Some in ALPA leadership consider themselves partners with management in Delta's outsourcing scheme. As a result they take criticism of management's outsourcing as criticism of ALPA. It is unfortunate. Even when you give them a compliment for good work, they don't understand it. They are so conflicted they can't smile and reply "thanks."

Time to face reality ... We are on opposite sides of a table. The same network management that decimated Comair runs Delta. Their goal is simple ... they desire the cheapest unit of production, even if they destroy their own asset in the process.

Not to say there is anything wrong with our working with management to achieve mutual goals. However, those goals must exclude schemes which trade members' jobs for corporate profit. Our partnership can only exist when we are at the controls.

Some in ALPA fail to understand this most basic concept; that our power comes from each and every member we represent.