Slick ties divide us? Not sure how that can be, when one group of pilots is prohibited from wearing it. That to me demonstrates that the group's union leaders do not want unity. Why would you prohibit unity on the one hand while stating that we demand it on the other?
The Pin means different things to different people. To some it is all about the mother ship. To some it is all about unity. To some it is all about conformity. To some it is a genuine spirit of solidarity. To some it brings back bad memories from airline X, Y, or Z. To some it brings back bad memories from absolute bafoonery in their current airline.
I do wear my pin, but not for the obvious reason of unity, or because of some need for conformity. I wear it because it's all we got. Despite ALPA's numerous imperfections, it's age 65 failures, its history of failed seniority integrations, its conflict of interest between mainline and regional representation, its failures to represent military dues paying members properly, its concessionary contracts and its inability to drive results when it counts I still wear my pin. Sometimes I am not proud of ALPA, but sometimes I am. I do think ALPA does a good job in representing a pilot in need and in the safety arena, but politically, ALPA is playing the varsity game at the JV level.
I sometimes wonder why ALL of the airlines aren't ALPA, but then I go out and talk with folks that don't mind sharing their carrier's history with me and I get some good answers.
Again, it means different things to different folks. I hope ALPA really does a better job in being a better union. I do think it costs too much. But, it's the price of admission to the profession, so that is what it is.
I wouldn't give people a hard time about the pin. It shows immaturity. Why bother a guy if you knew he had a family member in the hospital? Some feel that bad about the history of the union. Why bring it up? You know the measure of a person after a hand shake and a look in the eye. You don't need a pin or any other badge of courage to prove who you are or who you are not. Wear it if you want to, don't if you don't want to. I do think as we approach contract negotiations it is important and maybe some folks can get over their hard feelings for the sake of the pilot group at large, but more often than not it is blown out of proportion.
I realize that we fish are smarter and safer in a school, and from my seat in the rear corner of the classroom it seems wiser to wear my pin and swim with the other little fishies. Call it survival, or unity, or solidarity, but whatever you call it it's ok with me. Sometimes I do feel funky and wear an American Flag, Christian Cross, or sometimes my old College pin, or an old military squadron pin. if you see one of those pins on me, I am not flipping you off, but also showing respect and reverence to things that are dear to my heart.
This is just a job after all, not a marriage, not an emotional attachment. It's just business. Heck, I like it fine, but its not as much fun as catching fish, or playing baseball.