Perhaps you should also be asking yourself what the previous AIPA (ie, immediately before this current one) achieved. It is clear why the new one is going to the Federal Court: under the PM's brave-new-world of industrial relations, they have virtually no other option to resolve a dispute (especially when the company isn't interested)! The company have no interest whatsoever in 'negotiating' those cases and anyone who knows the details would understand why (by the way, you can actually find out a lot of the details by just asking, but they sensibly don't want to publicise them in print due to the court action).
Indeed, we don't have to be floor mats, but we were fast becoming floor mats under the previous administration. I haven't seen any evidence that the new reps are not prepared to negotiate and Eagleman makes a good point about cost reductions of one form or another being in the company's interest. I have, however, seen ample evidence that they will not tolerate bullying, underhanded, or strong-arm tactics against the pilots they now represent.
For anyone who thinks the mainline pilot group, or more specifically, their elected reps are not being 'reasonable' about things, could you please post specific examples?
EDIT: Jake, would you do us the courtesy of posting here for all to see, the amount of money that was spent on lawyers together with listing their achievements for the pilot group, by the previous administration? The numbers, I believe, are all on file. You can include overseas junkets if you wish. Don't forget to include the interesting action taken in the caretaker period before the new group took over. And please also provide a comparison with legal salaries for similar duties in the private sector.
Last edited by DutchRoll; 6th Jun 2006 at 06:04.