Originally Posted by
Jack Bauer
Yes I absolutely think there is something to be learned from several pilot groups around the world from India to the UK trying to bring awareness to working conditions and pay. I believe ALPA should not only be proposing much more stringent work rules than what they just put out there but should be having marches and news media events to push the agenda at a time when people seem more willing to listen what with the Colgan accident and the publicity Sulley and Skiles brought. Unfortunately none of that seems to be happending. Not only is it not happening but "our" union, and I say that tongue and cheek" is proposing increasing flight times right along side the ATA. Sad.
I don't know whether I agree with your assessment about our proposal, because I still don't have the full text, but I agree 100% that we need to work the media, and other avenues of influencing public opinion.
I am very disappointed by ALPA's communication "efforts", both internally and to the public. In all fairness, I maybe going slightly overboard by criticizing something we hardly ever experience. It's a little like criticizing the lousy food at a lousy restaurant, where the service is so bad you don't even get lousy food to complaint about...
One area in which we're not so bad: we have fairly strong legislative lobbying efforts. Maybe we figure the public actually doesn't matter? While courting senators may be the best bang for our buck, I still would prefer intelligent, timely, driven communications. As it stands now, we're barely playing defense, where I would actually like to see us mount an effective offense. If nothing else, it would make me feel better to have people I pay defend my profession. Being taken seriously will be one small step in re-building this profession (assuming it can be done).
And while I'm at it, Prater needs to go. He delivered Age 65 for his friends; he can leave now. I'll support the PAC again once he's gone.