Fan Man
Best stay away from CX..I would hate to see you to run into the pail of brown stuff...
Your post is simplistic and naive.
To be frank, it is only a small group who can be bothered trying to explain the situation to a similarly small group that appears it does not wish to be confused with facts.
One year ago a core sample was taken from the pilot community and disposed of in a manner that defies one of the basic precepts of human decency. Namely due process.
Noone in the pilot body at the time knew the background to all the cases. Noone personally knew more than a handful of the people who were terminated.
Noone is pretending that we do not have the occasional odd-ball in our midst from time to time.
BUT EVERYONE in the body of the CX pilot community was appalled at the method by which these executions were carried out. It was as if we were all kicked in the you know whats at the same time (with the greatest respect to the ladies now in our midst).
Following the initial shock there was naturally a backlash, a normal human reaction to strike back. Regrettably ( with the benefit of hindsight) this reaction was tempered by a number of things:
A residual of goodwill in the ranks toward the company.
A professional ethic that says we are not really a bunch of thugs.
A belief that these executions were a negotiating tactic and not irreversible given due process AND
Genuine fear.
It gradually became apparent (again with the benefit of hindsight) that management had made a conscious strategic decision to crush the AOA and reduce it to a creche handling social events and a library resource for those wanting to read up on 18 tyre wet runway performance or how to moderate your sleep patterns with vodka.
Wounded and frightened, the AOA decided it could not withdraw its labour, so it tried to incite the bull to have another charge by hanging little yellow and black ribbons everywhere. Martyrdom became a strategy ˇŠ Gandhi the script.
I wonˇÕt re-hash all the facts that have been well documented, but suffice it to say, a Mexican standoff ensued.
September 11 created an opportunity for all sides to get together again but they failed to do so in any meaningful way. If you want some material for a new ˇŌYes Prime MinsterˇÕ series, listen to the CD of the exploratory meeting between the AOA and management that took place late October last. An exercise in pedantry at best.
What we have today is a marriage on its last gasp. No communication creates the appearance of relative calm. It is in reality the manifestation of a total breakdown in the relationship. The thin thread that remains is perhaps a romantic attachment to the CX of old and a naÉ×e belief that, given enough counseling, the marriage can be saved. The other party appears to be arguing the case that there never was a marriage in law or de-facto. The relationship was, is and should forever more be master and servant.
The IFALPA ban is another manifestation of the yellow ribbon strategy.
The bull however refuses to charge. Instead it stands, snorting, scraping the dust and staring. It has no interest in having all those little annoying
banderilla stuck in its neck. Eventually the crowd will go home and the bull will once again be master of the ring.
CX used to be a mixed but generally happy band of campers doing their best to ensure that the rusty old bolts kept flying. The rusty old bolts were all replaced by shiny new equipment and the shed at Kai Tak by a gleaming new edifice at CLK affectionately referred to as Hello Kitty City.
The hardware is what you will all see first. And splendid and alluring it is. The software deficiencies, however, only become apparent once you have entered the lobster pot.
FWIW, the IFALPA ban does at least give you all cause and opportunity to look beyond the hardware and make a more informed decision.
No IFALPA ban and you would all blunder blind into the very same environment and in all probability, just as hostile a working environment.
As I have stated previously, I believe the AOA cannot win this fracas. History tells us this and the HK backdrop guarantees it.
Many of my colleagues wear their hearts on their sleeve. The attempts of a few on this forum to educate should not be taken out of context. They are not trying to intimidate those trying to scale the parapets but more to let you know what is on the other side.
At the end of the day, we all make our own decisions. Make sure yours is an informed one.
Should you decide to come make sure you leave your opinions and personalities at home. And , donˇÕt forget the peg for the nose.
Last edited by VR-HFX; 10th July 2002 at 03:30.