Pinnacle pilots vote 99.39% in favor of a strike.

[Tram]

yeah just about 49% the first time around, but at least his victory shows that mentally challenged people can still lead successful lives.

Yeh, Kerry would have done such a better job...

Bush is an idiot no doubt, but Kerry wouldn't have done any better..

I love how it always boils down to who is mentally challenged based on who they voted for..

The president is a puppet.. Nothing more, nothing less..

I guess we'll see how Hilary does with the other half of the "mentally challenged" elect her...

 

[Papps]

Yeh, Kerry would have done such a better job...

Bush is an idiot no doubt, but Kerry wouldn't have done any better..

I love how it always boils down to who is mentally challenged based on who they voted for..

The president is a puppet.. Nothing more, nothing less..

I guess we'll see how Hilary does with the other half of the "mentally challenged" elect her...

i wasn't calling the people that voted for him mentally challenged.

 

[Smarta$$]

I'm sure you would have rather been negotiating under Clinton........Oh that's right he's the one that HAS blocked an airline strike......How many has Bush blocked? Perhaps do some research rather than just jumping on the anti-republican bandwagon that our illustrious union likes to promote. Any yes many people did vote for Bush. It's called an election.

Bush just perfected the process. You don't have to block a strike if you prevent a release in the first place.

 

[PCL_128]

I'm sure you would have rather been negotiating under Clinton........Oh that's right he's the one that HAS blocked an airline strike......

I assume you're referring to the strike of the APA members at AMR. In that case, the block was requested by the unions at AMR. It wouldn't have really been a strike, but rather a lockout. Clinton stopped the lockout as requested. I certainly don't claim that Clinton was a great pro-labor President. In fact, his record was pretty poor (NAFTA anyone?). But, Bush really puts him to shame. Bush has created the most anti-union environment since the beginning of the labor movement. Are you aware that he tried to sneak a bill through Congress that would have designated any striking transportation workers as "terrorists?"

How many has Bush blocked?

As others have said, you don't have to block anything directly when you've appointed the most anti-labor NMB in history. The NMB does all of his wet work for him. That way he doesn't have to take the bad publicity for directly blocking the strikes with a PEB.

 

[BCpilot81]

I wouldn't believe anything management tells you in class in the middle of negotiations and you can count on about 10% of what management says to classes when there are no negotiations. They will tell you things are great when it suits THEIR agenda and tell you things are terrible when it supports THEIR agenda.

The "you guys need to sign the deal we have on the table now so we can get new flying" line has been repeated at every regional airline every time a contract has been negotiated. It's a negotiating tactic and nothing more.

I asked my friend, who is a member in the Operator's Union if he would sign a deal if management told them they would buy a new crane. He said he'd tell them to "go fornicate themselves". I have no idea (well I have some idea) why pilots buy into this line of BS. Until management gives it's right to negotiate lift contracts to ALPA, pilot's won't negotiate for new aircraft.

Drew-
I completely agree, but I stated that to show that according to our mgmt. the bid was in. No doubt in my mind, then and now, it was a ploy

 

[xjcaptain]

Are you aware that he tried to sneak a bill through Congress that would have designated any striking transportation workers as "terrorists?"

I must have missed the part of civics class that lets a sitting president bring ANY bill to the house or the senate to be made to a law. I thought that was done through a process in the house and the senate. Since this obviously isn't law, it either was never voted in by our representatives and senators, or was veto'd by Bush. Nice try though. I am not saying that I agree with all of Bush's policies, but I certainly feel more comfotable with him in charge than Kerry. PCL_128, I know you are one of the biggest ALPA cheerleaders here, and thats your choice, but I think it's a bit of revisionist history to say the APA wanted Clinton to intervene in their negotiations. Nice try there too.

 

[xjcaptain]

It gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling, that even as Bush augers the country into the ground, there will be those who still think he's the greatest President in history.

Way to go!

How many rulings from the presidentially-appointed NMB has Bush had to reverse? True, it's zero. That just means that the board clearly understands the administrations guidelines not to release anyone unless a clear strike breaking force is established. (Northwest Mechanics, 2005)

To be honest, your staunch, gun-toting republicanism blows my mind away. You're a regional pilot- Bush most certainly does not care about you and your income level. He cares only for your bosses. Keep that in mind.

I don't recall every saying anything remotly close to claiming that I think Bush is the greatest president in history....Far from it actually, but what I am saying is have your facts straight or at least something to support your position. He has never blocked an airline strike...Period. The democratic champion of the past decade (Clinton) did in fact do that. So it's not as cut and dried as being a republican or a democrat. As far as gun-toting, that would be an accurate statement. Perhaps you should dust off your history books, I believe this is covered in the bill of rights. Our founding fathers felt in a very similiar way after conducting a revolution against a government that was not "of the people" and "for the people". They wanted to assure that they were never in that position again.
As far as who a president cares for, I am sad to say that basically none in recent history have given a crap about anybody but themselves, and how much wealth and power they can acquire. Trust me no sitting president gives a rat's behind about us individually or our CEO's for that matter. Numbers should explain it quite nicely. We are too small of a group to have much power to influence those that high in politics. I might not like it, but it is reality.

 

[JoeMerchant]

. Are you aware that he tried to sneak a bill through Congress that would have designated any striking transportation workers as "terrorists?"

How exactly does a President "sneak a bill through Congress"?

As others have said, you don't have to block anything directly when you've appointed the most anti-labor NMB in history. The NMB does all of his wet work for him. That way he doesn't have to take the bad publicity for directly blocking the strikes with a PEB.

There have been several airline labor groups released during Bush, including Mesaba, NWA, and Polar...... In 1998, the Clinton NMB refused to release us at ASA and parked us..... It has more to do with the RLA, then Dem/Rep......

The payraise I just got won't cover the increase in taxes I will have to pay under Hillary.....

 

[ricecake]

The payraise I just got won't cover the increase in taxes I will have to pay under Hillary.....

You think that war in Iraq is free? Someones got to pay for it.

 

[Flyprdu]

[George Bush] has never blocked an airline strike...Period. The democratic champion of the past decade (Clinton) did in fact do that.

I was hoping you'd reply. The only reason Bush hasn't had the opportunity to "shoot down" a strike is that the people that he's appointed to the NMB are doing it for him.

A presidential order that states employees should return to work or not strike is similar to a Governor's pardon- it's a last minute executive intervention.

So to put it simply, this administration's NMB is doing all the dirty work for him. They're that good. None of us can be released, therefore Bush doesn't have to concern himself with overturning an NMB self-help ruling. At least with a Democrat in office, we saw Comair strike in '99. Can you name a pilot group that's been released into self-help since 2000?

One last thing: I completely appreciate your comment about our government being by and for the people. I absolutely agree. Now, take that one step further. When it came to a redressing of issues, namely pilots versus big business, you were completely defeatist about it. "Nothing we can do about it," you said. Shouldn't there be the same feelings about having guns in your home and the powers of collective bargaining? They are, at heart, the same. Each help restore the balance of wealth, power, and dignity from those who would steal and exploit it from you.

Have more faith in the union. Recognize the ones who want to steal your dignity from you.