Hi John
I am just a little confused here. My company only recognised BALPA a few years ago. However, Chris Darke has been instrumental in stopping some nasty industrial action in my sector of the industry, and we have been rewarded with pay rises that will bring us close to the larger airlines over the next 3 years.
My company has nothing to do with BA and its associate companies and until very recently I had never heard of John Frohnsdorff.
How do you expect to gain the votes of members like me if you do not get out and meet the other BALPA members? We are after all members of the British Air Line Pilots Association, NOT the British Airways Line Pilots Association! I have to say that between the two manifestos I read, your's came across to me that Chris Darke was not representing the wishes of sections of BA. I noted your other points concerning the costs of BALPA under CD's leadership, but I would have liked more information on your perceived problems within BALPA and not so much about BA problems.
I also note that you are standing to in effect "wake up" BALPA and its management. I am, however, concerned that if you win you will only stand in post until someone else comes in. This, to my mind, is a total waste of BALPA's resources (and my membership fees) as if you win, we will have to go all over this again. If there is a suitable person already willing to stand up to an election with CD, then why isn't he the person that is standing to take over the job fully instead of you?
I may have missed these points in your manifesto, but at the moment you don't have my vote.