Your posts have gotten under my skin and I am partly giving in to the urge to lash out. I can picture you lying on the floor, kicking your heels and banging your fists. My perception of you is that you are a mainliner that has wound up in a decent position and you have little concern for the plight of others. I am also guessing that you never worked at a regional and probably came out of the military straight to DAL. You probably also fly in the reserve during your generous mainline time off.

Perhaps we should have a seperate union for Captains and First Officers. They each have their own concerns and issues. Maybe it would be better to have a union that focuses solely on my PIC issues and does not have to bother with the riff raff that does not even have to hold an ATP and a type rating. Why should I pay dues to a union that does not completely focus on my situation dealing with the weighty burdens of command?

So you are not a socialist? Neither am I, and I do not believe that I have even met one. Try to expand your thinking beyond sound bites that can fit on a bumper sticker. Our country is in economic crisis mainly due to the evisceration of regulatory oversight of our financial system. Solutions are discussed and hammered out, and all the far right can do is cry "socialism". No new ideas, just the tired old ones that got us here. Rhino Driver, you are probably going to be totally urinary when national health care is created.

Often the inhouse unions are held up as an example of the best way to go. APA; Did they not agree to the original B-scale in the 80's? This was a horror show that took more than a decade to rectify. FAPA: Their company is fighting for its life and they have had to come up with serious "give backs" to keep the lights on. I am not criticising them for doing so and I am happy that FAL has had two profitable quarters lately. An in-house union does not guarantee success.

It all comes down to two basic attitudes. Preserve my immediate situation and screw the new hires, the regional pilots, and anyone else. Or else work to raise the floor of our profession while improving the pay and work rules at the top tier. These goals are not mutually exclusive. The most effective strategy for long term gains for everyone and the health of our profession is closer links between pilot groups and contracts covering more than one company.