Gents, why do people repeatedly go down this road. Was it a difficult and curageous decision to take this action, of course. However, any comparison between this and an aviation labor group just doesn't make sense. The Transit Workers Union no longer has a contract, it expired last week. Our contracts do not expire, they become amendable. There was no court order to prevent this and the TWU is not breaking any laws. Most importantly, the TWU has leverage. They work for a government entity that had a huge surplus last year. Notice I referred to it as a surplus and not a profit. As a line item on the state budget the MTA has an annual surplus or deficit. They are not a "for profit", free market entity. This strike will not cause the MTA to liquidate or go out of business.
Now, forget about the nuances of the RLA or this labor group. If we strike today as airline pilots, we will most likely eliminate the existance of our airline. This is a generalization, but the point remains the same. If your point is to strike for better pay and work rules, you will not meet your objective in todays economic climate. If your point is to bring the company down, you will succeed with flying colors. Instead of talking about the "big balls" of our teamster friends, go read a book or two about the history of airline labor and the success rate of self help. This is not ancient history. We are only talking about a few decades here. Or better yet, volunteer for your negotiating committee and learn about all of this first hand. It is my opinion that you get once b1tch and one b1tch only. If your one and only complaint did not result in the effect you desired, then you take charge and make it happen. Don't like your contract, change it. Don't like alpa, run for office or start a recall of your current officers and then run. If you get off your ass you can actually get something done, until then, quit b1tching.
