Perks of having ALPA?

[Mr Wu]

You have to do a bit more work to get that pin though.

WHAT??? You mean I have to do something and not just wait for someone else to do it for me? That's bullsh!t!!

 

[Obi-Wan]

Losing 2% to 6% of your pay check that does not go to the IRS, and than watching union do nothing for anyone. Oh and free sunblockers for your car, atleast at ASA.

Its not 6%. Its 1.95% and it is tax deductible so 25-40% will come back depending on your tax bracket. So if you make a 100K ( eventhough I doubt it) you will pay $1950 of which $500 to $800 will come back to you in form of tax savings. So for a pilot that makes a 100K ( not the majority) that about $1200 a year for many benefits that come along with the membership.
Also, you failed to mention that the majority of the 1.95% (I think 1.25% )goes directly to your MEC and spend for your pilot group. The rest goes to national for lobbying, etc..

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

The rest goes to national for lobbying, etc..

Yes and no.

Recently Capt. McVenes spoke at a Congressional hearing expressing ALPA's concerns on safety. The Skywest pilots weren't invited (Congress didn't know who to send the invite to). ALPA dues money was used for this kind of lobbying... here is the document..

http://www.alpa.org/DesktopModules/...View.aspx?itemid=7707&ModuleId=2044&Tabid=256

As far as other lobbying, Federal law prohibits dues money to be used for campaign lobbying. Thus we have Political Action Committees or PACs.

Everybody uses PAC's.

 

[legalalien]

Can anyone tell me what are the perks of being ALPA that doesn't involve something negative happening first? So none of the "they'll help you out if you lose your medical, the FAA tries to violate you, the company wants to fire you..."

Most other membership orgs. have some kind of perk by just being a member
AAA-I get free maps and DMV service
AOPA-Decent mag for $40 a year and maybe car rental discounts

Can I get an ALPA discount for my next medical or stuff I buy from Sporty's.
There's always a golf course by airports so can I get free range balls or free green fees.

All jokes aside, what are the automatic benefits. Better contracts, pay, work rules don't count since there seems to be more bad than good examples of ALPA.

Not sure how you can say better pay doesn't count. I hate to think just how bad the pay would be without ALPA. For all you non union guys who are paid just a little better than the ALPA guys - do you really think that your management pay you what they do because they want to?

If it wasn't for unions like ALPA you can guarantee that your pay would be less and your contract would be a copy of the FAR's. (and the FARS would be a lot worse because no Unions would be talking to the FEDs about how dangerous things can get)

 

[mkingmei]

Safety

The role that ALPA has played in the improvements to aviation safety alone are enough for my money to be considered well spent.

 

[Dave's kid]

Its not 6%. Its 1.95% and it is tax deductible so 25-40% will come back depending on your tax bracket. So if you make a 100K ( eventhough I doubt it) you will pay $1950 of which $500 to $800 will come back to you in form of tax savings. So for a pilot that makes a 100K ( not the majority) that about $1200 a year for many benefits that come along with the membership.
Also, you failed to mention that the majority of the 1.95% (I think 1.25% )goes directly to your MEC and spend for your pilot group. The rest goes to national for lobbying, etc..

Or you can keep your 1.95% and again depending on what tax bracket you are in pay maybe 28% of that to the government and keep the rest for yourself. So if you make a 100K, that is $1950 you didn't have to pay to ALPA. 28% of $1950 is $546 that goes to the IRS, the rest $1404 stays with you to use however you see fit.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Or you can keep your 1.95% and again depending on what tax bracket you are in pay maybe 28% of that to the government and keep the rest for yourself. So if you make a 100K, that is $1950 you didn't have to pay to ALPA. 28% of $1950 is $546 that goes to the IRS, the rest $1404 stays with you to use however you see fit.

The real question is what value does the 1.95% provide.

Or in your case... what value does $1404 provide as an "independent contractor" when you need to.....


be represented on capitol hill...
protect your medical...
Hire a lawyer to protect your certificate... or job...

 

[Dave's kid]

The real question is what value does the 1.95% provide.

Or in your case... what value does $1404 provide as an "independent contractor" when you need to.....


be represented on capitol hill...
protect your medical...
Hire a lawyer to protect your certificate... or job...

What is the value? Let's start with capitol hill. Since ALPA dues money can't be used for lobbying, that 1.95% doesn't buy very much influence in Congress. You would have to contribute to ALPA-PAC for that. And how influential is ALPA anyway? This AGE 60 rule is going to being implemented with or without ALPA's blessing. So unless ALPA wants to do an SOS (Suspention of Service), it's going to happen.

As far as the ALPA Aeromedical office, that is by far the best use of ALPA money I've ever seen. They are probably the only truly good thing ALPA has. I have seen them do good things for a lot of people. But 1.95% is a little much to pay, a competent AME can do the same for less money.

In the job protection realm, my experience has been that most pilots that were in trouble or fired often screwed up and deserved some sort of punishment. Usually they would be given a punishment far greater then what was reasonable only to have the punishment dealt down to a reasonable discipline. I know of several cases where pilots were fired and disciplined for no reason at all, but let's all admit that is the exception to the rule.

ALPA has its uses and I will sadly admit that they are currently the best option for most small carriers. But, they are not a knight in shinning armor. I think they are more like a McDonalds or any other franchise. You give them money to buy the franchise, and they give you a standard product.

 

[Gnarloooo]

The best perk is you get to make HelloNewman cry.

 

[Obi-Wan]

What is the value? Let's start with capitol hill. Since ALPA dues money can't be used for lobbying, that 1.95% doesn't buy very much influence in Congress. You would have to contribute to ALPA-PAC for that. And how influential is ALPA anyway? This AGE 60 rule is going to being implemented with or without ALPA's blessing. So unless ALPA wants to do an SOS (Suspention of Service), it's going to happen.

As far as the ALPA Aeromedical office, that is by far the best use of ALPA money I've ever seen. They are probably the only truly good thing ALPA has. I have seen them do good things for a lot of people. But 1.95% is a little much to pay, a competent AME can do the same for less money.

In the job protection realm, my experience has been that most pilots that were in trouble or fired often screwed up and deserved some sort of punishment. Usually they would be given a punishment far greater then what was reasonable only to have the punishment dealt down to a reasonable discipline. I know of several cases where pilots were fired and disciplined for no reason at all, but let's all admit that is the exception to the rule.

ALPA has its uses and I will sadly admit that they are currently the best option for most small carriers. But, they are not a knight in shinning armor. I think they are more like a McDonalds or any other franchise. You give them money to buy the franchise, and they give you a standard product.

Looking at your profile you are not an airline pilot so you would not understand the full benefits of a Union. The likes of you always claim that the union protects people who deserve to be fired anyway. What you fail to mention is we are all human and one step away from committing a FUBAR. You might even be the perfect pilot but you are not immune to the wills of management. Also, an AME can not do the same job for you as the ALPA aero medical office. The ALPA team is a neutral 3rd party. Do you ask the IRS to represent you when they audit you? The costs non the less are in the thousands of dollars as insurance does not cover this.

The other false claim the uninformed make is that the pilot group (aka the Union) is powerless and management does what they please. If this is true why is Skywest management spending so much money fighting a Union? If this was really true then they should not care as they could do what ever they want to do anyway.

Pilots however have free will and by that I mean you have the choice of joining a non-union airline or forming a Union at a non-Union shop. The majority of pilots are Union members and like their Union. The crap that the likes of you spread anonymously with your multiple accounts on the internet are not the how the majority feels. But you knew that already.

Skywest becoming unionized is not the end all. The majority of pilots there will be union pilots sooner or later as they move on to the majors anyway.

I am more than happy to pay the 1.95% which is chump change in my opinion. It’s been worth every penny so far.