ANCFRTDG,

I hope you don't think I am whining about Age 65. I'm just pointing out some of the decisions made on 777 issues and 4a2b came in Jan-Feb 09, less than a year after the age change and six months after several displacement bids. There were a lot of raw feelings with many of the crew force at that time, and I think asking a junior captain to pass on 40-60k or more so the guy who bumped him out of his seat could get a better pay raise would have been a very tough sell. My recollection of the decisions of that period simply highlighted that I had my own personal angst about the issue at the time, but also suspected that many in my block (as well as others) did also.

Not directed at you, but at the board readers in general: Its is easy to make pronouncements on how things should be on a message board, or to monday morning quarterback MEC members, flight management, or whomever. Its tough as a rep when you realize every choice you make can have financial, quality of life, or even job security ramifications for the guys you serve. My own litmus test was always "will this help the majority of the guys I serve and the crew force as a whole". You also have to be able to work with 11 (now 12) other similarly driven people, many who have a very different idea on the role of the union, to get anything done. Not to sound too cliche but its harder than it looks. When I was elected I wanted a new chairman, and that created some tension. We got one, and things sailed along for 18 months relatively nicely minus the occasional tiff here or there between reps (it happens). Now TC, TH, CB, and likely a few others would like a new chairman. They'd like things more like they were back in 2005-6. That makes dong the day to day stuff all the more tense and cumbersome. Its nice to be an APC blowhard again and not have to endure the meetings wearing a suit for 4 days...

Sorry to be so pragmatic, but he key to unity is not crapping on guys for what they aren't willing to strike about to help your pet project. The key to unity is providing a set of expectations that everyone wins when we work together. A union that says "this is the right thing to do" and "we know what is best for you" in a condescending tone won't ever win the hearts and minds of some of our FedEx pilots. On the other hand, I think a more transparent and open process allows pilots to see and understand the mechanization of the negations and the day to day operations. I respect the intelligence and heart of our line pilots, and I think when given the facts 98% of them will do the right thing. I'm not going to let the actions of 2-3% of our pilots make me lose faith in the rest of them. I support our current chairman and his team because I think he has worked hard to make the union, and the negotiating process, more open and accessible to this pilot group. You won't see a "city purity" letter show up a year after the contract is signed, or have any hidden agendas. Is there a risk to begin so open at times? I'm sure there is, but after the painful rifts created by the age change, the first LOA, and 4a2b, I think it was really the only course to pull us back together, and I think its a continued work in progress.