.
So, I along with 95% of the pilots on the property went on strike in May of 1985, and we all risked loosing our jobs and risked not being able to support our families, because it was just the right thing to do. This group of ALPA pilots experienced solidarity, loyalty and honor in fighting for a just cause. Lifelong friendships were made standing together on the picket line. This group of pilots could not be intimidated by management and these pilots now proudly wear a “Battle Star” above their upright ALPA wings.
There was another famous group of 570 pilots that the company had previously trained as strike breakers, who much to the company’s dismay refused to go to work. They did not go to work because they realized to steal a fellow pilots job while he was on strike, was just not the right thing to do.
There was another group of pilots, only 5 %, who stayed on the property and attempted to move up at the expense of their fellow union pilots being terminated. The company found another group of pilots, called “fleet-quals”, who were willing to cross the picket line and sign a contract to work for $50,000 a year as a Co Pilot and $75,000 a year as a Captain. The company later admitted it would never have hired this substandard group of pilots through the normal interview process. This group of pilots attempted to come in the back door and take the jobs of pilots on strike that would be terminated. ALPA pilots labeled the people in both of these groups as SCABS.
On January 30, Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Administrator, Ms. Marion Blakey, in a speech to the National Press Club, announced the FAA plans to abolish the arbitrary and discriminatory Age 60 Rule. Senator James Inhofe responded by saying, “FAA Administrator Marion Blakey’s proposal to end the Age 60 Rule is a step in the right direction. However, the harsh reality of the situation is that American pilots are already suffering under the current standards. I have spoken with Administrator Blakey and she has agreed to consider addressing the impact to pilots stuck in the middle - those who will be forced to retire at age 60 before the new rule is enacted.” United Airlines alone will terminate between 250 to 300 pilots a year for the next several years. The FAA needs to immediately start granting exemptions for pilots to fly past age 60.
I am one those pilots “stuck in the middle”. I will reach age 60 on June 5, 2007 and be forced to retire from flying for United Airlines (UAL) due to the archaic FAA Age 60 Rule. With over 35 years of experience and over 18,000 hours of flight time as a pilot in the Untied States Air Force, during the Vietnam Era and as a pilot with United Airlines, with no accidents or violations, I would like to continue my professional carrier in aviation as a B-747-400 Captain. I love to fly. I submit that my skills and experience enhance aviation safety, serve United Airlines and the serve public interest.
ALPA is opposed to a change in the Age 60 Rule and is actively lobbing against legislation that would allow fellow ALPA pilots to continue their careers and not be terminated. Isn’t it ironic that the pilots being terminated are very the pilots who supported the union, risked everything and went on strike in 1985 and did not allow a permanent B-scale for the new hires? I related this to a friend outside the Air Line Industry and he incredulously asked, “How can that be? Doesn’t your union have a Duty of Fair Representation (DFR) to all its union members regardless of age? How can ALPA have a policy that obviously supports and practices age discrimination in the work place?”
I explained that ALPA took a survey on the Age 60 Rule and 55 % of the pilots did not want to change the rule. Consequently, ALPA’s official policy is against a change in the Age 60 Rule, because the majority rules. However, the majority of pilots are younger, so now this group of younger pilots will move up more quickly at the expense of their fellow union pilots who will be terminated. Many of these younger pilots would now be on a B-scale, earning half of what they now earn, if it were not for the striking pilots, whose jobs they now actively supporting to be terminated.
My friend responded, “But this sounds a lot like the group of pilots that tried to take your job during the strike in May of 1985. What was the term you used to describe that group of pilots? This is a lack of consideration and respect for the striking pilots of May of 1985, who risked their jobs for the all the union pilots.”
It is regrettable to see my once united, proud and honorable union, ALPA, is now promoting and supporting an age discriminatory retirement policy. I propose that ALPA align its policy with the current ICAO standard and new FAA policy and actively promote and support changing the mandatory retirement age from age 60 to age 65. Let’s “FIX IT ALL NOW.”
But more importantly, I challenge ALPA to petition the FAA to immediately start granting exemptions for pilots to fly past age 60, because it is just the right thing to do.
Fraternally,
Captain Steven B. McBride
United Airlines
B-747-400 SFOFO
Loyal Member of ALPA and Airline Pilots Against Age Discrimination (APAAD)
_______________________________________________
It is hard to believe that May of this year will be the 22nd anniversary of the United Airline (UAL) Pilot strike of May of 1985. It seems like it was just yesterday.
I remember graduating from college and reporting to Air Force Pilot Training in November of 1972. After 6 years on active duty and 1 year in the Reserves I was able to finally get my “dream” job as a pilot with Untied Airlines. I was hired in June of 1979, as a B-737 “Flight Engineer/Door Guard”, but I didn’t care, I had a great career in aviation ahead of me. In May of 1980 I was excited to upgrade to the B-727 as a real Flight Engineer, but just 6 months later, in November of 1980, I was furloughed. After 4 years on furlough I was finally recalled in November of 1984 and once again excited to continue my career.
Then in early 1985, the Untied CEO, Dick Ferris, announced to union that he wanted to start a permanent B-scale for all the new hires at UAL. The B-scale salary would be half of the A-scale salary. The deal was we would be able to maintain our current A-scale salaries if we agreed to put all the new hires on a permanent B-scale. This meant there would be a group pilots doing the exact same job we were doing, but they would only make half of what we were making for their entire career at United Airlines. This could be up to 30 to 40 years for some pilots.
Then in April of 1985 I received a very interesting phone call from my Flight Manager who stated, “Steve, ALPA will soon be going on strike over the proposed B-scale and other issues, do not listen to the union and go on strike, I want you to stay on the property. We are going to rebid the airline and we will immediately upgrade you to a B-737 Captain position if you are loyal to the company and continue to work. If you listen to ALPA and go on strike you will loose your job and be permanently replaced and never work for this company again.” The company was going to try to break the union.
Well, what a great opportunity for me and my family. At that time we had people who had been on the property as a B-727 Flight Engineer for over 30 years before they could even upgrade to a B-737 Co-Pilot and here I was being offered a Captain position after only 6 years with the company. But the problem was I would be enhancing my career at the expense of the career of my fellow pilots. I would be moving up to a Captain seat that was vacated because I allowed and supported the termination of fellow pilots. That and imposing a B scale on the new hires just did not seem like the right thing to do.
So, I along with 95% of the pilots on the property went on strike in May of 1985, and we all risked loosing our jobs and risked not being able to support our families, because it was just the right thing to do. This group of ALPA pilots experienced solidarity, loyalty and honor in fighting for a just cause. Lifelong friendships were made standing together on the picket line. This group of pilots could not be intimidated by management and these pilots now proudly wear a “Battle Star” above their upright ALPA wings.
There was another famous group of 570 pilots that the company had previously trained as strike breakers, who much to the company’s dismay refused to go to work. They did not go to work because they realized to steal a fellow pilots job while he was on strike, was just not the right thing to do.
There was another group of pilots, only 5 %, who stayed on the property and attempted to move up at the expense of their fellow union pilots being terminated. The company found another group of pilots, called “fleet-quals”, who were willing to cross the picket line and sign a contract to work for $50,000 a year as a Co Pilot and $75,000 a year as a Captain. The company later admitted it would never have hired this substandard group of pilots through the normal interview process. This group of pilots attempted to come in the back door and take the jobs of pilots on strike that would be terminated. ALPA pilots labeled the people in both of these groups as SCABS.
On January 30, Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Administrator, Ms. Marion Blakey, in a speech to the National Press Club, announced the FAA plans to abolish the arbitrary and discriminatory Age 60 Rule. Senator James Inhofe responded by saying, “FAA Administrator Marion Blakey’s proposal to end the Age 60 Rule is a step in the right direction. However, the harsh reality of the situation is that American pilots are already suffering under the current standards. I have spoken with Administrator Blakey and she has agreed to consider addressing the impact to pilots stuck in the middle - those who will be forced to retire at age 60 before the new rule is enacted.” United Airlines alone will terminate between 250 to 300 pilots a year for the next several years. The FAA needs to immediately start granting exemptions for pilots to fly past age 60.
I am one those pilots “stuck in the middle”. I will reach age 60 on June 5, 2007 and be forced to retire from flying for United Airlines (UAL) due to the archaic FAA Age 60 Rule. With over 35 years of experience and over 18,000 hours of flight time as a pilot in the Untied States Air Force, during the Vietnam Era and as a pilot with United Airlines, with no accidents or violations, I would like to continue my professional carrier in aviation as a B-747-400 Captain. I love to fly. I submit that my skills and experience enhance aviation safety, serve United Airlines and the serve public interest.
ALPA is opposed to a change in the Age 60 Rule and is actively lobbing against legislation that would allow fellow ALPA pilots to continue their careers and not be terminated. Isn’t it ironic that the pilots being terminated are very the pilots who supported the union, risked everything and went on strike in 1985 and did not allow a permanent B-scale for the new hires? I related this to a friend outside the Air Line Industry and he incredulously asked, “How can that be? Doesn’t your union have a Duty of Fair Representation (DFR) to all its union members regardless of age? How can ALPA have a policy that obviously supports and practices age discrimination in the work place?”
I explained that ALPA took a survey on the Age 60 Rule and 55 % of the pilots did not want to change the rule. Consequently, ALPA’s official policy is against a change in the Age 60 Rule, because the majority rules. However, the majority of pilots are younger, so now this group of younger pilots will move up more quickly at the expense of their fellow union pilots who will be terminated. Many of these younger pilots would now be on a B-scale, earning half of what they now earn, if it were not for the striking pilots, whose jobs they now actively supporting to be terminated.
My friend responded, “But this sounds a lot like the group of pilots that tried to take your job during the strike in May of 1985. What was the term you used to describe that group of pilots? This is a lack of consideration and respect for the striking pilots of May of 1985, who risked their jobs for the all the union pilots.”
It is regrettable to see my once united, proud and honorable union, ALPA, is now promoting and supporting an age discriminatory retirement policy. I propose that ALPA align its policy with the current ICAO standard and new FAA policy and actively promote and support changing the mandatory retirement age from age 60 to age 65. Let’s “FIX IT ALL NOW.”
But more importantly, I challenge ALPA to petition the FAA to immediately start granting exemptions for pilots to fly past age 60, because it is just the right thing to do.
Fraternally,
Captain Steven B. McBride
United Airlines
B-747-400 SFOFO
Loyal Member of ALPA and Airline Pilots Against Age Discrimination (APAAD)
_______________________________________________
I think I would have called it quits long before then.
