Pilot unity, or unity within any group is the ultimate leverage that is REQUIRED to drive results. Unity to a union is like nitrogen to a plant. It is required to not only survive but to thrive.

The key here is for union members to understand not only their role, but everyone's role:

1. Pilots: stay informed, stay unified on core issues. Never disagree or negotiate in public about core union issues.
2. Union: represent the interests of the profession to government to drive policy, negotiate, maintain and enforce labor agreements.
3. Government: maintain fair play in the industry and maintain desirable and achievable levels of safety.

If pilots are unified, they can assist the union in representing their goals, issues and concerns not only to management, but to the government as well.

ALPA has a unique dilemma in that it represents the interests of mainline and regional airline pilots sometimes on divergent paths. ALPA must decide that SCOPE enhancement for mainline carriers is in the long term best interests of the profession as a whole. Otherwise, it needs a separate structure for RALPA and a separate pot of money for those negotiations. I have long been a proponent for a Regional Airline Pilots Association.

The regional pilots and their union reps should come out publicly and support the enhancement of scope. The key here is do those pilots currently at the regionals (or aspiring to be there) wish to make 8 million dollars throughout their careers or 14 million dollars? The career is worth more in the long run if they are patient and support mainline pilot scope enhancement.