FWIW, I have to disagree with you on some points.

Whiteferg was clearly an unmitigated disaster, but remember he was brought to you by a band of wanna-be "union leaders" who couldn't handle Dubo's crassness, which needless to say was not his strong point. So they elected someone clearly not up to the job because Dubo's tactics offended some of them. They put their own issues ahead of the pilots they were supposed to represent and elected someone not qualified for the job.

If you look at Whiteferg's "resume" before he was elected MEC Chairman, you'll see how little real experience he actually had for the job. It clearly showed by his lackluster performance. However, one shouldn’t blame Paul as much as those that elected him, knowing that he didn’t have the needed background for the task at hand.

I will never forget one particular and less than astute MEC representative who made the statement that if "Whiteferg doesn't have the backbone, we'll (meaning the MEC) give him one." Yea, right.

Dubo was a realist who would have handled the Chapter 11 process MUCH better than it was.

STRONGLY disagree with this statement! STRONGLY!!!!!

The MEC, under Bathurst’s “leadership” was simply afraid to say no to the company for fear of facing the judge’s rulings. They were defeated going into the process. Even if the judge awarded everything the company wanted, they would have been in a position for contract negotiations to start far sooner than they are today. A stupid, stupid mistake on their part that occurred because of their weakness.

Here’s something from the ALPA C&B:

L. PROTECTION OF PILOTS UNDER PENSION AND WELFARE BENEFIT PLANS. SOURCE Board 1986
After consulting with the ALPA National Retirement and Insurance Department and reviewing existing contracts and pension language, each Negotiating Committee shall make every effort to provide the maximum protection to pilots under pension and welfare benefit plans in the event of the employer's bankruptcy, a strike by pilots or other employees, furlough, mergers and acquisitions, and plan terminations.

Do you think this MEC adhered to the spirit of this section? As one who was a member of and around the UAL-MEC during the time it was adopted I can tell you, while being comfortable about it, that it was never meant to imply that it was ok to enter into an agreement to help destroy the benefits of existing retirees to save the benefits of working pilots. That’s EXACTLY what “Bathurst and his MEC” did. They were bribed by the company to cut the ropes to the retiree’s lifeboat for their own pieces of silver, and they did exactly that.

“Bathurst and the current MEC are exactly what UALALPA needs.”? Not on your life. That’s not leadership under any set of criteria.

Activate their strike committee? Makes me laugh. When one loads a bullet into a gun, to be effective you have to be willing to use it. NOTHING they've done indicates to me they have the backbone to pull the trigger.