This Miracle Brought to You By America's Unions

[1gobluedem]

Hear, hear!

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/01/16/this-miracle-brought-to-you-by-americas-unions/

>
> This Miracle Brought to You by America’s Unions
> By: emptywheel Friday January 16, 2009 5:34 am
>
> They're calling it a miracle--the successful landing of a US Airways jet in the Hudson and subsequent rescue of all 155 passengers. They're detailing the heroism of all involved, starting with the pilot and including cabin crew, ferry crews, and first responders. What they're not telling you is that just about every single one of these heros is a union member.
>
> There's the pilot:
>
> What might have been a catastrophe in New York — one that evoked the feel if not the scale of the Sept. 11 attack — was averted by a pilot’s quick thinking and deft maneuvers,
>
> On board, the pilot, Chesley B. Sullenberger III, 57, unable to get back to La Guardia, had made a command decision to avoid densely populated areas and try for the Hudson,
>
> When all were out, the pilot walked up and down the aisle twice to make sure the plane was empty, officials said.
>
> Sullenberger is a former national committee member and the former safety chairman for the Airline Pilots Association and now represented by US Airline Pilots Association. He--and his union--have fought to ensure pilots get the kind of safety training to pull off what he did yesterday.
>
> Then there are the flight attendants:
>
> One passenger, Elizabeth McHugh, 64, of Charlotte, seated on the aisle near the rear, said flight attendants shouted more instructions: feet flat on the floor, heads down, cover your heads.
>
> They are members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. Yesterday's accident should remind all of us that flight attendants are first and foremost safety professionals--they should not be treated like cocktail waitresses.
>
> There are the air traffic controllers:
>
> The pilot radioed air traffic controllers on Long Island that his plane had sustained a “double bird strike.”
>
> They're represented by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Someday, they'll rename National Airport for the work these men and women do to keep us safe in the air.
>
> There are the ferry crews:
>
> As the first ferry nudged up alongside, witnesses said, some passengers were able to leap onto the decks. Others were helped aboard by ferry crews.
>
> They're represented by the Seafarers International Union. They provide safety training to their members so they're prepared for events like yesterday's accident.
>
> There are the cops and firemen:
>
> Helicopters brought wet-suited police divers, who dropped into the water to help with the rescues.
>
> They're represented by the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association and the Uniformed Firefighters Association. They're the men and women who performed so heroically on 9/11--and they've been fighting to make sure first responders get the equipment to do this kind of thing.
>
> Bob Corker and Richard Shelby like to claim that union labor is a failed business model.
>
> But I haven't heard much about Bob Corker and Richard Shelby saving 155 people's lives.

[AzDar]

1. K & R

:kick:

[madokie]

2. You bet

This is a perfect example of good work. If you want the job done right hire a union shop to do it. Every time thats been true, now and into the future.

[Brucie Kibbutz]

3. K&R

:kick:

[Virginia Dare]

4. You mean those lazy overpaid do-nothing municipal and public workers?

is that of whom you speak? They performed professionally and heroically? GET OUT!

[1gobluedem]

5. Kick for the afternoon

:kick:

[Belial]

6. ROTFL - The unions are staking claim to this?

What kind of desperate reach for attention is this??

[1gobluedem]

8. Hardly, just showing what a well-trained, decently paid workforce can do

Would you rather trust this kind of operation to minimum-wage, unskilled workers hired by a private firm?

[nichomachus]

12. Yes -- and rightly so

A bunch of undertrained temp workers, bought for the cheapest salary in town, which is what the corporations want so their stockholders can make more money, couldn't have pulled this off. So, yeah, the unions get a big share of the credit.

[malaise]

15. Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Celebrate workers!!! :yourock: Unions forever!

[DemBones DemBones]

7. K & R

:kick:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

9. I Fail To See What Being Union Had Anything To Do With Yesterday. Why Tout Coincidence As Something

meaningful? Bit of a misguided blog post really.

[LisaM]

14. I don't think it's coincidence that every rescue personnel were union members

As 1goblue pointed out, would you rather have some outsourced, untrained, minimum wage people leading you out of danger and harm's way? Not I.


K&R, big time.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

19. Ummm, It's Total Coincidence. Their Being Union Had Nothing To Do With The Events Whatsoever.

And trying to state that the pilot and stewardesses would've been some incompetent losers if they hadn't been unionized is just asinine.

[LisaM]

21. It's the training issue. What's being pointed out that everyone was well trained

and the rescue went flawlessly, or as well as could be expected.

As companies (and governments) outsource and cut corners, things don't always necessarily go so well.

I think that undercutting unions does lead to training issues, not to mention staffing issues (not having enough people). I live in Washington state and ride the ferries frequently. There are anti-tax cranks constantly trying to slim down costs for the ferries - which translates into fewer workers. Clearly, it's essential to have enough people - just one example of what unions fight for.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

22. Like I Said:

I find the notion that if the pilot hadn't been union, he would've been unskilled and likely killed them all, to be nothing short of asinine.

[1gobluedem]

26. See post #13

Occupational safety and training are priorities for unions. They are line items for corporations, which concentrate on the bottom line, and could ditch in-depth training in favor of the basics for the sake of profits.

Do we know that a non-union pilot would've crashed badly and killed everyone? Of course not. But do we know if airlines would insist on this level of safety training if it weren't part of the union contract? No, we don't.

[hedgehog]

27. One of the contract clauses that pilots, flight attendants and air traffic controllers fight for

is a limit on working hours. How skillful can any person be if he or she worked 15 hours the day before and came back to work on 4 hours of sleep? I've had flights canceled because the crew that was scheduled to fly my plane ran out of working hours sitting on the ground at another airport. Most people complain, but any time someone understands what it takes to get me where I'm going safely and is able to act on that knowledge I am thankful. Nine times out of ten, that happens because of union contract!


For comparison- look at all the independent truckers out there faking their log books to drive 20 hours a day because that's the only way they can make a living!

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

33. ...

:eyes:

[ogneopasno]

42. Don't take the eyeroll too hard -- I got one too, pointing out work rules and training. Some people

must think that a company is going to give people decent rest hours and compensation out of the goodness of its heart. Oh wait, companies don't have hearts.

[Occam Bandage]

16. I don't think "coincidence" is the right word.

I mean, every airline pilot, every flight attendant, every rescue worker, and every air-traffic controller is a union employee. Any aviation incident is going to have to entirely involve union workers. If you aren't a member of ALPA, you can't fly a plane in an airline. That's no more of a coincidence than it was that New York City residents were operating the ferries. It's unexceptional, and I don't believe the unionization of most people involved had anything to do with their performance, but "coincidence" doesn't sound right to me there.

Anyway, the only case I could see being made for unions here is that airlines would prefer to force early retirement of higher-paid (~$150k/yr), higher-seniority pilots (such as Sullenberger), and would rather not lay off their lower-paid (~$25k/yr) new hires. Were it not for unions, it is possible that a greener pilot would have been at the yoke when both engines failed, Sully would have been watching from home, and things might not have gone so well for the passengers.

[ogneopasno]

41. This is not true at all. Who do you think flies planes when there are strikes? Also, JetBlue pilots

are not union, although they are trying to organize. SkyWest is a proudly nonunion airline.

[Occam Bandage]

50. When there are strikes, planes sit on the ground.

I'm referring entirely to legacy airlines.

[ogneopasno]

53. Well, when you said "If you aren't a member of ALPA, you can't fly a plane in an airline," it wasn't

clear to me you meant only legacy airlines. I don't like to be the annoying person who points out exceptions, but your sweeping statements were a little too sweeping.

[ogneopasno]

36. Negotiated work rules and compensation, periodic training and high standards aren't coincidences.

Nor are they miracles. They are the hallmark and pride of union workers.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

39. ...

:eyes:

[ulysses]

44. would you see what a union had to do with anything?

[ulysses]

45. anything positive, anyway?

[TahitiNut]

55. Yes, OMC, you really do FAIL.

At least you ascribe it correctly.




:rofl: :rofl:

[TahitiNut]

10. GMTA ... this is what my very first posts were about regarding this crash.

All of the 'heroes' in this are members of organized labor. Every one of them.

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. Safety Training is handled by the Union

Just mentioned by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

[TahitiNut]

13. Occupational Safety is a #1 agenda item for organized labor.

The HISTORY of organized labor is replete with examples of Labor fighting Management for better safety standards. It takes a really CLUELESS IDIOT to fail to see the connection, imho. Seniority, experience, job-related skills as the criteria for tenure ... ALL of that is 100% consistent with Labor's agenda. (And CONTRARY to the exploitative crap typically pushed by inept management.)

[DrZeeLit]

17. Should be required reading when ANYBODY starts dithering about unions. Plane Drivers Union!!!

People often open their mouths and repeat talking points without really thinking.
Keep this list handy.
Maybe make a small copy of it and keep it in your pocket.
Be ready to refute those who yap without facts.

Thank you for posting this!

[AnneD]

18. Damn Skippy....

One of the primary reasons Unions were formed was safety concerns in the coal mines and rail roads. It wasn't a miracle-it was fore thought and training.

[TahitiNut]

23. Exactly.

Safety is NEVER a "coincidence."

[RB TexLa]

20. And the European Metalworkers Federation. The people who built the plane

How did they get left out????? :shrug:

[Donald Ian Rankin]

24. You'll be laughing on the other side of your face when it turns out the geese were unionised too.

N.T.

[AnneD]

58. Damn.....

forgot about the Brotherhood of Manual Aviation Worker. But it is just a social organization-not a traditional union.

[hughee99]

25. Does that mean that the crashes were brought to us by Unions too? n/t

[CTyankee]

28. Thank you for posting this! Anyone who is knowledgable about unions and safety issues

understands this well. Unfortunately, there are some ignorant people here at DU who don't know about the unions' commitment to safety. Since they are clueless, they need education. This post was helpful even tho there are some boneheads who can't/won't get it for whatever reason...

[Belial]

29. Educate me.. I guess I am clueless..

While I was stationed at NAS Alameda the civilian workers.. the local electrical union.. would take 24 hours to change a friggin light bulb.. taq out procedures.. supervisor sign off.. safety watch.. all in all I would guess there were 5 people involved in the process. I guess we should all be AMAZED anyone at home could change a light bulb on their own. LOL By the way.. that was a SINGLE screw in light bulb.. if it was a fluorescent bulb.. it was a three man team.. two for the bulb and one as a safety supervisor.

NOW.. Unions have done FANTASTIC things for workers.. so don't get me wrong.. but I have been seen the worse side of it as well.

[1gobluedem]

30. I'd rather have a three man team than one unskilled worker trying to do too much

I agree that unions can get bloated but it's still better than stretched too thin.

[CTyankee]

31. The posts upthread describe this better than I could.

We all know people who goof off on the job. You can't blame the union for a few bad workers. I truly believe that most people go to work every day wanting to do a good job and overall I think the union helps that impulse along.

[Belial]

60. I agree with you 100%.. Apologies for taking so long to reply

[hugo_from_TN]

32. Thank the USAF

The United States Air Force turned that man into a great pilot.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

34. !

:applause:

[NoGOPZone]

38. The pilot was certainly heroic. He wasn't the only hero yesterday

Also, certainly the pilot's safety training played a part.

[Obamanaut]

35. In order to withstand the impact of a water landing, one would

think that some design engineer somewhere (or a group of them) had his/her (or their) shit together.

One might consider that at some point those engineers had teachers.

[Ichingcarpenter]

46. The plane is designed to seal itself ...... a ditching switch.

Planes can float, but the US Airways Airbus A320 that crashed into the Hudson River yesterday had a better chance than most.

That's because it was equipped with a special device unique to Airbus planes that increased the likelihood it would stay on top of the water.

The device, called a "ditching switch," effectively seals the plane by closing valves and ventilation ports, a spokesman for the airline said.

Industry experts said the ditching switch is rarely invoked, as "it's not as if anyone expects to ditch these planes," said Robert W. Mann, who owns a Port Washington-based aviation consulting company.

With the valves and ports shut, "a float line" is created, Airbus spokeswoman Mary Anne Greczyn said in an e-mail.

"The ditching switch closes all of the open ports in the bottom of the fuselage," said Frank Ayers, chairman of the flight training department at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Mann said opening an emergency exit - which happened yesterday when the plane was evacuated - is not a problem as long as the door is above the waterline.


http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/longisland/ny-lifloa166000583jan16,0,7833423.story


The fact that he was an expert pilot with gliding skills was key, as was having a great co-pilot, Jeff Skiles (a 23-year US Airways veteran) and a fast-acting flight attendant crew. (You have to exit one passenger per second, and in the case of the one passenger on Flight 1549 who refused to leave without her luggage, you have to grab them and push them out the door). Union trained.

All of these people and their training saved lives. All of them. Hats off to Airbus for making a plane that seals itself up to float - that was intentional

[Obamanaut]

47. What clever teachers then, to produce such clever engineers. nt

[Ichingcarpenter]

49. Engineers are unionize in Europe where they are built.

So yes, clever teachers and clever engineers.

[malaise]

54. Yep this aircraft is well designed

Bravo Airbus

[ColbertWatcher]

37. Conservatism is a failed governing model. Kick and rec. n/t

[NoGOPZone]

40. K&R

"Someday, they'll rename National Airport for the work these men and women do to keep us safe in the air." That says it all.

[ulysses]

43. hell yes!

:thumbsup:

[tbyg52]

48. Hear, hear! nt

[TahitiNut]

51. NEVER forget how the GOP fought tooth and nail to keep unions OUT of the Dept. of Homeland Security!

FEMA became part of DHS! So, how did that NON-UNIONIZED DHS and FEMA do for NOLA during Katrina? Hmmm?

[Kitty Herder]

52. K&R

[4 t 4]

56. Yes a great story

Unions are Great. We should all be so lucky as to be in a union if we work. Unions look out for the workers-period ! Tell me different. Anyone that doesn't support Unions have been sold a bill of goods. Unions made this country what it use to be-GREAT !

[4 t 4]

57. A union leader is like your Mother

bring it you union haters I'll debunk every argument you have with facts. Bring it. FYI John Stewart on commedy central now in C.T.

[sarcasmo]

59. Kick!