Atlas Polar

[Jake Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Islamoradaflyer

Instead of your MEC Chairman and his hot tempered Negotiating Chairman sidekick constantly shoving a stick in their eye and calling them names.

Not disagreeing that this is what happened, but as a Union activist, I wanted to point out the wisdom of a saying even older than this quote from Alexis de Tocqueville:

In a Democracy, the people get the Government they deserve

All to often "the people", be they American citizens or American union members, expect their government or their union to be like Burger King; pay your taxes or dues then sit back and "have it your way". That's not the way it works.

To be effective, a government, be it a national government or the administrative body of a union, needs the hands on participation of its members. Any deficiencies or failures of ALPA, IBT or any other union are a direct reflection upon the members of these unions, not their elected representatives.

Another Tocqueville quote:

"The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens”