I've been hard on ALPA on a number of issues. However, I have some thoughts on the road show and people's criticisms of TO's positions (or lack thereof) yesterday.

Overall I'm happy with how TO and company handled themselves yesterday and how they postured themselves at the last road show.

A lot of guys yesterday were asking for leadership... guys want TO and the negotiating folks to come out with solid positions on restoration, scope, etc. etc.

I think the DALPA guys are doing the right thing by not tipping their hand. You don't walk into a car dealership, stroll into the sales manager's office, and tell him you want a car with a chrome bumper. You've just given away negotiating leverage. He can now use that knowledge against you in negotiations. He knows you can't live without that chrome bumper... so he can chisel away at other options that are secondary to you.

Likewise, I don't want the negotiating committee making public declarations about which issues are critical to the pilot group.

Secondly, someone got up yesterday and said that the pilot group needs to be rallied... I want a pilot group that's willing to go to the mat if it's required. However, step back for a second and take a look at the context in which these guys are going to have to negotiate.

Think about this for a second... you're on the negotiating committee and negotiating against the company. The NMB is watching. Things have ground to a halt and the company isn't showing up to the table with the gains you need. Do you want the company to be able to paint you as cheerleaders of what they say is the most demanding and aggressive part of the pilot group? I don't think so. I think the negotiating committee would rather be able to say "look guys, we'd love to be able to take this to MEMRAT, but they'll have our heads on pikes and then you might be dealing with someone else."

It think it is ultimately to our advantage to have our negotiators be able to present themselves as asking for less than the pilot group at large is demanding.

That being said, from the last two road shows and the comments I've heard from DALPA guys about the situation at American and the actions of the APA, I have the impression that they feel that taking something now is better than enduring an extended standoff that might result from asking for more substantial gains. I do not assert that this is in fact the case, but it is definitely the impression I have.

All in all, I think we should bear in mind that we're still months from openers. It's not the time for a lot of what guys were asking for yesterday, and a lot of the things that guys were asking for yesterday, while they may assuage some anxiety about the process, might ultimately weaken our ability to negotiate the best contract we can.