Yep, you're right I am keeping my head in the sand. After 50% +1 of our pilots chose to piss away any chance of a say in our future it is the only survival mechanism available to me now. Don't judge me for just trying to do whatever I have to do to no longer really give a $hit what Ricci does to/with his company as long as I can pay my mortgage and feed my kids.
The thing about Ricci is he is extremely consistent. There is nothing unpredictable about him. He will avail himself to whatever benefit there is in the system. He is very open about it and on the record with it so why this comes as a shock to anyone is mystifying and why anyone even cares anymore is more mystifying.
The only thing Ricci has ever done inconsistent with his liberal bent is be against a union. He was, after all, Clinton's personal pilot and he is quoted as saying one of the most leftist profs at Notre Dame is his mentor. He's made no secret of his true ideology if you actually listen. He's actually pretty honest when you think about it.
So listen to me as I bet I speak for the majority of pilots here now: I am the model employee - a broken man just looking to survive. I'm too old to go to the majors and too young to retire. So with no hope of a union ever beating him (even with the miniscule chance one would ever even be elected again he'll always win) I will just ride the Ricci wave as far as it takes me. Maybe I can even bend my knee far enough to be a Red Label demi-god and see my dick grow 10 inches longer or so I hear happens.
Kenn Ricci, to his credit, built this company on the backs of pilots as greedy as the day is long. He knew them better than they knew themselves. Sure, you may disagree with his methodology but give credit where credit is due: this little known (outside of aviation) billionaire did what even the great Warren Buffet has been unable to accomplish. It has nothing to do with the strength of your union but rather everything to do with how the game is played.
Idiots come up to me all the time trying to join in on the new secret union push. I want nothing of it. Life is too short.