Originally Posted by
Sam Ting Wong
Why do you guys constantly try to turn this debate into a question of morality?
This is an industrial conflict. It is business, nothing else.It is simply a conflict of interests, we fight for our cause, they fight for theirs.
Don't be so naive and think you are on the good side and you are fighting the baddies. This is absurd. There is hence no place for words like shame or pride in this discussion.
I don't think we have the unity nor the leverage to win. Regardless of the costs, the company will not give in. This is my opinion and always has been since we rejected the last offer. I base my voting behaviour purely on economic game theory. My objective is to get the most out of my contract, same as you guys. By accepting or "giving up" as you probably would call it, I expect to get more than by the strategy you suggest. Always remember: if you misjudge the unity and the will power of our pilot body to fight this through, you misjudged the situation. You did not win any moral high ground, you are not a hero, you are not a better person, you simply lost.
You don't have to share my point of view, but how can you possibly accuse me or like-minded of being cowardish or frightened ? Don' t you see how misplaced, how childish that is?
It's quite obvious the strategy for decades has been to play factions of the workforce off against other factions. Enough to get 51% of the vote. Overall, the company has been relatively successful in doing this amongst a group that doesn't see--or doesn't want to see--it happening. The result of this has been continually declining conditions--as different groups 'get theirs' and then later the 'screwed' sector effectively teams up with another 'screwed' sector to kinda hold on to what they got (minus a little bit) to the detriment of the 'got theirs' groups for the next round where the previous 'got theirs' group becomes the 'newly screwed' group with ANOTHER 51% vote. And so on. The union has (or maybe had) the opportunity to stop this.
This ALSO results in a toxic workplace--things aren't fun anymore.
Part of the due diligence of a GC is to recognize this, and not forward such a divisive TA. If they err, then (hopefully) the membership would see it. But it apparently hasn't and may never -- instead individual selfishness drives everything in a downward spiral. Which is where things are now. The union has a chance to either hold or escalate IA in order to stop it. If it doesn't, then this is your life.