Quote:
Originally Posted by Bucking Bar
They got that idea by listening to management's bankruptcy bargaining presentations which were created by a bunch of Harvard outsourcing experts. Now they consider themselves "educated" and traditional unionists are "fools."
It is not a gamble. "Gamble" means they think there are odds that it will pay off. History is clear that there is no pay off in relaxed scope. The end result is always alter ego replacement until the union's representational power is irrelevant then eventual total replacement with non union workers.
We have entered the phase of representational irrelevance. We don't pick fights with management. Management placates us with 14 references to a narrow body RFP being flown by mainline pilots, feeding the peace while real airplanes are put into service which replace ours.
Why would we look at any other union's history and assume we are different?
Moak and O'Malley and the rest of the ALPA establishment see themselves as corporate executives now. They are "engaged" and in the know. They have a guy on the Board of Directors. Management strokes their egos by having them sign very important looking confidentiality agreements and then feeding them "privileged information" that the lowly line pilots couldn't possibly absorb and comprehend.
ALPA is now in partnership with management and they say so right out loud.
Traditional trade unionists have been marginalized and portrayed as dangerous extremists.
Filing a simple grievance to enforce our scope is a completely radical notion.
I think its too late to reverse course. We are committed. I hope Moak's philosophy works and we are not "representationally irrelevant" but I'm very skeptical. (if you couldn't tell)
I tend to agree with you Bar. ALPA's decision not to defend mainline scope could be the end of us.