Ahhhhh NJWife! For the first time, I have to call bad form on you! Your closing statements in your post are completely out of line.
And that I made them, nonetheless, considering the situation mentioned below, should tell you how strongly I believe it needs to be said. Perhaps our definition of bad form differs? To me it is standing by refusing to help (or use the bully pulpit) while potentially hundreds of NJ families may lose their income.
Our own union leadership and officials have made it a point NOT to campaign to push the JPM's on anyone.
This could turn out to be a big mistake if their silence fails to convey the urgent need for participation. And they have repeated over and over and over ad nauseum that they would like it if no one else did either.
I think that's just a bit of exaggeration....
Many threads on our own message boards have been headed off by Brian Ward when it appeared that one individual or another was asking folks to take advantage of these measures, or someone would express "disappointment" that not everyone was doing his/her part.
I guess leadership is concerned that the pilotgroup will lose its unity if it breaks down into seniority blocks. Ironically, I think that is more likely to occur if too many pilots opt out and lots of junior pilots get furloughed. If that were to happen, how motivated will the junior pilots be on future issues to stand with senior pilots who refused them help at a critical time?
Now here you are on a public message board doing exactly what they've asked us not to do.
And there I was at home (on the phone) telling my husband of my concerns. We're all involved and we're all entitled to an opinion. FI is a good forum for discussing the issues. Personally, I think there should be just as much discussion about the JPMC as there was about the past contract votes.
While I understand your passion towards this issue, I think it would be best to respect the wishes of our union officers.
They may want a calm, quiet NJ message board, but they haven't asked us not to debate the issue here. My husband knows where I stand and he didn't ask me to stop posting here. Perhaps your post would have been better served by concluding with "Please take the time to read and understand the Joint Preventative Measures, and make an informed decision on what you can or can't do."
I think there are plenty of people sticking to that safe message and we can assume by now that most have read the package. I believe it's time to start the moral debate, to ask -- what is the right thing to do. I think NJA/I families will be better served by an open discussion that includes words like: selfish, personal responsibility, and unity.
Asking people directly to take advantage of the JPM's is contrary to what the union has advised us about doing.