I must admit you have me intriqued with the expression "creeping gradulism". Are you referencing a process where the company and the teamsters morph into one with similar beliefs and interests?
Has to do with the hourly only Tie so you and your fellow managers are not in this equation. The "creeping gradulism" is normally a political term I know but IMO it best fit what I see of very base individuals who use means of threats, violence and imtimidation as a means of advancing their cause and over time I see that this mindset effects UPSers and their perspective. I also see that more and more we are becoming so dependent on the union losing our individuallity as a person and company group and that is another mindset promoted, with the belief that without the union we are nothing and I quite frankly don't believe that hogwash. The real truth is the union is nothing without us and we need to NEVER forget that and not let them forget it either.
The real fear for the union status quo here is if we could ever realize it is that with APWA or something like it could/would ever catch on and then UPS pull out of the IBT, that is their real fear. IMO that is a very powerful loaded weapon in our hands to use to dominate the IBT but we are just to cowardly to do it. Many including many here mock and issue comments of contempt at the APWA and it's leaders but at least they got the guts to try and do something to shake up the status quo which has only gotten worse IMO. It's very true that some of those here who parade the APWA idea with wreckless abandon are not exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer but when I look at some of the IBT loyalist who counterpunch here, IMO I'm just looking at the matching knives from the same drawer so there you go.
If we (UPSers) ever decided to, we could become an almost insurmountable force IMO to completely change the face of the IBT and how all things are run but we just refuse to do so. We've surrendered to their mindset having never offered any real resistance.
Will we or just surrender and go down with the ship? The answer is still left on the table IMO but I worry as I observe.
JMHO