realityman
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2004
- Posts
- 782
finnjl,
I think you, and many others posting here, are completely mising the point about unions. Prior to NJA, I had almost an extreme anti-union sentiment. Of course, I was also walked all over by the company management of the last places I worked.
But the point is, you and some others act like the unions are mostly ineffective. Quick recap: who are the unions? Answer: The pilots!!! (well, in the aviation industry anyway). So, if a particular union isn't effective, most likely it's because the union members (i.e. the pilots), simply refuse to stand up for themselves. Union leaders can only do so much if the membership at large doesn't back them up.
When our negotiating team met with company officials to negotiate, the company would often dig its heals in and refuse to budge. When the results of these sessions were reported to the pilot membership, things on the road mysteriously slowed down, a lot. And just as mysteriously, the company would be back at the table the next day with a better offer.
I wonder what would have happened if instead of things on the road slowing down, our pilots kept pushing the pace, doing favors for the company, working extra days, and flying planes that weren't COMPLETELY legal. Think we'd be where we are today?
So when you knock unions, and especially the union leadership, try to remember who the union REALLY is. If the union is ineffective, the members probably don't need to look much further than a mirror to figure out why.
I think you, and many others posting here, are completely mising the point about unions. Prior to NJA, I had almost an extreme anti-union sentiment. Of course, I was also walked all over by the company management of the last places I worked.
But the point is, you and some others act like the unions are mostly ineffective. Quick recap: who are the unions? Answer: The pilots!!! (well, in the aviation industry anyway). So, if a particular union isn't effective, most likely it's because the union members (i.e. the pilots), simply refuse to stand up for themselves. Union leaders can only do so much if the membership at large doesn't back them up.
When our negotiating team met with company officials to negotiate, the company would often dig its heals in and refuse to budge. When the results of these sessions were reported to the pilot membership, things on the road mysteriously slowed down, a lot. And just as mysteriously, the company would be back at the table the next day with a better offer.
I wonder what would have happened if instead of things on the road slowing down, our pilots kept pushing the pace, doing favors for the company, working extra days, and flying planes that weren't COMPLETELY legal. Think we'd be where we are today?
So when you knock unions, and especially the union leadership, try to remember who the union REALLY is. If the union is ineffective, the members probably don't need to look much further than a mirror to figure out why.
