CD,
Believe me, I have no illusions of how the world works and the general decay of society globally in the past few decades. That's why I'm still here - much of the "is the grass indeed greener?" self pondering. Hey, the US is probably the epicenter of that thinking, but it's sure spread to this part of the world. And without unions, rights and any legal recourse, the people in all walks of life are being exploited severly. Trust me, a LOT more than Canada. How do you think they built this place from sand to glass in less than 10 years?
As far as pilots collectively standing up, good luck. In a ME ME ME world as you put it, without the rising tide of unions that you would have had in your hayday, there just isn't the will. I would love to see it and take part in it, but unfortunately I'd be left standing naked, on my own, while the many behind me would rise up one seniority number. It's not fear just plain reality. Trust me, I could go on and on but if you've spent time over here, you'll totally see where I'm coming from.
As for your gig, it's what I want and am trying to get set up for. For now I'll just keep plugging along and do what's best for my family and their long term future. But I will be out of here one day in the medium term as the fatigue and malaise will eventually break me down.
Adios,
CO