NC, great points...as usual.
I have already suggested ideas for moving ahead; however, it all starts with disbanding the AOA.
From there, I'd be happy negotiating directly with the company on my own, or bringing in a professional association. One where our dues would go to hiring professional negotiators to deal with the company's professional negotiators, there by leveling the playing field.
The problem is that we have too many volunteers that have no idea what they are doing, however well intentioned. If they want to volunteer for something, go help in a soup kitchen. We have seen what happens to people who volunteer for things that are out of their depth..a la subic2hebe. Volunteering for something doesn't automatically qualify you for the job.
People on the GC should be vetted through previous job experience, schooling, prior business experience. Not put in place due to the fact they volunteered. Getting a strong, knowledgeable, and savvy GC should be number one, and if they are incapable of handling complicated tasks, like corporate negotiations, then they should hire someone who is and be quiet while the grown-ups talk.
I hope you can see the common sense in that.
PX
**I had to edit this in there to highlight my point. Just look at BusyB, one of our esteemed GC members of yore. Check out his posts, always one or two lines of catty retorts to people wanting change. He doesn't seem to have two brain cells to rub together and says nothing constructive. He embodies the juvenile performance of the broken AOA. Nothing will change with idiots like that on the GC.**