Recall of MEC Chair & Vice Chair

[Fanblade]

It's amazing how somehow you need to take concessions for gains when the FAs didn't.

The FA’s made gains?

If one defines catching up with inflation as no raise at all. The FA’s are still well into pay cut territory. Well well into it. Whereas we are generally floating right at the zero point lost to inflation since 2003. See page 8 for discussion and exceptions.

The FA’s started this process 26-35% behind pre bankruptcy wages. Their bonus a small fraction of ours.

Assuming the arbitration spits out the TA. A starting FA’s hourly wage will be 33% behind pre bankruptcy wage, plus boarding pay and a small bonus. That could drop to 20% behind pre bankruptcy with a lot of legs. The top of their pay scale is now roughly 21% behind pre bankruptcy wage, plus a small bonus, plus boarding pay which won’t amount to much for senior FA’s.

Very close to an across the board 20% behind pre bankruptcy wages. The next few years are inflation only wages which will make the dollar gap worse in relation to pre bankruptcy because the raises are on a smaller number.

I have to say. I don’t see that as gains in any way shape or form.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING.

A key ingredient of the leapfrog process that we are just starting here in Canada, which has worked so well in the US, is that our wages in Canada need to be easily comparable to each other. Maybe money at WestJet won’t impact the table at AC and vis versa. WestJet also consolidated the way they get paid in the last round of bargaining for the same reason.

We are only just beginning this process. Moving money around in negotiations is normal and is not a concession unless the pot gets smaller. And the pot didn’t get smaller.

What you are actually arguing is you wanted more. Which I completely understand.

Stay hungry.

I much prefer hunger over negativity or pessimism. Hunger will achieve things the other two won’t.

[Bede]

It's amazing how somehow you need to take concessions for gains when the FAs didn't.

Yeah, if only the AC pilots did as well as the FA's they'd be so much better off.

[altiplano]

Reading this thread it's easy to see why pilots sign dumb ass 10 yrs & 20 yrs deals.

It's amazing how somehow you need to take concessions for gains when the FAs didn't.

Altiplano...you are like regurgitating talking head doll. We get it...you want to give things away. It's sad.

Now I can only imagine the pressure to capitulate with a company made threat on pensions.

You don't get it. And that basic idea and your fail to grasp it is what is sad. I'm not saying anything about concessions, I'm saying that guaranteed pay is better than conditional pay.

Would you have rather had a smaller raise and maybe a chance to get a capped payment in April based on executive book keeping? Especially with this management group that is giving away our lunch and driving our network to shit?

"I want an even bigger raise and an even bigger variable performance based bonus and the 6-49 winning numbers for tonight"

Don't we all. But when we get to the point that there is no more squeeze, I would rather put the juice we've got in the bucket that is a sure thing than a maybe thing.

When there really is no juice at all and we need a cherry to get a deal and the company senses it kicks the can a year or two out, that's when we take a performance payout scheme again. But anytime we can shift it to guaranteed pay is better.

Airlines are the most notoriously unprofitable and volatile businesses in all of the history of capitalism. Bankruptcies, mergers, collapses, pandemics, terrorism, regulation, geo-politics, groundings... and you want to base a significant part of your income on that? On this management team? On this bloated company? A scheme that if calculated into this airlines 88 year history would have paid out maybe 5 times ever? F-that. I'll take it in my bank account every month...

Airline profitablity and stock price isn't what we want to hitch our horses to. Look how that went for United's pilots in their Blue Sky deal in the 80s. Look how that went for us in our recent 10 year deal that, while bringing a few AIP payments, decimated the rest of our contract and pay. The company loved us taking that bait... Were sold that what's good for the company was good for us because upgrades and wide-bodies and AIP and new relationship and we worked more and were paid less and then we entrenched it in 2017, and 2021, and gave on just about every MOA along the way that we could because what's good for Air Canada is good for us...

I've been there and seen that ride and saw some guys get rich on AC stock while they pushed out a big steamer that was ACPA and what's left of our contract. That's what happens when airline profitablity motivates some guys.

@#$! that. Pay me.

[3rdWorldClassPilot]

What's amazing is the same people who voted Yes to 10 yrs deals are now into pattern bargaining...

"Cycles of bargaining"

And now giving more lectures about union bargaining strategies

[AV80R]

Speaking of guaranteed pay how many are still waiting for their 900hr guarantee cheque due months ago? The union seems unwilling to do anything about the company simply not paying us our contracted salary either.

[Fanblade]

What's amazing is the same people who voted Yes to 10 yrs deals are now into pattern bargaining...

"Cycles of bargaining"

And now giving more lectures about union bargaining strategies

We might just be former P4C that work diligently to rid ourselves of ACPA. You’re welcome.

The strategy I have tried to explain, my apologies if it came off as a lecture, is not mine. It’s ALPA’s.

I think ALPA’s bargaining strategy south of the border speaks for itself. And yes they will be the first to tell you it took multiple bargaining cycles. In fact that was ALPA’s exact words. Multiple bargaining cycles.

After the bankruptcies of the mid 2000’s US carriers went from making slightly more than us to making far less than us. It took two bargaining cycles before they surpassed us again. What you want, parity with US carriers, took a decade and a half for them to accomplish. No one handed them anything. Everything was hard fought.

It is no different for us.

[Fanblade]

Speaking of guaranteed pay how many are still waiting for their 900hr guarantee cheque due months ago? The union seems unwilling to do anything about the company simply not paying us our contracted salary either.

Didn’t I just read that is being paid out as a separate check next month? I agree though the delay isn’t acceptable.

[thepoors]

What's amazing is the same people who voted Yes to 10 yrs deals are now into pattern bargaining...

"Cycles of bargaining"

And now giving more lectures about union bargaining strategies

We might just be former P4C that work diligently to rid ourselves of ACPA. You’re welcome.

The strategy I have tried to explain, my apologies if it came off as a lecture, is not mine. It’s ALPA’s.

I think ALPA’s bargaining strategy south of the border speaks for itself. And yes they will be the first to tell you it took multiple cycles. In fact that was ALPA’s exact words. Multiple cycles.

Right...and during which of these cycles will we have peak leverage?

[Fanblade]

What's amazing is the same people who voted Yes to 10 yrs deals are now into pattern bargaining...

"Cycles of bargaining"

And now giving more lectures about union bargaining strategies

We might just be former P4C that work diligently to rid ourselves of ACPA. You’re welcome.

The strategy I have tried to explain, my apologies if it came off as a lecture, is not mine. It’s ALPA’s.

I think ALPA’s bargaining strategy south of the border speaks for itself. And yes they will be the first to tell you it took multiple cycles. In fact that was ALPA’s exact words. Multiple cycles.

Right...and during which of these cycles will we have peak leverage?

The poor,

Give me an explanation why US carriers have some of the best WAWCON in the world. Yet work under the railway act which deleverages their ability to strike.

Why is this? How did they accomplish this?

Since you’re so smart and clearly don’t want to hear me explain it.

The stage is all yours. How did ALPA do what it has done in the US?

[thepoors]

We might just be former P4C that work diligently to rid ourselves of ACPA. You’re welcome.

The strategy I have tried to explain, my apologies if it came off as a lecture, is not mine. It’s ALPA’s.

I think ALPA’s bargaining strategy south of the border speaks for itself. And yes they will be the first to tell you it took multiple cycles. In fact that was ALPA’s exact words. Multiple cycles.

Right...and during which of these cycles will we have peak leverage?

The poor,

Give me an explanation why US carriers have some of the best WAWCON in the world. Yet work under the railway act which deleverages their ability to strike.

Why is this? How did they accomplish this?

Since you’re so smart and clearly don’t want to hear me explain it.

The stage is all yours. How did ALPA do what it has done in the US?

I don't want you to explain anything because I don't need to hear more coping and Stockholm syndrome excuses.

We're not in the US...and we just had a union demonstrate that striking is the way to move the needle, both with the company and a corrupt government (despite you attempting to spin it otherwise). The fact that ALPA is allergic to striking is a huge flaw, not an asset and much more could be accomplished (without it taking decades) if they were a serious union.

[Fanblade]

...and we just had a union demonstrate that striking is the way to move the needle, both with the company and a corrupt government (despite you attempting to spin it otherwise). The fact that ALPA is allergic to striking is a huge flaw, not an asset and much more could be accomplished (without it taking decades) if they were a serious union.

So let me get this straight.

You put CUPE up on a pedestal for striking but producing no results. If anyone says otherwise you don't want hear it.

You put down ALPA as anti strike even though they have produced results. You admit you have no clue how they accomplished this but insist you don't want to hear about it because you know better.

There are words to describe this thought pattern.

I thought negotiations were about results. Silly me. You clearly don't care about results and are far more focused on maximum damage if you don't get your way. I think we have found the crux of our difference of opinion. I am results oriented.

As we just saw. Maximum damage didn't produce results. But still you don't want to hear otherwise from anyone. Even though you just watched it happen right in front of your nose.

Oh yeah add in a dose of I don't want to put in the work. I'm impatient, just give it to me.

Did I nail it?

[PeakLeverage]

- Defying Section 107.
- Turning unpaid work into a national cause.
- Pulling more public support than any aviation worker in history.
- Building unity that’s never been stronger.

And you call that “no result”?

LMAO FanBlade — you’ve lost the plot. No wonder you disappeared for a while. Guess reality was too much.

[flyingcanuck]

...and we just had a union demonstrate that striking is the way to move the needle, both with the company and a corrupt government (despite you attempting to spin it otherwise). The fact that ALPA is allergic to striking is a huge flaw, not an asset and much more could be accomplished (without it taking decades) if they were a serious union.

So let me get this straight.

You put CUPE up on a pedestal for striking but producing no results. If anyone says otherwise you don't want hear it.

You put down ALPA as anti strike even though they have produced results. You admit you have no clue how they accomplished this but insist you don't want to hear about it because you know better.

There are words to describe this thought pattern.

I thought negotiations were about results. Silly me. You clearly don't care about results and are far more focused on maximum damage if you don't get your way. I think we have found the crux of our difference of opinion. I am results oriented.

As we just saw. Maximum damage didn't produce results. But still you don't want to hear otherwise from anyone. Even though you just watched it happen right in front of your nose.

Oh yeah add in a dose of I don't want to put in the work. I'm impatient, just give it to me.

Did I nail it?

The results for unionism in Canada, huge. The results for FA contract, not great at all. But dont pretend like what they did didnt take guts, it will help the rest of us.

[Fanblade]

The results for unionism in Canada, huge. The results for FA contract, not great at all. But dont pretend like what they did didnt take guts, it will help the rest of us.

Completely agree. Unfortunately I’m not hopeful . You have to understand our governmental opponent just moves on to the next opportunistic rationalism of the law. It’s been this way for decades. Hopefully they stop trying to find a work around.

But it I doubt it. Nevertheless you need to be prepared.

I know everyone appreciated the guts as do I. What did it produce.

[Fanblade]

- Defying Section 107.
- Turning unpaid work into a national cause.
- Pulling more public support than any aviation worker in history.
- Building unity that’s never been stronger.

And you call that “no result”?

LMAO FanBlade — you’ve lost the plot. No wonder you disappeared for a while. Guess reality was too much.

Absolutely they preformed fantastically in the public.

I also appreciated the guts. What did it produce for the individual FA? I can tell you they aren’t impressed.

Again I’m results oriented. By that I mean better WAWCON.

That didn’t happen. Would you have preferred a performance over results?

[Bede]

- Defying Section 107.
- Turning unpaid work into a national cause.
- Pulling more public support than any aviation worker in history.
- Building unity that’s never been stronger.

And you call that “no result”?

LMAO FanBlade — you’ve lost the plot. No wonder you disappeared for a while. Guess reality was too much.

If ACPA secured what CUPE secured, would you be satisfied with the result?

[TheStig]

- Defying Section 107.
- Turning unpaid work into a national cause.
- Pulling more public support than any aviation worker in history.
- Building unity that’s never been stronger.

And you call that “no result”?

LMAO FanBlade — you’ve lost the plot. No wonder you disappeared for a while. Guess reality was too much.

If ACPA secured what CUPE secured, would you be satisfied with the result?

Not even getting to vote on the contractual changes and having wages determined in arbitration? I'd be livid.

[unionism101]

- Defying Section 107.
- Turning unpaid work into a national cause.
- Pulling more public support than any aviation worker in history.
- Building unity that’s never been stronger.

And you call that “no result”?

LMAO FanBlade — you’ve lost the plot. No wonder you disappeared for a while. Guess reality was too much.

If ACPA secured what CUPE secured, would you be satisfied with the result?

Lol...come on Bede. You're smarter than a stupid comment like this.

Especially given your pilot group initially rejected ALPA to keep WJPA to then have the creation of Swoop to then spend a ton of negotiating capital to get rid of it.

[GeoffPilot]

- Defying Section 107.
- Turning unpaid work into a national cause.
- Pulling more public support than any aviation worker in history.
- Building unity that’s never been stronger.

And you call that “no result”?

LMAO FanBlade — you’ve lost the plot. No wonder you disappeared for a while. Guess reality was too much.

Absolutely they preformed fantastically in the public.

I also appreciated the guts. What did it produce for the individual FA? I can tell you they aren’t impressed.

Again I’m results oriented. By that I mean better WAWCON.

That didn’t happen. Would you have preferred a performance over results?

So CUPE should have just crumbled like a wet noodle because fighting is “fruitless”?

How far you’ve fallen, FanBlade. You’ve literally turned into the ACPA you once wanted to free pilots from.

Let’s not rewrite history. The 8-hour day, the 40-hour week, overtime pay, minimum wage, paid holidays, weekends, vacation, sick leave, health and safety laws, union recognition, collective bargaining rights, pensions, maternity leave, seniority, just-cause protections — every single one of those gains was only won through strikes.

But apparently all of that was “wrong.”

So instead of fighting, best to turtle, keep quiet, and hope the company hands out nice things out of the goodness of their hearts?

[Fanblade]

- Defying Section 107.
- Turning unpaid work into a national cause.
- Pulling more public support than any aviation worker in history.
- Building unity that’s never been stronger.

And you call that “no result”?

LMAO FanBlade — you’ve lost the plot. No wonder you disappeared for a while. Guess reality was too much.

Absolutely they preformed fantastically in the public.

I also appreciated the guts. What did it produce for the individual FA? I can tell you they aren’t impressed.

Again I’m results oriented. By that I mean better WAWCON.

That didn’t happen. Would you have preferred a performance over results?

So CUPE should have just crumbled like a wet noodle because fighting is “fruitless”?

How far you’ve fallen, FanBlade. You’ve literally turned into the ACPA you once wanted to free pilots from.

Let’s not rewrite history. The 8-hour day, the 40-hour week, overtime pay, minimum wage, paid holidays, weekends, vacation, sick leave, health and safety laws, union recognition, collective bargaining rights, pensions, maternity leave, seniority, just-cause protections — every single one of those gains was only won through strikes.

But apparently all of that was “wrong.”

So instead of fighting, best to turtle, keep quiet, and hope the company hands out nice things out of the goodness of their hearts?

You’re putting words in my mouth.

I said I measure success through the lens of results.

What just happened to the FA’s was sickening on multiple levels. The governments behaviour. Air Canada’s behaviour. Even that of CUPE. Everyone looking after themselves.

Perhaps my take of the situation differs from others. What I watched was two battles. The first was CUPE vs The Government use of 107. The second was AC CUPE FA’s vs Air Canada.

Once CUPE figured they had put a big enough finger into the government’s eye they bailed on battle number two. They bailed because of the growing liability over the illegal strike.

If you decide to go the illegal strike route you need to be willing to take it the distance. That is how the long list of results you posted were achieved.

CUPE said they were willing. Told their members they were willing. But they were words only. Wildcatting is very serious and can be very powerful. But it is only for the VERY SERIOUSLY TRUELY WILLING. Otherwise in the end you get squished.

I don’t think CUPE was ever willing for battle number two. Only temporarily for battle number one. Once CUPE gave the government a black eye they shut down their bravado and bailed on the FA’s.

I stood with the FA’s on their picket line. Listened to the bravado coming from the local leadership. I don’t blame the local leadership as they were just regurgitating from further up the food chain.

Many of the FA’s feel used. I completely understand why.

That is what I watched. And no I wasn’t impressed.

[Fanblade]

- Building unity that’s never been stronger.

I will post this as a concern that I hope does not happen to the FA’s.

What just happened to the FA’s happened to ACPA in 2010. The Harper intervention and subsequent gutting of our CBA left the group feeling hopeless. Up to that point ACPA was a real union. I believe those events broke ACPA’s back.

ACPA essentially gave up and went yellow. The willingness to fight evaporated. Unity decimated. Rovinescue and Harper essentially broke our union.

That is the concern. Suffering a devastating loss after putting your whole heart and sole into something often leads to mass quiet quitting. Giving up. Hopelessness. A feeling of powerlessness. Emasculated.

I lived it. And fought it.

It is important to place wins in your pocket. It builds confidence and unity. A devastating loss does the opposite. It was the beginning of the end for ACPA. This might be the beginning of the end for CUPE in aviation.

You don’t take your troops on a battle you are not willing to finish. The Air Canada component of CUPE was willing. CUPE national was not. CUPE national should not have supported a wildcat if they were not truly willing. They did it anyway, just to give the government a black eye.

CUPE National got to give the government a black eye.
Air Canada was able to hold FA costs below pre bankruptcy with the use of government intervention.
The government got to make the problem disappear.

Everyone got the results they wanted. Except the workers.

I’m not a fan of those results.

Remember lawmakers will do what lawmakers will do. Just because 107 may ( I stress may) have been neutered doesn’t mean they don’t have other tools in their tool box. The governments apparent belief that we have the right to strike, just not the right to stay on strike, ( my description of their behaviour) tells me they will just reach into their tool box for another tool next time. Or perhaps be far more aggressive with the use of 107 and their direction to the CIRB.

[thepoors]

...and we just had a union demonstrate that striking is the way to move the needle, both with the company and a corrupt government (despite you attempting to spin it otherwise). The fact that ALPA is allergic to striking is a huge flaw, not an asset and much more could be accomplished (without it taking decades) if they were a serious union.

So let me get this straight.

You put CUPE up on a pedestal for striking but producing no results. If anyone says otherwise you don't want hear it.

You put down ALPA as anti strike even though they have produced results. You admit you have no clue how they accomplished this but insist you don't want to hear about it because you know better.

There are words to describe this thought pattern.

I thought negotiations were about results. Silly me. You clearly don't care about results and are far more focused on maximum damage if you don't get your way. I think we have found the crux of our difference of opinion. I am results oriented.

As we just saw. Maximum damage didn't produce results. But still you don't want to hear otherwise from anyone. Even though you just watched it happen right in front of your nose.

Oh yeah add in a dose of I don't want to put in the work. I'm impatient, just give it to me.

Did I nail it?

The results for unionism in Canada, huge. The results for FA contract, not great at all. But dont pretend like what they did didnt take guts, it will help the rest of us.

If, in your mind, the FAs got no results from striking, what results would they have gotten had they not gone strike?... Do you not see how idiotic and illogical your argument is?

Also, beyond the direct results it set an extremely important precedent that they won't just roll over to "what the company was willing to offer" (aka ALPA's favourite tagline). For your theory of multiple rounds to work, the company has to actually fear labour action as a realistic possibility. With us all they learned last year was that ALPA will cave under the first threat of pressure. What does that do for our next round of bargaining?

[BigGreen]

Did the flight attendants get MORE when they went on strike?

Answer: YES.

So was every penny magically scooped off the table during “peak leverage”?

No.

[Fanblade]

Also, beyond the direct results it set an extremely important precedent that they won't just roll over to "what the company was willing to offer" (aka ALPA's favourite tagline). For your theory of multiple rounds to work, the company has to actually fear labour action as a realistic possibility. With us all they learned last year was that ALPA will cave under the first threat of pressure. What does that do for our next round of bargaining?

I thought you didn’t want to hear about strategy? Especially from me. Let me go find the quote. “I don't want you to explain anything because I don't need to hear more coping and Stockholm syndrome excuses”.

Unfortunately for me, you just asked a good question. Now what do I do?

Earlier I asked you how is it that ALPA carriers in the US have such great WAWCON when they basically can’t strike due to the railway act? How do they generate the pressure to achieve such results without a big stick?

You see I started asking myself this question years ago, because, as we can tell our right to strike is very hit and miss. Always has been. It’s not supposed to work that way but as you can tell that is the reality. And that makes it ultimately unreliable. Moreover the company in the past has said straight to our face. You can’t strike. The government won’t allow it. They haven’t been exactly fearful of that stick. So un fearful their strategy centre's around forcing their unions into a strike position to attract intervention. That is their one and only play book.

But right under our nose ALPA was generating results without striking south of the border. How?

The strategy is two fold. The first is everyone competes with each other to out do someone elses contract. Leapfrogging. Companies care about a competitive disadvantage. They care much less if the competition is paying the same price. It’s why everyone has to keep up. And everyone’s contract needs to be easily comparable. Tier 2 carriers are expected to keep up but probably won’t set a new high water mark. Their job is to not fall behind and create drag. Another term I have heard referring to this is everyone into the circle. Not just WAWCON but also scope.

Now think about how ACPA was matching down with things like Rouge and Cargo. Rather than competing up. A decade of ALPA US competing up and Canada competing down produced devastating results for the profession in Canada. It can’t be erased overnight.

Step two is creating a new stick to replace the inability to strike. This is where SPSC strategy comes in. Airlines are unique. Most companies don’t lose money until production stops. Even then they may not lose money until inventory dries up. Airlines rely on advanced bookings. We attack them in every way we can dream up. You don’t talk about fight club. But we simply make it very expensive to not have a deal.

Over time CEO’s and BofD’s start to realize it’s cheaper to pay as they get comfortable that they won’t be left at a disadvantage. Everyone will pay it so why take the financial hit trying to resist. Another way to put it I have heard. We are trying to turn ourselves from the variable cost companies see us as into a fixed cost like an airplane. A pilot costs what a pilot costs and everyone pays it.

Is the strategy fast. No. Does it produce results. Yes.

It’s a strategy we control that isn’t susceptible to government intervention.

[thepoors]

Also, beyond the direct results it set an extremely important precedent that they won't just roll over to "what the company was willing to offer" (aka ALPA's favourite tagline). For your theory of multiple rounds to work, the company has to actually fear labour action as a realistic possibility. With us all they learned last year was that ALPA will cave under the first threat of pressure. What does that do for our next round of bargaining?

I thought you didn’t want to hear about strategy? Especially from me. Let me go find the quote. “I don't want you to explain anything because I don't need to hear more coping and Stockholm syndrome excuses”.

Unfortunately for me, you just asked a good question. Now what do I do?

Earlier I asked you how is it that ALPA carriers in the US have such great WAWCON when they basically can’t strike due to the railway act? How do they generate the pressure to achieve such results without a big stick?

You see I started asking myself this question years ago, because, as we can tell our right to strike is very hit and miss. Always has been. It’s not supposed to work that way but as you can tell that is the reality. And that makes it ultimately unreliable. Moreover the company in the past has said straight to our face. You can’t strike. The government won’t allow it. They haven’t been exactly fearful of that stick. So un fearful their strategy centre's around forcing their unions into a strike position to attract intervention. That is their one and only play book.

But right under our nose ALPA was generating results without striking south of the border. How?

The strategy is two fold. The first is everyone competes with each other to out do someone elses contract. Leapfrogging. Companies care about a competitive disadvantage. They care much less if the competition is paying the same price. It’s why everyone has to keep up. And everyone’s contract needs to be easily comparable. Tier 2 carriers are expected to keep up but probably won’t set a new high water mark. Their job is to not fall behind and create drag. Another term I have heard referring to this is everyone into the circle. Not just WAWCON but also scope.

Now think about how ACPA was matching down with things like Rouge and Cargo. Rather than competing up. A decade of ALPA US competing up and Canada competing down produced devastating results for the profession in Canada. It can’t be erased overnight.

Step two is creating a new stick to replace the inability to strike. This is where SPSC strategy comes in. Airlines are unique. Most companies don’t lose money until production stops. Even then they may not lose money until inventory dries up. Airlines rely on advanced bookings. We attack them in every way we can dream up. You don’t talk about fight club. But we simply make it very expensive to not have a deal.

Over time CEO’s and BofD’s start to realize it’s cheaper to pay as they get comfortable that they won’t be left at a disadvantage. Everyone will pay it so why take the financial hit trying to resist. Another way to put it I have heard. We are trying to turn ourselves from the variable cost companies see us as into a fixed cost like an airplane. A pilot costs what a pilot costs and everyone pays it.

Is the strategy fast. No. Does it produce results. Yes.

It’s a strategy we control that isn’t sustainable to government intervention.

Fair enough. Thank you for the intelligent response. I agree with you on this for the most part. However, there are some big issues with this strategy:

We have a much smaller market and very limited competition in this country (some would even call it corporate collusion). If you don't think companies are wise to this "leapfrogging," you are kidding yourself. US carriers were able to make large gains because there are so many of them and they are so competitive. AC has the luxury of really only having one serious competitor, who for the most part is happy to stay in their own turf. We will not see significant gains through this strategy without the "stick." Strikes are, and always have been, the way to make labour gains.

ALPA needs to, for lack of a better term, "nut up" and start acting like a serious union that will use a strike as it's primary driver for wawcon improvement. These other games are just that, games, and the company would love for us to keep playing them, because that just means more of "we'll get 'em next time." This is a very long game they are playing, much longer than even the 30-35 year careers the youngest of us will have. Every time we back down we lose a significant portion of time. And the company gains more confidence in its ability to keep us down. I believe ALPA is failing badly on this front and it's very frustrating to watch years of my career go by while having to live with this substandard wawcon.