Let's Encourage Older Pilots to Retire--NOT!!

The airlines have been in trouble for a while. They've been cutting costs. They charge for services that used to be included like meals and luggage.

One of the cost cutting measures has been encouraging older (and more highly compensated) pilots to retire.

Here's an example of American Airlines' approach, this from the union side as reported by the Associated Press's David Koenig last summer:

The union also proposed that pilots who decide to retire get five years of credit toward age and length of service to increase their retirement benefits. The idea is that, by encouraging older pilots to retire, the jobs of younger ones might be saved.

When do you suppose American businesses will learn that, sometimes, it isn't the next quarter's results that matter, it's the health (and in this case safety) of the business in the long run that is important.
Aren't you glad that Chelsey Sullenberger didn't work for American and didn't decide to retire early?