Originally Posted by GearBoy

Pointless?

That’s your word, not mine. Never wrote it. Never intended it.

What you inferred from my written word is on you, not me.

I DO NOT believe the actions of your pilots pointless. On the contrary, I believe that without resolve and unity your cause is lost. Your pilot’s resolve and unity are impressive, unprecedented and a crucial part of the equation. I also believe that your strong resolve and unity is part of what has brought Alaska back to the table.

None the less, how many years have you been in negotiations? Three years? Three years without any real progress? I stand by my assertion that THEY decide when you get a contract, that you get a contract when THEY are ready. That does not mean that pickets, strike votes, and optics cannot influence the process. In the end, they are back because THEY decided that it was time. IMHO, attrition, the ensuing pilot shortage, and your unity and resolve effected their decision to return. Given the totality of the circumstance, THEY decided that it was time and it involved dollar$ and cents.

Like it or not, pilots’ hands are tied by the RLA. Theirs? Not so much. Does that mean pointless? No. It just means that pilots have to use everything they can, within the confines of the RLA, to include knowing their history, the mistakes of the past, and not repeat them.

Now that they’ve returned to the table; is pilot resolve, aptitude, and unity going to be enough to cause them to abandon their time-proven negotiating tactics? Is the attrition and an ensuing pilot shortage enough to prevent their quid pro quo process? You can hope so but I personally doubt it. This is a comment about them, not about pilot abilities, aptitude, unity, or resolve.

BTW, Doublespeak is language used to deceive usually through concealment or misrepresentation of truth.

There is nothing untrue about what I have said, no misrepresentation of truth, no concealment. I stand behind everything I have written.

I am not an Alaska company stooge, I am not trolling. I am not stirring the pot. I am not here intent on sowing seeds of doubt. Contrary to the allegations, mischaracterizations, inferences, and the ad hominem attacks of a select few, no insults intended.


As far as pattern bargaining is concerned, as an industry, we all build on the gains of others. Any deal you guys get, I want it to be as good as possible; for, the rest of us will hopefully build upon your gains, adopt your improvements. So, in that respect we are all negotiating for the industry as a whole.


Timing? It’s always timing and the time is ripe for improvement. It’s long overdue.



Sincerely and Fraternally,


GearBoy,

Your Trolling, Pot-stirring, Seeds of Doubt-sowing, Pot-kettle, Jack-wagon