Thread: Joe Merchant thread to bash ALPA & Delta
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Old 03-03-2009 | 05:49 PM
  #47  
1515greenlight
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From: Facing forward, punching buttons
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Originally Posted by DAL4EVER
I can't speak for Prater, but I can tell you from friends in the financial industry that Moak is the only ALPA leader in recent memory to echo the EF Hutton commercials from the '80s. When he speaks, people listen. He knows the street and he also has a strong presence with members of the hill. For all of the issues I have with him on the recent relaxation of our scope, he and the other members of the MEC seem to have the most power on Wall Street and DC of any airline union leader. They, including members of our management, respect and fear him in a way. For this, he may make a solid candidate for the next ALPA National leader. I've often felt he was going this route, contrary to whatever he tells the rank and file but under his watch we successfully fended off a hostile takeover, helped engineer the largest airline merger in history, give the most money back to its members through the claim and allocation money of any group that went through BK, secured a financial stake in the new airline for its members, etc. That wouldn't have happened if management didn't have pressure from Wall Street on this. In an age where money talks, he may be the most important ally we have in a perverse way.


If by "recent memory" you mean Prater, you are 100% correct. Having witnessed Prater's debacle's in addressing Wall Street and the Hill, it's sad for all of us and was embarrasing for the ALPA staff who put together the presentations he mangled. While I agree with you that he (Moak) is in line, the sad part is that there are no other's out there either. Elections should never be coronations.

That said, it gives pause to give serious consideration as to why your combined carrier does not stand alone. You have the mass, finances and infrastructure. That which you don't have can easily be contracted, like insurance and aeromedical products. I'm not encouraging it, but given the percentage of money that you send to DC and don't get back, you could do a lot and not have to put up with the political drama.

PCL...it's good to know that you bounce from place to place singing Prater's praises. You make a habit of calling myself and others liars when they don't follow the party line you have been given to preach. The BOD was a big place; I doubt you were everywhere. You certainly were not present at the discussions I was party to and the comments I heard firsthand. Therefore, we are left to assume that since you were not there, anything you didn't hear was is a lie. Perhaps you were busy in the hospitality suite with the hooker that was flown in from DTW and the dwarf bartender dressed like a leprechaun, I don't know and really don't care. I'll stake my almost three decades in ALPA and several terms as an MEC officer against your one. Or maybe two now. I've worked under Duffy, Babbitt, Woerth and Prater. Never in all that time with so many elections have I witnessed such a disgrace as what occurred at that BOD. Trading votes is one thing. Selling is another.

Each of those men made mistakes, but there was never an inability to lead in the manner we see today.

The other posters here and I were carrying on a well intentioned and spirited discussion. I may disagree with them on points and they with me, but I respect their points of view. Carl disagreed with me in a civil manner and I responded to that.

You however, come in and use words like "liar," without knowing facts or the people you call liar. Just as you have elsewhere. Some of us, like myself and I assume Carl, were doing this before you came into the world. (Carl, hope I don't date you too bad)

Perhaps you should consider the advice that an old UAL 777 Captain and friend of mine offered to a know-it-all F/O: "Sit back, clean out your ears and listen. You'll be amazed at what you will learn from people who have been around a lot longer than you."
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