777;
Thanks for a very reasoned and thoughtful response. I should say, if it's not clear, that I am not a pilot at AC so I don't have a specific axe to grind. In fact, I honestly see and can sympathize with both sides of the argument. It's also quite likely that my financial situation will mean that my career will need to go past 60, so it would be hypocritical to come down hard on the side of mandatory retirement at that, or any other age specifically.
Obviously it would have been better if an amicable solution could have been reached, but having been somewhat of a monkey in the middle in the union / company ebb and flow in the past, I can see how it became polarized. The tipping point for me was when the V & K case included a demand for punitive compensation. They lost some of my sympathy right then and there.
Have a good weekend!
