An opportunity for the AOA, members and non-members
I would like to make a simple suggestion to break the impasse between members of the AOA, non-members of the AOA, and the AOA itself: free full membership for 15 months for all new members (existing pilots and new joiners.)
To those who are members of the AOA, you continue to pay your monthly contributions. That doesn’t change your financial Status Quo and it represents your side of the compromise.
To those who are non-members, and believe the AOA cannot change itself or address the issues facing the pilot community, your compromise is your willingness to be proved wrong by joining the AOA, at no cost to yourself.
15 months down the line, if the AOA fails to deliver on its promises, with a considerable membership behind it, you resign (and so will I), again at no (financial) cost. If the AOA delivers, so do you.
To the AOA, I do not believe you can win over the doubters, at present. So
you must be prepared to incur a reasonable administrative cost to process and support free memberships in return for a no-brainer increase in membership well above of 55%.
With this increase in membership, you'll have 15 months to deliver. That is your side of the bargain and your avowed committment.
Is this proposal fair to all? Of course not, but that’s why it is a compromise.
Good luck.
'round midnight