YOU are the bl@@dy AOA! I am the AOA! We are all the AOA! Even if you're not a member you're having an effect... by weakening the only association that the company will negotiate with (for better or for worse) and strengthening the company's position.
The AOA is not "them", it is not some abstract impenetrable monolithic institution, it is composed of a president (new, recently voted in) a General Council (recently voted in, not just HKG A scale captains but plenty of SOs/FOs/freighter guys/based guys, a veritable CX cross-section) and a membership which is YOU AND ME and the other pilots you see milling about at despatch!
I too do not like much of what "the AOA" has done in the past, and it certainly is far from perfect even today, but that's not the point; if you don't like what is going on, bl@@dy well join up so you can vote or better yet volunteer or get yourself on the GC and change things... otherwise quit your collective moaning!
Rant over. Breathing deeply now.
However, really chaps, stop asking what the AOA has ever done for you and start considering how YOU could contribute to our collective well-being... start by joining and getting involved.