Personally (as flight deck), I'm hoping for a YES vote: -
If the crew vote is NO there will be wishy washy compromise where everyones a winner blah blah .... and to be honest that is the way of the world - negotiation not confrontation. It's all very grey.
Jockster, what you say is only partially true.
A NO vote sends a HUGE message to the Union that we ITS' MEMBERS have had enough.
We've had enough of being told to down tools because the company want us to do something differently. We've had enough of strike ballots every 18months. We've had enough of the negativity that is the union.
We all joined this company because we are people people. We love looking after people; it's in our blood. Many of us have come from other airlines that either no longer exist (Air2000, Excel, BMed, etc) or others that are struggling big time (BMI, Virgin, etc.). Why did we leave those airlines? Because we love BA. We all (without exception) wanted to work for the largest and best British airline. It is what every crew member within Britain (and even across the globe) aspires too.
We have not forgotten that. This Union are completely negative when we are by nature positive people. This union keep telling us not to serve customers (hot towels in WT+, CW 2nd meal service), to cancel flights, to go on strike, etc. etc. Well, we want to serve customers, we want to operate flights, We don't want to strike. We came here to be the best, and we can all still remember the pride we felt the first time we stepped into the uniform.
Working with one crew member less still leaves us a lot better off than our colleagues we left behind in those other now struggling airlines. We know in our hearts, that even with the changes, we're still better off. And we intend to keep it. We want to feel proud in this uniform for many years to come.
By voting NO, we the members will tell this Union, in a way that management have so far not been able to, that it's time to move on. Enough is Enough.
Of course, if it is a YES vote, then it will simply mean WW will do what he has to do, be that enforcing new contracts, sacking, whatever. Either way, BA will get what they want. The Union cannot win this one. It's about time they faced that reality.
