I agree with you that supporting Age 65 was a mistake. But who made that mistake? Certainly not Captain Moak. He was a lowly MEC Chairman at the time.

The new FT/DT rules are based on science, not on your personal preferences. The science backs up certain things that all of us may not like, such as 9 hours of block, but the overall FT/DT rules are a vast improvement. In the areas that we don't like the new rules, then we can always have better work rules in our CBAs that more closely conform to our preferences, even if they aren't supported by the science. In most cases, the complaints by mainline pilots about the new rules are already addressed in their existing work rules, and don't even require new bargaining efforts.

When exactly did this request get denied? I'm pretty sure I would have heard about something as big as the ALPA president flat out refusing an MEC's request for a letter to the NMB requesting a proffer. Perhaps you can point to some evidence of this refusal?

How are you so sure that requesting a proffer from the NMB is the correct move? Have you talked to the professional negotiators and attorneys who deal with the NMB on a daily basis? Do you know what the NMB has been saying to your negotiators and MEC officers? Do you have a phone patch to the White House to know what the president's reaction is going to be to a pilot group pushing for a release before the November elections?

I don't know whether requesting a release is right or wrong at this point. But I do know that pilots issuing ultimatums without having all of the facts is rarely a good idea.