Nothwthstanding the fact that many pilots are indeed lazy,
Oh... so you recognize it...but you want to ignore it...
That is like saying... Notwhithstanding the fact that he was sleeping around on his wife.... the guy is really horny... so that makes it ok...
Please.... this nullifies the rest of your post... but I'll respond to it anyway..
what you call laziness is noting more than recognition of the futility of working within ALPA's current structure to effect meaningful change. Left completely unchecked during the tenures of Randy "Make it Rain for the Man" Babbitt and Duane "Alter ego, what alter ego?" Woerth the "democracy" you tout allowed the near total disenfranchisement of a significant portion of ALPA's membership to the detriment of us all.
If you can't manage democracy in America, then where? Sure it takes work, and it is fustrating... but what else are you going to do? If democracy doesn't work... then what?
I wasn't advocating for change as much as describing what I thought the miracle that saves the Association will look like. Barring that miracle, you can stick a fork in ALPA; it's done as a player in national politics and in the corporate arena. It will no doubt survive in some form as a vendor of services to airline pilots, but the days of a rising tide that lifts all boats are disappearing rapidly in the rear-view mirror.
Then what do you suggest to protect the profession in the next decades?
I'm pretty sure that Prater isn't the guy to lead us to the promised land,
I never thought he was.... but the rest of the pilots had to have him....
but I give him credit for understanding that Age 65 was a done deal regardless of what those members of the Association who took the time to voice an opinion thought.
The minority. Does democracy work when a majority actually participates? I mean we had a town council and mayor election last week... 8% particapted. How pathetic.
We've got MIL guys defending the consititution and our democracy....for what? So we can be apathetic? Not give a shat? Let's be clear.. the very MIL pilots that are fighting for the constitution and democracy are rejecting democracy as union members...
So if we don't value democracy... then what do we do? Get rid of it? And replace it with what?
It's debatable whether or not a more robust ALPA could have influenced the course of events, but it's also debatable whether or not the naked self-interest that drove oppositiom to Age 65 would have been as prevalent in a healthy and robust Union culture.
The only way ALPA will be more influential is greater member particaption. If the ALPA president says to gov't and industry.. I'll have 40,000 pilots marching the Wash DC Mall next month if you don't change... and have the abilty to make it happen... that is influence...
But pilots are too lazy was your opener and that is ok.
When you filter out all of the ad hominem attacks and seniority-grab conspiracy theories and recognize that a bit of overreaching is a necessary component of any foray into our system of civil justice, I believe that the kernel of truth in the RJDC's activities was a DFR lawsuit that should have been heard in its entirety. The fact that it expired as much as a result of the friction inherent in the legal system as anything else was not a victory for ALPA. You prattle on about the noble intentions of the Founders, but much of what the RJDC was advocating for amounted to no more than a strictly constructionist reading of the C & B and the Admin. Manual. A victory by the RJDC would have been cataclysmic in the short term, but I truly believe that BTFTTG is a necessary condition for rebuilding ALPA. I supported them despite having one of the "good jobs" because I understood that I did actually have a dog in the fight.
I support the RJDC right to address its grievences.
However I don't support thier tactics and methods. They would have been much more effective if they got significant of not majority support. But thier political skillset and leadership skills stink. They could not rally the membership. Had they, they would have been more successful.
Joe Merchants sig line is 'Democracy must be more than two wolves and a sheep argueing whats for dinner.'
Well democracy is more than that... via the lawsiuts... In many countries the miniority can't be heard, but in the good ol USA you can sue. Democracy allowed the McDonalds Hot coffee woman to sue. She was a single person who foreced the majority.
So even if one is weak minded and can't start a grassroots movement to effect change, meaning the RJDC, then they can always sue. Not so in most of the world.
Sorry, your post doesn't alleviate us as American citizens to be responsible members of democracy, whether it is gov't, HOA's, unions...
