Point taken. I too welcome you Tine to this web board.

I recognize that my opinion may not be popular with some pilots that have never gone through this process. However, I want us to have the STRONGEST position if we get to an actual strike...that's all.

My opinion is shaped by many years of experience in this business. I have breakfasts on Friday mornings with a couple of airline CEOs, some chief pilots, and VP types as part of my Christian outreach. I've talked with them about what's going on here. They have some interesting things to say. I value their perspective because they see things a little differently than the average line pilot. I think its safe to say that a guy supervising 11,000 pilots or a guy that's in charge of one of the most successful airlines in the world has more credibility than most of us on issues of labor relations.

I've stated my opinion to a couple of guys in our union. One guy agrees, another one dismisses my opinion. I've always felt you have to be in complete, lock step agreement with the union to go to a union meeting at THIS company; hence, I've never felt comfortable going to that kind of a setting to discuss other ways of doing business. But, maybe I should try in the future...i'm open to that.