Well,

If you're gonna throw around the "balderdash" word, then I would agree, you hail from a different generation. Much we can learn from the grey beards, much indeed.

Agreed, all negotiations fall short.

There must be things that fall off our want list, but we need to maintain integrity on our must have list.

The blame game is not something unique to aviation, but it is peculiar to divide and conquer modalities of negotiation and in particular managers who thrived during deregulation. Many splinter groups at the table both directly and indirectly; and management loves to play one side against the other.

I wonder if you are former big shot at ALPA, or former big shot at nmb. Gotta think back as to who used the "balderdash" comment allot.

The NMB changes hands allot, sort of like hill 51 in the Korean conflict. Not sure I would want to plant a flag in the NMB and claim I own them, or I know what/where their allegences lie on a particular day. Different story if my cousin Vinny was the NMB Chair, but alas I am not that fortunate.