US airline pilots fight their unions to increase retirement age
Bo Ellis has been a devoted member of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) for nearly four decades, but the 64-year-old is waging a campaign against the union to extend his flying career. ALPA and other pilot unions oppose a bill in the U.S. Congress that seeks to raise the retirement age for commercial airline pilots to 67 from 65, arguing it will "introduce new risk" into the aviation system as no safety agency has studied its implications. The measure, however, is estimated to provide 5,000 pilots like Ellis the option to continue working over the next two years, according to the Regional Airline Association (RAA). Increasing the age limit by two years would also align pilot retirement with the minimum federal retirement age, allowing them to receive full social security benefits. Ellis, a head pilot at a US carrier, said senior pilots are "by far much safer" due to experience, accusing ALPA of "politicizing" safety. "My own union is being discriminatory against me," he said. Ellis has co-founded a coalition of thousands of pilots at carriers including Delta, United, American and Southwest Airlines to lobby for the legislation and has contacted over 200 lawmakers. ALPA said it "carefully" considered and its elected representatives voted "unanimously" last October to reaffirm its opposition to an "arbitrary change" in the retirement age. "America did not establish the aviation safety gold standard by cutting corners when making significant changes to our complex, global aviation system," ALPA said. Rick Redfern, a Mesa Air pilot who was present at ALPA's October meeting, said the union's board merely approved its strategic plan which contains its position on age. But the specific question of increasing the retirement age to 67 was never brought to the floor for a vote. Two other pilots, present at the meeting, confirmed Redfern's account. Internal emails reviewed by Reuters and interviews with a dozen pilots show members are divided over the age issue. Some of the pilots asked not to have their employers identified due to the risk of losing their jobs.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-08-23/general/us-airline-pilots-fight-their-unions-to-increase-retirement-age
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US airline pilots fight their unions to increase retirement age
Bo Ellis has been a devoted member of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) for nearly four decades, but the 64-year-old is waging a campaign against the union to extend his flying career. ALPA and other pilot unions oppose a bill in the U.S. Congress that seeks to raise the retirement age for commercial airline pilots to 67 from 65, arguing it will "introduce new risk" into the aviation system as no safety agency has studied its implications. The measure, however, is estimated to provide 5,000 pilots like Ellis the option to continue working over the next two years, according to the Regional Airline Association (RAA). Increasing the age limit by two years would also align pilot retirement with the minimum federal retirement age, allowing them to receive full social security benefits. Ellis, a head pilot at a US carrier, said senior pilots are "by far much safer" due to experience, accusing ALPA of "politicizing" safety. "My own union is being discriminatory against me," he said. Ellis has co-founded a coalition of thousands of pilots at carriers including Delta, United, American and Southwest Airlines to lobby for the legislation and has contacted over 200 lawmakers. ALPA said it "carefully" considered and its elected representatives voted "unanimously" last October to reaffirm its opposition to an "arbitrary change" in the retirement age. "America did not establish the aviation safety gold standard by cutting corners when making significant changes to our complex, global aviation system," ALPA said. Rick Redfern, a Mesa Air pilot who was present at ALPA's October meeting, said the union's board merely approved its strategic plan which contains its position on age. But the specific question of increasing the retirement age to 67 was never brought to the floor for a vote. Two other pilots, present at the meeting, confirmed Redfern's account. Internal emails reviewed by Reuters and interviews with a dozen pilots show members are divided over the age issue. Some of the pilots asked not to have their employers identified due to the risk of losing their jobs.<br/>
