For those that may be on the fence, confused, scared, angry, or all of the above, below are some points to consider:
- Do not make your decision based on fear or duress. Good decisions are never made this way.
- Do not make your decision based on anger and resentment. Good decisions are never made this way.
- Make up your own mind based on the facts instead of what you hear. The angry crowd has the loudest voice and typically overpowers the rational voice. Refer to the replies below for evidence.
- Leverage is never permanent. The leverage that got us here is not likely to remain effective without additional measures.
- Regardless of which way the vote goes, our unity as a whole will be damaged due to the divisive nature of this decision. Without unity, our ability to affectively deal with the above point will be limited. Look no further than the GCs vote for an example.
- No airline is perfect.
- No working rules are perfect.
- No negotiation results in a 100% win for either side.
- Don't get hung up worrying about a specific clause. There will always be millions of ways that your employer could make your life difficult if they want to. No contract will address them all. Clause 7 for example is standard in any North American TA.
- Don't manufacture things to worry about. The ARAPA expiring in 2020 is a good example. This agreement has always had a rollover date. This TA extends the rollover date by 3 years and some people are considering this a problem.
This TA offers some improvements. Is it enough? Can you achieve better? Weigh the facts, avoid excess emotion, and vote accordingly.