Airline Pilot Central Forums

Here it is (names were removed to protect their privacy as much as possible).
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Real Pilots – Real Airline – Real Problem -- GETREAL!

Interesting, is it not, how some people seem hopelessly driven to criticize others, attempting to blemish their credibility and diminish their accomplishments, trying to make themselves appear to be someone or something they’re not. Inadequate personal skills? Lack of self-confidence? Probably. However, when such criticism erupts into festering bold-face lies about others, it sheds dark light on the personality and character, and professional competence of the story teller as he maliciously assaults the sound characters and reputations of his targets.
Traditionally, special events and holidays give pause, for most of us, even with our demanding schedules, to celebrate our blessings. Real leaders “rise” to the occasion to remind us that, for instance, while our economy is in strife, we still have honorable jobs with honorable missions; while our pay is heavily taxed, we still celebrate, and find joy in giving and sharing, etc., and so encourage us to be proud, look forward, and embrace optimism that tomorrow will be better and we dedicate ourselves to be part of the solutions to challenges each new day brings. Such is the tradition with the beginning of a fresh and promising New Year . . . that is . . . for most of us.
For at least one of us, however, this New Year’s Eve became an opportunity to descend, i.e., to spew gross distortions of truth, to fabricate lies, to affix blame for reasons only he and his closest associates can know, and to falsely accuse an accomplished former Comair MEC Master Chairman and nationally acclaimed ALPA leader and his loyal, experienced staff, of a full two years ago, for the current problems that plague the Comair MEC today. His comments are nothing less than a pathetic and untimely attempt to deflect accountability for his own incompetence and to assassinate the reputations and characters of members of “previous MEC administrations . . . through 2007”.
On New Year’s Eve, 2009, Captain XXXXXX sent a personal letter to all Comair pilots. While he did express his thanks (in one sentence) to Comair pilots, he whined throughout the remainder of his letter about his current fiscal challenges, and accused “previous MEC administrations” of “rampant” and “severe” “over-spending” and of creating “debts”, and in general, for being the source of the “problems” he faces today as your current MEC Chairman. In part, CA XXXXXX wrote:
“In attempting to repair the damage of the past, your MEC has also been recovering from severe over spending by previous MEC Administrations, which has caused us to have budgetary issues over the last couple of years. When I was appointed as MEC Executive Administrator in March of 2008 to serve with former MEC Chairman Captain XXXXXX, we began an aggressive plan to streamline our budget and began to repay previous debts to ALPA International which had mounted due to severe overspending through 2007.”
“Damage?” “Severe over spending?” “Repay previous debts?” For the record, which is verifiable locally and nationally, when the “previous MEC administrations,” to which CA XXXXXX refers, left office in late December, 2007, the Comair MEC possessed no debt, whatsoever, to anyone. If debt exists today, it has been accrued by some follow-on MEC administration since December 28, 2007. Further, any necessary spending beyond the limits of the Comair MEC’s budget has been, for the 13 consecutive years ending December 28, 2007, fully reconciled, with absolute transparency, candor, and cooperation of the Comair MEC, and prudent assistance, cooperation, and oversight by numerous ALPA National staff members and the ALPA Executive Council (that governing body within ALPA with fiduciary responsibility and accountability for the entire National association, including each one of its individual Master Executive Councils), leaving no debt whatsoever.
Please consider the following random thoughts:
· The Comair MEC possessed no “debts” as of December 28, 2007;
· In her article in the July 2008 issue of UPFRONT NextGen magazine, CA XXXXXX, the then CMR MEC Secretary-Treasurer, certified: “First off, our MEC budget is on track for 2008.”
· Existing “debts” today are neither the product nor result of “previous MEC administrations”;
· CA XXXXXXr and FO XXXXXX were elected, accountable, voting members of that “previous MEC administration” that they now condemn (MEC Officers cast no votes);
· The Master Chairman of the “previous MEC administration” was also a highly respected and elected Executive Vice President of the ALPA Executive Council;
· If MEC budgets approach depletion, the ALPA Exec. Council intervenes automatically to reconcile the account; “debts” are proactively, prudently, and normally not allowed;
· Between 1998 and 2007, the Comair MEC bore the brunt of two labor-intensive, financially demanding, back-to-back, nearly overlapping events: (1) protracted contract negotiations (w/ 89-day strike); (2) Delta’s bankruptcy w/ court appearances; highly contentious contract “re-negotiations”; both fully supported and funded by the ALPA Exec. Council;
· Global recession is today’s event; it affects everyone; resources are scarce; budgets are “bare bones”; Today’s mantra: “Do more w/ less!”, “Do” is the operative word; Talk? Worthless!
· Through 12/07, the CMR MEC placed the ALPA mission before budget limits, i.e., pilots came first, we found a way; budget constraints required creative thinking, determination to serve Comair pilots; insufficient funds led to budget support requests which led successfully to grants (not loans); it took relentless, fiscally responsible hard work; we did it, and more;
· Know the enemy. When pilots attack other pilots, only pilots lose!
· Pilots who attack other pilots are severely disoriented, and, for the safety and security of all, should relinquish controls immediately.
Finally, targeting the current President of Comair, Mr. John Bendoraitis, CA XXXXXX continues:
“As a leader of any organization you have to take personal responsibility for your organization’s ethics, values and integrity. You must own and practice ethical and value centered integrity in every situation before any employee will recognize your leadership . . .”
Those are interesting, surely prophetic words coming from one who has chosen to cower from accepting responsibility for his personal administrative shortcomings and lackluster performance. In his New Year’s message to Comair pilots, he chose, instead of rising, to descend into directing false accusations and blame toward “previous MEC administrations”, i.e., honorable, loyal Comair ALPA pilots.
When a captain and crew are so disoriented, as CA XXXXXX’s letter reveals of the current Comair MEC, it’s time for that crew to park their craft and step away from the controls. The risks of pressing on are far too high with far too much at stake, especially for the people, i.e., the pilots this “crew” represents.
XXXXXX, III