Hi Ex C,
"Now, what I don't get is why I should vote for or against improvements on a contract that I won't elect...?"
The vote is not about YOU, it is about what you can do for those who are on, or wish to choose, COS08.
By voting for it and supporting the AOA recommendation, THEY will get the improvements.
If you don't vote, or vote no, and the vote does not pass, the improvements won't be accepted and those that would've benefited will not, while you remain at the status quo. Although, consider that many (not all) of the improvements will not be reflected in the COS document and are policy change that YOU will benefit from.
What the AOA is saying by recommending a vote to accept the changes is that they believe it is the best improvements they can get at this time - Rule 9 of Negotiating 101, know when to take a deal.
The question you should be asking is "not what your Association can do FOR YOU, but what YOU CAN DO for your Association".
What COS you elect in Crew Direct is what will affect you personally.
For future negotiations, any improvement to the current COS raises the bench mark.