Originally Posted by
DAWGS
Can you not see that ALPA influences the way people vote? You seem to be concerned about scope as much as myself. Why are independent unions stronger on this issue than ALPA carriers? Continental is new to ALPA and already had (50) negotiated prior to becoming ALPA, so you or ALPA can't take credit for them but I know you'll try. Please provide any others to support your argument that the association has nothing to do with the way we vote. Scope has been continually eroded under the advisement and tutelage of ALPA. We have never tightened scope and ALPA currently is not labeling it as a threat, evidenced by the last letter from our Chairman, who is now the national Prez. If scope was not a priority for him here, why would it be at national where he now has to represent the regionals? It seems we may have another RJ sympathizer taking the helm here shortly. I say all this mainly to say, RJ Scope is not important to ALPA. A change doesn't guarantee anything, but doing the same thing over and over again and failing is insanity. If you are for tightening scope, as you say you are, then why on earth would you want to stay with an organization that doesn't even list RJ scope as a threat? IMO, Scope is the # 1 threat.
I got a chance to see the ALPA spin doctors at work when I first got on at DAL. They were doing the lounge shows to sell the JCBA in support of the merger. When anyone from the audience got a good question that challenged the talking points, they were very effectively taken aside by one of the reps who would put an arm around the questioner and start to talk to him in a whisper as if to say, it'll be all right, just tell uncle rep all about it.
The point is, they actively discouraged debate and avoided any real questions. Imagine if they had to actually answer some legitimate questions from the electorate. Of course, they could take Pelosi's tact and just refer to it as 'AstroTurf'.