Letters to the Editor
Subject: Inherent Biases & Unions
From: R.W. ROLAND RWROLAND@aol.com
While it is true, as you point out, that every writer has a bias, it is not
true, as you seem to indicate, that such biases are all-compelling and thus
detrimental to the truth. I spent 35 years flying for what I believe to be one
of the finest airlines in the world, but that has never prevented me from
pointing out its flaws.
As to your statement, that there is no correlation between unions and airline
safety, you are dead wrong. Yes, it is true that union and non-union pilots
alike can and do make careless and even stupid mistakes that end up killing
innocent and trusting passengers. Statistics verify that fact. However, what the
statistics cannot tell us is how many accidents have been prevented because of
the safety efforts of organized union pilots. No other organizations, including
the FAA and the NTSB, have contributed more to making our skies safer than the
pilots of ALPA, APA, IALPA, and other smaller groups of organized pilots. The
safety innovations brought about by such organized pilot groups have added
immeasurably to air safety; innovations so numerous that they would fill
volumes.
During my flying career there were countless safety decisions that had to be
made. Many were not in the best economic interest of my carrier, but I made
those decisions on the side of safety without a scintilla of thought that I
might be placing my career in jeopardy. This cannot always be said of non-union
pilots who, fearing repercussion from management, often act against their better
judgment in matters both significant and minor in nature.
Let me end my argument with two questions:
How many union pilots have you seen hiding behind concealing screens and
speaking in distorted voices, testifying before congressional and other public
hearings?
How many non-union pilots?
I rest my case. Union-protected pilots make a difference!
For more on this subject check out: http://members.aol.com/safeflt/unions.htm
Capt. R.W. Roland, ret.
EDITOR'S REPLY:
I have never said, nor implied, that bias is "all-compelling and thus
detrimental to the truth."
The bias statement, on the home page of AirlineSaftey.Com,
enables the reader to better judge the objectivity of the writer. Objectivity,
like temperature, is a matter of degree. I don’t believe it is possible for
any human to be 100% objective, but I do see a big difference between the
objectivity of Benjamin Franklin and that of Adolph Hitler.
I did not say there was no correlation between unions and
airline safety. I said I have never seen any data to support a positive
correlation between safety and pilot pay or union membership. The
distinction is important.
Mr. Bell’s letter specifically addressed the
issue of low pay and if it might affect a pilot’s concentration in the
cockpit. If one could produce objective data, to show a positive
correlation between pilot pay and the accident rate, then there should also be a
correlation between the accident rate and union membership, since
higher pilot pay, it is often argued, comes from union membership (that too, is
debatable).
I have never seen any data to support the idea that either low pay or union membership
is correlated to the accident rate. If anyone out there has such data, then
please send it to me. I will post it on AirlineSafety.Com.
Mr. Bell’s letter, and my reply, did not address the question of labor
unions and their effect on airline safety. However, I do thank Capt.
Roland for bringing up that subject. I think it is worth exploring. Look for it
in the FAQ section of AirlineSafety.Com,
hopefully in the not too distant future.
March, 1998
Robert J. Boser
Editor-in-Chief
AirlineSafety.Com
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