I understand your logic - thinking about this only from your perspective and I agree with you that Connection pilots have been unwilling to "buy" their scope. But you have to take a larger view of what is good for this profession as well as those who are below you on your own seniority list. This is where I hope that a national union can take a broad view. We need national leadership that can convince ALPA members that coordination between working groups is a very good thing.
You hit it on the head.
Regardless of the perspective, the "larger view" of the profession should be to protect and enhance it. ALPA, or any other union, doesn't have the ability to alter economics or Mr. Smith's
Invisible Hand. Supply & Demand, Government Influence, and autonomous authority in the hands of union reps with disparate priorities all combine to make the collective goals achievable only when the planets align.
We
had the leadership necessary to get Brand Scope at at least two of the mainlines...but the
distaff side of ALPA, led by Ms. Dan and Ms. Jesse weren't listening. They were petulant, impatient, combin-o-facists who never understood the price
they would be expected to bear for the benefits they expected to be
GIVEN.
The
objectives were never disputed by any of the mainline guys...nor any of the Airlink reps involved. But because the RJDC dinks never
tried to understand the
necessity for shared cost...the greatest leaders in the world couldn't have kept those zealots working on the cause from the inside.
I've watched their claims, demands, and "logic" morph over the years as adult-after-adult has explained to them that their efforts were without merit because their "no cost" premise was specious.
What's good for my profession is that my profession stay good. As I explained earlier, the need for a professional apprenticeship is reasonable. (Don't confuse that with Union Apprenticeship,
Probie!) The demarckation point of the transition from "need it" to "got it" is exasperatingly subjective. While we try to find a reasonable point for the transition, it is important to protect the ulimate goal....the high-end position with the pay/rules/benefits we hope to achieve.