And when it comes time to vote on any TA, the sad truth is, the idiot's vote counts just as much as the "Informed and Aware" vote. Which is why our TA's always pass, about 70-30. 70% of the pilots just do not want to be bothered to actually invest the time and effort required to get off the couch and go to a MEC meeting, or get involved -enough- to bring any kind of a threat of rocking the boat to Management.

The most often heard excuse is, "Well, the MEC TOLD US TO VOTE FOR IT, so it MUST be good..." And they have no idea what they are voting for, that is, if they even vote. Then when I ask the MEC, "WHY did you tell us to vote YES to this POS??!!" they say, "Well, the pilots didn't tell us it was unacceptable, heck, they didn't even show up at the meeting, so we had to take this as it is...."The Best We Could Do"...(without more support from the Pilots!)

After the 70-30 Yes vote on POS 96 (our 1996 Piece of **** concessionary TA) I called the DALPA office to rant; "How could they be so STUPID as to vote YES for this??!!"

The MEC rep on the other end of the line, who agreed with me, said, "What did you think that rocking chair was for?" (refering to our new-hire interview process where we had to go see a shrink, who had a rocking chair for us to sit in)

It has been that way ever since the Delta pilots got the vote. (prior to 1996 we did not have membership ratification). Most of them are too busy golfing or greenslipping to show up at a MEC meeting and start yelling for restoration.

In the end, they get what they deserve, but fail to understand why. Democracy doesn't mean the Yes voters got it right, it just means there are more -uninformed- voters than people paying attention to what they are voting Yes to! Months later, when they find out, they say, "Hey the MEC didn't tell me about THAT, I wouldn't have voted YES if I had known that!" And then I ask them, "Well, how many MEC meetings did you go to?" They get real quiet.

I think that is going to be the biggest hurldle for any new DPA to over come. New Leadership? Fine, but they are still going to be leading the same sheeple. Until that changes, there will be no restoration. 30% hard working No Voters is not enough to overcome the lazy 70%.