ATTENTION Furloughe ALPA Members

[mdanno808]

I don't blame ALPA for being furloughed, being broke, or being stupid. I know they have done a lot for our profession, and I appreciate all that they have done. Having said that, I also think that they have allowed themselves to become extremely political, and I think we all know that there are certain groups in our industry whom ALPA pays a little more attention to. ALPA is in a difficult position nowadays. There are thousands on the street, which equalls less dues. Of course they want the furloughee's back. However, they don't want to piss off the senior active pilot's who are now facing a retirement without a pension. Guess who wins this tug of war. Unions are an absolute necessity. That goes without saying. I just happen to feel that this particular union has a lot of faults. ALPA is a necessary evil. It also has a history of eating it's young. But, like you said, it does beat flying the FAR's for a scum-bag outfit that will fire you for calling in sick.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

, I also think that they have allowed themselves to become extremely political,

This is saying the Pope allowed himself to become extremely Catholic.


ALPA was created as a political organization. Has function as a political organization......

[In fact, the Air Transport Association, airline managements political arm, (they have a PAC too) was created in part due to ALPA's political effectiveness in Wash DC.]

The Age60 rule is a gov't law it will be changed on CapHill. CapHill where the politicians work.

EVERYTHING that effects our careers, from the MEC negotiating table to age60, CASS, FFDO, duty times, the jB 8hour exemption, is done on CapHill.

If the FARs don't rule our profession then the CBA does. FARs=CFR, CBA=RLA. CFR and RLA means politics. ALPA knows this, that is why WE (you and me) are a political organization.

The issue is no one wants to acknowledge the huge elephant in the room. The elephant is politics. If you want to be a spectator in your airline career, then keep hanging out on flightinfo........

....or get involved.......no, this isn't a volunteer speech. Just get educated and particpate. You don't have to become a politicians, just support the ones that support you. (your politicans are; LEC/MEC Officers, EVP, National Officers (I know, I know, our beloved DW! and your gov't politicans.) ALPA is a resource not a service. Know how the system works. In my opinion most of you don't. And that is yours and ALPA's fault.

Once ALPA has decided what thier position on Age60 will be, now what? Well if you agree with the updated position (it maybe the same, it may not) then how will ALPA influence CapHill? ALPA-PAC is one method. Do you contribute? Probably not.

If you don't agree with the updated ALPA position on Age60, then you lost a political battle. It happens all the time. But that doesn't mean you pout like a five year old and post your resignation letter to Duane on flightinfo and wear your pin upside down or not at all. No, you stay engaged, and you continue to be a positive member, because age60 is just one of many issues.

It is extremely fustrating to see grown professional pilots whining cause ALPA isn't thier everything. Hey, my wife isn't my everything. ALPA isn't perfect, never tried to be, and niether is the church, your airline, your family and your country. Get over it. Stick with the program. Continue to have a place at the table and contribute positvely!

USAtoday just ran an article on WalMart and thier lobbying efforts. If WalMart can spend millions to influence CapHill to create legislation to better thier interests, can't you send $50 lousy dollars to ALPA-PAC to influence your interests? Most of you don't know about ALPA-PAC or you think the PAC supports liberal, socialist issues. You could never be more wrong.

Your LEC Officers should have four LEC meetings a year. You can't make at least one of these? And becuase you don't, a core group of pilots (14) showed up to the UAL SFO meeting and said the entire LEC supports an age60 change.

As a previous poster stated, during the good times no one worries about ALPA or ALPA is great for the industry leading CBA that got me my Benz, but when times go bad..........

During the good times is when we need to be stocking our War Chest. Getting educated, informed, so when the bad times come when can focus on the issues and not the blame game....

 

[fr8doggie]

Rez:


I hope you are a FedEx pilot 'cause guys like you and Albie15 are what's gonna carry us through negotiations. Actually KL, tonyC (haven't seen him for awhile), VaB, USNFDX, Sandman2122, et al. will too. They're like me however and can't resisit the occasional jab. You two guys seem to be above that. Are you human?
Oh yeah and Goose17.
Regards,

 

[750driver]

Sooner or later people will learn there are two very distinct groups within ALPA. Those that have benefited from ALPA and those that have been..........well you get the picture.

BM, as a former member with several years of ALPA membership (121 carrier), I couldn't agree more. Sad, but true.

 

[mdanno808]

You missed the point of my post if you think I don't realize that ALPA is a political function. I realize that they lobby, they schmooze politicians, and they do all this in the interest of you and I. What I meant in my previous post is that the people that get the most representation is the senior groups at the major carriers. Again, I'm not whining about this, I am just stating a fact. You should know this also. The purpose of a union is to represent all of it's members to it's best abilities, and unite the group. Again, I am not trying to come across as whining, I am just explaining the way I see things. I also do appreciate what ALPA does for you and I. Should I run off a runway, they will try and keep me my job. Should management blatently screw the pilot group at my airline, ALPA will allow us to stand up for ourselves without losing our jobs. I also was involved in ALPA at my previous carrier on 2 different committees. I know that a lot of people work hard to serve the pilot's they represent. My bitch is not with them. This string's content is based on ALPA not allowing furloughed members to take part in a survey which will very much affect them in their carreers. Is this looking out for all of it's members best interests?

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

What I meant in my previous post is that the people that get the most representation is the senior groups at the major carriers. This string's content is based on ALPA not allowing furloughed members to take part in a survey which will very much affect them in their carreers. Is this looking out for all of it's members best interests?

All,

I am a furloughed pilot. (x2). I can understand the issue with ALPA not allowing furloughed members to vote. Is there a sound reason? Has anyone asked their ALPA representative what the issue is?

As far as ALPA representing "the senior groups at the major carriers" I disagree with this statement. It is not that the SENIOR groups at the majors get the representation, it is the MAJOR airline groups get more representation.

It has to do with numbers and democracy! There are simply more pilots at the major level. And they have more votes. During ALPA's history First Officers had no vote. Later they had only 1/2 vote. Now THAT was a Captains Club.

However today, all status' (CA/FO/FE) have fair and equal representation. But the regional guys have thier issues. (RJDC). And that is the negative side to being a part of the most powerful pilots union.

Lets relate this to the US Fed Gov't. Does every citizen or interest group feel they are fairly represented. Probably not. But what is the solution? Re-structure Congress? Include a rightsizing of the Executive and Judical Branches? No system is perfect. And ALPA doesn't try to be perfect, only its members have a level of expectation that isn't real.

ALPA needs to grow and adapt to the changes. Perhaps there needs to be a shake up with representational structure. I would argue that the current structure works fine (it could be better) but the pilots don't even use this system. And in order to invoke change one has to know how to use the current system....

It is like the 50 states. Every state has two votes, but some states have greater populations. So should ALPA create a House and Senate type structure? Not sure, more bureaucracy is good in ALPA's case.

Flightinfo is an acceptable place to start, however there is alot of information out there that needs to be known to use ALPA effectively to your benefit. The first item of business is to get engaged. (posting on flightinfo is not being engaged! ). Here is my Top Ten List.....

1. ALPA Constituion and By Laws
2. ALPA Administration Manual
3. Your CBA
4. Roberts Rules of Order (for LEC meetings)
5. Members Section of ALPA.org
6. LEC/MEC Reps
7. MEC policy manual
8. Resolution drafting and presentation
9. Flying the Line Vol. I and II
10. Open mind; pragmatic, realistic, logical


If you don't have time to get educated on all this...then I don't know what to tell you. You get whatever you put into it..... Coming to work and flying the jet is one thing. But understanding your career and controlling what you can is another.

Sure this post is boring. It lacks wit, cleverness and entertainment. But it is real and it will get you started.

Thoughts?

 

[N8Dogg]

Since it appears ALPA has dropped the ball so many times why not recall the current leadership. Somehow we have to turn this industry around and this might be a good start. Let's get someone in there that is gonna fight for us instead of getting sidetracked on stupid tangents. Just my $0.02.