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Continental and United pilots protest on Wall Street

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Wall Street saw yet another surge in protesters today - as hundreds of Continental and United Airlines pilots demonstrated in New York City's financial district. Over 700 hundred activists, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) carriers, took their grievances to the streets as they protested for wages and benefits in light of a stalled merger between the airlines. The demonstration coincided with the 11th straight day the Occupy Wall Street encampment, which has seen… (www.dailymail.co.uk) More...

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Derg
Roland Dent 0
With these guys...HIGH 5
Jetmech83
M T 0
They ought to do the same thing to these pilots as President Reagan did to the ATC back in the '80's, get back to work or you will join the ranks of the unemployed.
Derg
Roland Dent 0
A lot of these management people actually enjoy making life hard for others, they enjoy the process of power in a psychotic way. It is important to note that a pilot does not possess this characteristic...his/her job is to preserve and not to destroy.
mahatchma
Ian Hatch 0
sounds like management are like cops - need to control and make life miserable for others
GuamPilot
Michael Wendt 0
Reagan fired ATC Controllers who were actually on strike (and they were fired only because it was an illegal strike.) These pilots are NOT on strike and participated using days off between their scheduled flights.

They are using their Constitutional freedoms of free speech and assembly to make their point.

Did they make their point? Is this an effective way to influence negotiations? Valid questions.
TWA55
TWA55 0
Life is tough..........I have a hard time feeling your pain, anyone like to guess what current saleries are for Part 121 pilots working for the majors......must be tough having to work for all those benefits. Little known secret, pilots have been grumbling for decades on pay, etc. Sorry, for as much as I respect your profession, I cannot bring myself to feel sorry for you, and I suspect the poor guy/gal digging ditches each day would agree.
meshaw57
mark shaw 0
I will never fly these airlines if at all possible. Lots of people would love to have these jobs. What are they protesting, their 6 figure salary, or BIG AIRLINES, not sure and I'm sure they do not know either. Scary to put your life in the hands of such idiots.
TWA55
TWA55 0
Footnote, too bad you can't listen to the day to day pilot conversations, want to guess what they talk about the most..
enm1996
Eric Thomas 0
What's the difference between a pilot and a jet engine...
superniceguy
David Rowden 0
IDIOTS!! Where do you thing your paycheck comes from morons?
davisdd
Dennis Davis 0
I wonder if they really know what they are protesting. They make good money but the protesters want among other things liveable wages of 20 dollars an hour and they want less income spread among all income earners. In other words, communism. Pilots make way to much for this group.
Armchaircouch
Armchaircouch 0
Your "in other words" are just that, not theirs. You put words out there stemming from your understanding. I protested in California with my sign encouraging to Shop Local and be a Conscious Consumer. My reason, if people would stop giving these conglomerate a**holes their "dirty dollar" we wouldn't BE in 1/2 this mess. But if they wanna get out and stomp their feet about their issues, more power to them. We are American, WE CAN!
davisdd
Dennis Davis 0
yes we are and we can but shopping local and buying global doesnt change the fact that the wallstreet protesters are socialist to start and communist to finish. If a pilot makes good money should they have to take a pay cut because the locomotive engineer or bus drivers says I do the same work as a pilot and they shouldn't make as much. The DOT has almost the same restrictions on this group as pilots. In fact on our trucks we use an airplane maint. book to log repairs. Try reading their 13 demands, marx's only had 11. Not much difference. So if any employed pilot wants to give up some on their wages, I should there will be plenty of takers.
RickAhlgren
Rick Ahlgren 0
The protestors are not socialists or communists. They simply want jobs. Jobs that have been outsourced or outright eliminated in the pursuit of more profits.

It used to be that banks and corporations were part of the community. No more.

As for the pilots, Ed Crist says it pretty well right below this comment.
elcri45
Ed Crist 0
These pilots have every right to protest just as the other people have that right. Some people seem to forget we still live in America, and I don't give a damn want the issue is, this is a basic right we all have. You don't like it, fine, there are plenty of countries which shoot people for doing this. All of these protesters have my admiration and respect. This is their right, try not to forget that.
Armchaircouch
Armchaircouch 0
We are not Anarchists, Pat Clar. Don't be ridiculous. Good for people for standing up for what they think is right, vs. sitting around bitching about how they wish things were.
PedroPat
Pat Clar 0
Maybe not but you hang out with them Kathryn Harrold. Most of those clowns can not even explain why they are there. Drop the drama queen rhetoric and climb out of the cosmic bunny hole and look at reality. I sure hope you are not an airline pilot.
dmurphyairman
Dan Murphy 0
All ALPA did was screw me over for 20 years. What a bunch of Babies.They ought to be glad they have their jobs. ALPA is only in it for the money,no principals!
Thunderbob
Ron Thompson 0
Whether they know it or not, being part of this is right in line with Sal Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals"! Alinsky's direction is to establish a Socialist style government. By their joining the fray there is a consent.Unions play a big part with and in this philosophy.
RickAhlgren
Rick Ahlgren 0
I think many working people will not be happy until no one has any rights, good wages or benefits except management.

Amazing how stupid and envious working people can be of other working people who have it better than them, but seem to think it's okay for management to game the system and collect huge salaries and bonuses for their "efforts."

Instead of criticizing workers who have it better than you, start questioning and complaining about why you don't have it as good as them.

Its got nothing to do with unions, and everything to do with incompetent and greedy management.
davisdd
Dennis Davis 0
Greg Farrell writes to point out what he found on Craigslist. It’s an ad from the Working Families Party looking to hire protesters for Wall Street and offering $350-650 a week, depending on responsibility and length of time on staff. Everyone has a right to protest, but they should understand what and why they are protesting. These are protestors wanting things for free. Paid by working people. Endorsed by many socialist as well as communist. Profit is not a dirty word. It is what a capitalist society uses to develop new, better products and services. It is why GM almost went under. Most of these people wanting jobs are little rich kids with nothing to do. Have you seen their demands. Marx only had 11 demands but this group added a couple extra. This is an organized by a political enitity and not just a bunch of people getting together to protest something evil. I agree with Ed, but I simply disagree with the pilots.
RickAhlgren
Rick Ahlgren 0
The ad is not looking for protestors... they are looking for staff. Does the Tea Party not have paid staff?

The protestors do not want anything for free. They want to be able to work so they too can make a living, eat, have a place to live, raise a family. You know, those things that every American wants. That opportunity has been stolen by the banks and corporations. That is what they are protesting

Or in the case of older people like myself (60) we want to make sure the Social Security we paid into is there for us to collect. We do not want it privatized so the banks can rape us further. We want to be sure that Medicare will still be around. We want our kids to be able to work and make a decent living.

They are not little rich kids with nothing to do. They are jobless people who want jobs.

This is what it's about:

"They’re complaining that Wall Street wrecked the economy three years ago and nobody’s held responsible for that. Not a single person’s been indicted or convicted for destroying twenty percent of our national net worth accumulated over two centuries. They’re upset about the fact that Wall Street has iron control over the economic policies of this country, and that one party is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wall Street, and the other party caters to them as well." -- Alan Grayson

There is no political entity behind this. It is not left vs right. The reason you don't understand it is because you don't want to.
jgrove4005
John Grove 0
Let me get this right ----- 700 hundred? That would be 70,000? Do United/Continental actually have that many pilots? No wonder profit margins are suffering.
PedroPat
Pat Clar 0
Are you kidding me? Great joining the ranks of the other scumbag anarchists. Good job ALPA. Is it any wonder USAirways gave you the boot and JET BLUE said "NFW"
Armchaircouch
Armchaircouch 0
We are not Anarchists, Pat Clar. Don't be ridiculous. Good for people for standing up for what they think is right, vs. sitting around bitching about how they wish things were.
Kjoden44
Ken Oden 0
I believe that was 700 pilots demonstrating, JG.
I did 32 years with UAL - sooo.o.o.o.. glad to be retired.
jgrove4005
John Grove 0
Sounds more reasonable (actually, thought that was the intended number rather than what was [no doubt, erroneously] written. Have to ask, though, what's their gripe considering the salaries they make and what the 'system' has allowed them to obtain and enjoy? I understand they may currently be having labor negotiation problems but what does that have to do with the capitalist system?
Armchaircouch
Armchaircouch 0
I thought it was a bit humorous too...I am a California protestor, but I protest to encourage others to be conscious consumers, to wake up to BS. lol, it seems others are mad about, other things...
GuamPilot
Michael Wendt 0
What does this have to do with the capitalist system? Many people buy/sell their stocks (including airline stock) based on what analysts say (driving prices up/down.) If management says "Merger is proceeding nicely" and analysts report, stock price goes up.

Many executive bonuses are based on driving stock prices up.

If the employees say "Hold on, airline management is trying to sell you a bundle of sub-prime mortgages" and the analysts report, stock prices go down and executives lose their bonuses.

Pilots know they will NEVER have the sympathy of the common man. They are trying to hit management where it hurts, their executive bonuses.
Kjoden44
Ken Oden 0
It's not a matter of the capitalist system. The two LARGE seniority lists need to be merged at some point. There are a number of UAL pilots out of furlough who may end up behind Continental pilots who were hired later than them. And who will fly what airplanes, where with what seniority. Soo.o... many issues. Good luck guys.....
jgrove4005
John Grove 0
Mergers seem to always be traumatic. The UA/CO situation is reminiscent of the PA/NA merger. Then, to exacerbate matters, PA goes down the tubes. Neighbor of mine walked the tightrope from PA (707 FE), layoff (flew a while for Saudi (FE), rehired by PA, went thru the National merger, survived that (FE on L10, FE on 747 (103 the day before), 2nd on 747, decided to fly domestic and went 2nd on PAA shuttle, then Capt. on 727, layoff, flew FE and 2nd for United on 737. What a rollercoaster!
meshaw57
mark shaw 0
I will never fly these airlines if at all possible. Lots of people would like to have those jobs. And by the way what are they protesting? Their 6 figure salary? Or Working for BIG AIRLINES?
N3049W
I wonder if their flight to New York was on time? Did they get patted down? Pay for the 1st bag?

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