Originally Posted by
Herkflyr
So ALPA had to accept and live in the real world (something not advocated often in the bizarre alternate reality of these aviation message boards) and reluctantly switched positions so as to at least have a little influence in the legislation.
You're giving ALPA a pass on this and you shouldn't. You can have plenty of influence on legislation even if you oppose it. That's what all this lobby money and our "top notch" lawyers are supposed to provide!
ALPA should have maintained a strong stance against 65 and made that very clear to every legislator. But you can also say to them: "If you decide to vote against our position, we will absolutely need (fill in the blank) or you may not count on our continued support." That's how you do it.
To say that ALPA had to cave in so that they could influence the legislation is to excuse their duplicitous behavior.
Carl