A BA46 CREW; DURING CLB TO FL290; MAINTAINED NORMAL CLB SPD; NEGLECTING ATC'S REQUESTED TO MAINTAIN 280 KTS OR GREATER.

Narrative

DURING CLB WE WERE ASSIGNED 280 KTS OR GREATER. AS THE CLB PROGRESSED THE FO AND I GOT TO TALKING ABOUT UNION ACTIVITY AND NEGOTIATIONS. I AM A PLT ORGANIZATION WORKER; INVOLVED IN UNION BUSINESS AND NEGOTIATIONS; HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATING SO I BECAME PASSIONATELY INVOLVED IN OUR DISCUSSION. I TRIED TO MONITOR ACFT PERFORMANCE AND SIT WHILE DISCUSSING UNION BUSINESS BUT I FORGOT ABOUT THE SPD ASSIGNMENT. AS WE PASSED THROUGH FL240 THE AUTOPLT SWITCHES FROM HOLDING AN AIRSPD TO HOLDING A MACH NUMBER. AS THE AUTOPLT HELD .67 MACH THE AIRSPD DECREASED AS NORMAL. I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT UNTIL THE CTLR ASKED US OUR SPD. THEN I REMEMBERED THE ASSIGNED SPD OF 280 KTS OR BETTER. WE WERE NOW AT 250 KTS ABOUT TO LEVELOFF AT FL290. I APOLOGIZED TO THE CTLR. HE HAD AN ACFT CLBING BEHIND US THAT HE HAD TO VECTOR TO AVOID OVERRUNNING US. DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTING TO THIS EVENT WAS MY DISTR BY THE DISCUSSION ON UNION ACTIVITY. BECAUSE OF MY UNION POS AND I KNOW I CAN GET DISTRACTED BY UNION DISCUSSIONS I ALWAYS REFRAIN FROM TALKING ABOUT UNION ACTIVITY WHEN THERE IS MUCH GOING ON IN OR AROUND THE ACFT. THE CLB TODAY WAS QUIET AND UNEVENTFUL AND I LET MY GUARD DOWN. IN THE FUTURE I WILL HAVE TO BE MORE CAREFUL TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE FLYING AT ALL TIMES.