That's fine.
I'm reasonable...you say you walked the line at Comair and supported your brothers and sisters at ASA...you put your money where your mouth is.
I don't think IT's reasonable to make such broad generalizations EVER(as in we OWE it ALL). The real truth is always more nuanced than that. These kinds of broad generalizations only result in useless banter and arguing. Broad generalization is a political tool...and one used very effectively...on both sides...to defeat our last(probably periord) ALPA drive at SkyWest. It does not promote effective debate...it only says, "if you don't agree with me...shutup." Many of us who supported the ALPA drive at SkyWest and voted yes had to not only debate the valid points, but also blunt the "tone" of statements like your own. Do you think, given the opportunity to join a brotherhood, that a pilot would want to do so with a proverbial gun to the head? Your attitude and beliefs are not helping the issue. While your principals are sound and you have valid facts and your own integrity to back them up...your public statement of them as a diatribe against SkyWest pilots is one of the reasons we remain without legal representation. Many "fencesitters" were pretty pissed off at the statements of other pilots at our company and elsewhere...basically, "join ALPA because you OWE it ALL to us anyway."
It's too bad, because the OC ran a very professional and intelligent campaign.
So if you are going to blame us for riding on your coattails(and make that broad generalization), I'm going to have to say that your brothers and sisters who made those very broad statements during the drive...and held that proverbial gun to our heads...are more to blame for the failure of ALPA at SkyWest than anyone else. And, again, this happened both internally and externally.(so it's not just 'everyone else' I am blaming...a lot of SkyWest employeed ALPA supporters were the same way).
It's politics. People are lemmings. People are a mob. If you piss them off...they are going to give you the finger and vote for someone else. ALPA national was savvy. The OC was savvy. Unfortuneately the 'community' was not so savvy and pissed enough lemmings off that a trail was blazed right over the cliff. The fault for that spins right back around to the pilots, from inside SkyWest and outside SkyWest, who couldn't enter into an intelligent debate. Those who simply issued insults and ultimatams(sp?) are the ones who are primarily to blame for driving the lemmings over the cliff.
You can continue to believe that SkyWest OWES it ALL to you and other union carriers. I won't debate that anymore...because it will only spiral into ridiculousness. You have the integrity to back that up because you've actually fought the fight. However...if you continue to PUBLICALLY disrespect the 'work' that has been done by those doing their best to work 'within the system' at SkyWest you are only defeating yourself. Those same people are the ones with the loudest and most effective voices at SkyWest. If there is EVER going to be a union at SkyWest...we need those voices to support us...and insulting their 'work' and 'effort'...not matter what the truth about said 'work' and 'effort' or the results thereof...is NOT the way to gain their support. I'm not talking about 'wimping out'...we, as a pilot community generally, and as union supporters specifically(both within and without SkyWest) NEED to learn to rise about the schoolyard antics and rhetoric. I believe there could have been enough "yes" votes at SkyWest if an intelligent and honest debate had been maintain by ALL involved. If that had happened...this discussion we are having would have been moot.
I've said enough. Sorry for the thread drift.
