We need to be mindful of the disadvantages of trying to wear a white hat when dealing with people of low character.

Make no mistake, the people our representatives are negotiating with are liars. They have not been negotiating in good faith. They want to forestall a new contract as long as possible. The recent history of our Association's dealings with them should provide ample example of where they are coming from and what their strategy is.

Whose responsibility is this situation, this impasse? I believe it's wholly management's. There is overwhelming evidence of that. They own the problem. The public and the shareholders have a right to know what's going on. They deserve to know that incompetent executives and managers, and the minion lawyers who do their bidding are putting the reliability of the system at risk, and that shareholder equity is also at risk.

The solution is easy. Management needs to negotiate in good faith. Some incompetent and self-serving executives and managers need to be cast by the wayside. They are likely lying up the management chain as well. There needs to be honesty, transparency, and accountability. The culture needs to change. The company needs to be what it proclaims itself, but ignores at the personal convenience of people who like to wear kilts. There really has to be a truly just culture before we can move forward to the benefit of all -- our customers, our shareholders and faithful employees. The boardroom, needs to fix this now.

Given the situation and the relative ease of a solution, this is a no-brainer from our position. It is time to call them out. It is a time for unity. It is a time for informational pickets. It is a time to change the terms of the games they are playing with us, our customers, and the shareholders.

It's time for the gloves to come off.