Originally Posted by
Carl Spackler
You cannot force unity in my opinion. Unity is earned through respect and honest communications. If ALPA won't do it, DPA will.
If ALPA is upset because they think they will be negotiating with a gun at their heads, that's exactly how I want them to feel. Especially during the "meet and confer" sessions with the regionals that are doing the majority of OUR flying.
Carl
Carl,
Actually unity can be forced, and work. Our merger is a prime example of unity working. Unity isn't an emotion. Real unity is structural. All Delta flying performed by Delta pilots, represented by a single Bargaining Agent is structural unity. Southwest has this and has prospered with their employer as a result.
ALPA failed to unify Compass and has failed to unify approximately half of our flying under a single bargaining agent. I have not heard anything to suggest the DPA has the goal of doing anything differently than ALPA has.
I've written Tim Caplinger on this issue and he doesn't get it. He is welded to the emotional response to his furlough rather than logically understanding why it happened. If the DPA were capable (or willing) to abandon this silly, false, conflict of interest argument - then they might have a real shot at discovering the real power of unity.
P.S. I like Tim Caplinger. Still, he is mistaken & we just can't afford any representational errors.