Originally Posted by
Bucking Bar
Agreed and with the candidates for MEC Chair a major swerve towards the status quo is occurring.
Many pilots' rationale with the DPA is that a change of representation is needed simply to nuke our self sustaining MEC power structure out. Once the offices are cleaned out, they want to return to ALPA.
I'm an ALPA supporter, but certainly relate to the frustration that drives the DPA supporters. I try to remind them to focus on the fundamentals and not emotion.
Nobody, and I mean nobody that I talk to mentions frustration or emotion when I discuss this with them. First of all, every one of my fellow crew members (both copilots and the augment Captain) has told me they are AGAINST keeping ALPA. I'm even stunned by this. Granted my crowd on the 747 are fellow old farts, but that's my experience thus far. Second, I always ask them why they want to make a change from ALPA. The answer is always either Scope, Pay, ALPA ineffectiveness, ALPA bureaucracy, etc. Nobody thus far has said that they were angry or disgusted or anything of the sort. It's always as simple as: "ALPA's broke and we need a change."
No matter how much you guys want to diminish this by calling it emotional and driven by frustration, it's just not the case. I don't know if you realize how insulting many people find those comments. Pilots are driven to fight emotion and panic in the cockpit. Most of us are very good at implementing that same behavior outside of the cockpit...even though you apparently don't think so. All the emotion and panic I see is on the ALPA supporters on this board. I've never seen such fear mongering and use of factless scare tactics.
Carl