Road Trip
I accept that you have a perfect right not to perform overtime. The distinction I make is whether that choice is a perfectly valid personal matter, or part of an organized attempt by labor to collectively cause flight cancellations. That's where I think the ice is thin. Don't get me wrong - I'm ALPA through and through. I do however, want to hold my head high and do things the right way and have public opinion in my favor. The dilemma is that sometimes messages do need to be sent to management and there aren't a lot of choices open to us now, which is why we have the PAC for political purposes. We need to think of new ways to legally challenge management when we need to. I would say the most likely areas for improvement are cultivation of the media, and developing allies in both political parties.
Regarding John McCain. He went through some bad times on our behalf. He's entitled to his outlook and opinions. The people of Arizona can pull his ticket if they want. I find Barbara Boxer more offensive on her best day than John McCain on his worst. But she's entitled to her outlook and opinions, too.