Just my own opinions but.......
I'm sorry if the assistants and engineers feel that they have been let down but this has been caused by the union negotiators and not the atco's themselves. They were wrong to come out of the original meeting with an agreement to recomend acceptance and then change their minds, I suspect they did this because they soon realised that the atco's would reject anyway as we are not sheep and are allowed to vote with our own free will and so wanted to save face. I think that the result of the improved ballot (approx 60-40) shows that just because the union recomends acceptance you still have the right to make up you're own mind. I personaly still voted no due to the strings attached but will accept with good grace the democratic result.
What I cannot understand on these forums is the fact that I have now said the above I will be seen by people to be anti engineer or assistant which I most definately am not. Good luck to them if they manage to get any more money out of the company and, I, for one will not mind not getting my back pay for a little while yet ( I've lasted 9 months already without it). Just don't expect me to fighting you're corner too vigorously as I beleive after you've already voted yes you can count yourself lucky to get any more!