Originally Posted by
johnso29
The problem is they say what we want to hear, then get in office and follow through on zero of their promises. That's typical politics IMO, and has been going on for years on all levels. I'm not sure we will ever break that cycle.
I think the only thing that will change with a new union is that we will lose all our ground that we have in Washington. 
Exactly. I see no upside to a new union whatsoever. I do see value in cleaning up ALPA.
There might be some value to
the threat of a new union however. I for one believe Prater is a one-trick poney that has been left to graze in ALPA's field long after he gave his backers what they wanted: Age 65. How/why we're paying him, and suffering his presence still, is beyond me.
I would be all for leveraging this into a national organization that speaks far, far more effectively and aggressively about our issues, and for a sense that our union is proactively trying to advance the profession. As a reactive lobbying group, it's somewhat effective, but only "somehwat". Still, it has the size and mass of an organization that
can effectively lobby, which is something we need. So, proper leadership and vision would be a sufficient change.
Personally, I think our MEC has proven capable, and Moak has proven capable. I think the test of our MEC will come in 2012 and before, and I think it should be injected with enough new blood, then given a chance to perform with a great deal of volunteer supervision. I think the time would be ripe for Moak to make a graceful exit, an I think a good test of his skills would be to help him get to replace Prater. He already enjoys greater clout.
I think there is always a danger in these people becoming too comfortable in their relationships. And anyone that can make it to MEC Chairman is probably too ambitious to sit still. For those reasons, I'd like to see an influx of intelligent people at the MEC level, and for Moak to be given the chance to replace Prater. You do your job right, you get promoted. You sit for a term or two at National, you get ousted before you grow tentacles. Simple as that.
I also think one of the great flaws, both at National and our MEC, is poor communications. When we were under the threat of an 1113 motion, those efforts were extremely well calibrated. Since then, Lee's letters are slowly morphing into Harvard Business School-like musings. It's not just Lee's latest prose: the MEC and National Comm efforts in general are also fatally flawed.
Assuming we can identify candidates for LEC elections that are assertive AND smart, I'm all for bringing them in, and for the MEC to put up a replacement Chairman. If we execute on those tasks, which are very, very difficult in and of themselves, we'd have a chance of securing a decent contract in 2012.
C12 is the most important medium-term issue on the Delta Pilot's agenda. If we lose track of that, and give the keys to the kingdom to an unknown entity trying to ride the anti-incumbant wave with no clear agenda... we're done. Our contract negotiations will result in a good old-fashion ball-kicking contest, and we'll have noone else to blame for electing to receive.