Widow's Son
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2005
- Posts
- 149
The definition of a scab has been intentionally left fuzzy so that it could be adapted to various situations as they come up.
For example. When UAL struck in 85 ALPA wanted to fill replacement classes with individuals sympathetic to their cause so it was declared that one wasn't a scab until they took their first revenue flight, thereby allowing guys to go to training.
During the EAL strike, for strategic reasons, ALPA changed their definition and proclaimed that a person would be a scab the first day they reported on the property for compensation, meaning first day of training.
With the exception of the EAL strike, most strikes in history haven't had the life or death of the company held in the balance. It is a lot easier to be a sympathy striker for another employee group when your company is relatively healthy and any potential gains garnered by that other group can filter your way. It is a lot harder to be a sympathy striker when it is a nuclear option and your company and your livelyhood are at stake.
NWA could probably withstand the Mech's strike and maybe come out ahead by becoming a primarily contract maint user. But if the pilots and or the FA's walk there most likely won't be anything to come back to. I think that a lot more pilots won't be willing to kill the company over internal maint politics and a lot more pilots outside the company will be sympathetic if the mechs try and kill the company and the pilots say "screw that" and try and keep the company alive. They may get called scabs, but I don't think it will stick. It may not reach that point because I don't think ALPA will officially support the mechs.
For example. When UAL struck in 85 ALPA wanted to fill replacement classes with individuals sympathetic to their cause so it was declared that one wasn't a scab until they took their first revenue flight, thereby allowing guys to go to training.
During the EAL strike, for strategic reasons, ALPA changed their definition and proclaimed that a person would be a scab the first day they reported on the property for compensation, meaning first day of training.
With the exception of the EAL strike, most strikes in history haven't had the life or death of the company held in the balance. It is a lot easier to be a sympathy striker for another employee group when your company is relatively healthy and any potential gains garnered by that other group can filter your way. It is a lot harder to be a sympathy striker when it is a nuclear option and your company and your livelyhood are at stake.
NWA could probably withstand the Mech's strike and maybe come out ahead by becoming a primarily contract maint user. But if the pilots and or the FA's walk there most likely won't be anything to come back to. I think that a lot more pilots won't be willing to kill the company over internal maint politics and a lot more pilots outside the company will be sympathetic if the mechs try and kill the company and the pilots say "screw that" and try and keep the company alive. They may get called scabs, but I don't think it will stick. It may not reach that point because I don't think ALPA will officially support the mechs.
