Or maybe "other ALPA pilots" whose block reps, NC chairs or MEC chairs refuse to bid an aircraft without a pay rate?

First, all I was saying is that somehow we decided this stupid lanyard is the main indicator of ALPA membership at Fedex. I hate lanyards. So, obviously I'm biased. It just so happens that some of the pilot groups at carriers with decades of ALPA experience wear the ALPA pin. (but, then again, why would we look to those pilot groups and avoid re-inventing the wheel - we didn't bother with the 757 and 777 training programs, either). National officers testify before congress wearing ALPA pins, not lanyards. If you want to wear a lanyard, knock yourself out. I'd rather not catch sh!t in ops because I prefer to wear a pin on my tie and ID.

Second, I don't understand your statement. They acted like a union and made management go to court?? Is "acting like a union" bad? If "acting like a union" causes management to go to court and the courts act in their favor, isn't that an indictment of the courts, not the guy's acting like a union?

Finally, don't some or all of those court decisions potentially apply to us as well?

It's not about the lanyard! It's about getting everyone on the same page. It's about acting as "one". Or, at least convincing management that we are. We can't even get this group to wear a friggin' lanyard!! We can't even get this group to go out and have the company buy them a friggin' hat!! We can't even get this group to show up at friggin' picketing events, en masse!!

Why is this? Because we, as individuals, think we know better. We know that wearing a "stupid lanyard", or holding a stupid sign while wearing a "stupid hat" at informational picketing is worthless.

So far, it seems the most we can get this group to do, is put stickers on their bags. And, those stickers look real good when guys are out there flying DP's, make-up, volunteer and draft while working during their sold back vacations.

When this pilot group starts acting like a union...Nobody will worry about bag tags, pins and stupid lanyards. They'll worry about us!!

My primary concern here...
is the breakdown in the system.
In this instance, the system failed...
because two members did not work to resolve their differences...
while preserving the integrity of the union.
Now you may have been proven right, Mr. Busboy...
but insofar as the letter of the law is concerned...
you were both right.
And you were also both wrong.
This is the dilemma that will occupy this board, this Airline...
and this industry's aviators as a whole...
long after you leave this room.

Thank you, Admiral.

We have rules that are not open to interpretation, personal intuition, gut feelings, hairs on the back of your neck, little devils or angels sitting on your shoulders.

Truer words were never spoken!