Resigning from ALPA

[TonyC]

If your carrier is ALPA and you decide to not participate you still pay dues, period. I am not supporting one side of this argument or the other but all alpa carriers pay 1.9%. Those that decide not to participate still get 1.9% deducted from their checks as part of the Agency Shop section of your cba. I just read the thread about having this section in your contract. There is not one alpa contract on the planet that does not have agency shop, ...

If you are on the seniority list and work under the agreed upon work rules then you pay, no exceptions.

False.


FedEx is one example. Union membership is not mandatory, and there is no agency shop.

 

[aridairbus]

In "right to work" states you do not have to join the union or pay dues, but you get the benfits of the contract that the union has with management (you get the same pay, benefits and retirement as the union members). ALPA will usually post a list of the pilots that are not in the union and don't pay dues and the pilots that are not in the union and do pay dues on their ALPA bullentin board.

OK, you people have to do some research before you post information on these boards.

Right to work has NO bearing on our profession since we work under the auspices of the RLA. Our labor laws are governed on a FEDERAL level, not state.

If you work at an airline with an agency shop and do not join the union, you do not pay dues, you pay shop fees.

Sleepy, stick to corporate questions.

 

[George Zip]

I guess ALPA should just snap their fingers and fix the fundamental economics of the entire industry. Better yet, since we're all so smart, why don't we just buy our own airline and then if we're losing billions because there are more seats available than there is demand to fill them we'll just continue to pay the help because it's the right thing to do. You really do have that option - go out and start your own d*mn airline so you can run it as you see fit.

This guy is very frustrated, but not very smart....and he's taking out his frustration on the easiest target. If the weather is down at your desitnation, divert to your alternate. If you don't like the way the industry is moving relative to your employment, research your options and work toward them. This can be an awesome career, but unionized labor is the only group that I have ever seen that constantly chants "it's raining like hell - somebody must turn off the rain !! we're not willing to move where it is not raining and we're getting wet !!" We can and should be united in our negotiations and for each other.... but I think the vast majority of pilots are simply delusional when it comes to the limits of what that accompishes. It cannot change fundamental industry conditions. If we had a system wide SOS, maybe it would force a final shakeout and the 60% or so of airlines left operating would be more stable. Your tune would change dramatically if you were one of the 40% (as this guy would be).

It is what it is. Noone owes you. WHen there are less of us than the airlines need, they will play according to our terms. Right now (and almost always) there are more of us than they need. Make your move accordingly and stop whining.

I'm about to get furloughed and it sucks. I have worked hard and have lined up other options (not all in aviation). You know what? My company made some bad decisions and some bad moves. I guess somebody should pay !!! Somebody should make it all better! Nobody guaranteed me this would be all peaches and cream. Guarantees? Death and Taxes.

Good luck to all.

 

[FoxHunter]

There is not one alpa contract on the planet that does not have agency shop, and you should see the look on the company's attorney's face when agency shop is mentioned.

If you are on the seniority list and work under the agreed upon work rules then you pay, no exceptions.

Sorry, the ALPA Contract at FedEx has no Agency Shop. If a pilot is a Non-Member he or she pays No dues.

 

[TWA Dude]

To paraphrase Churchill, ALPA is the worst union out there -- except for all the rest. Believe me that I'm the last guy around to defend ALPA (after all I'm part of a class-action suing them) yet I recognize the reality that it's one of the few weapons that exist for pilots. Resigning will make you feel better but it won't have any effect. As others have mentioned, speaking-up and/or running for office will have the greatest effect to improve our lot.

 

[Clyde]

The best thing to do is to start up your own in-house union. We have one and I wouldn't trade it in for anything. My union only deals with one airline and therefore is able to devote 100% of it's time and effort with one company with only our interests involved. I feel my union dues are well spent.

 

[CaptBud330]

Dues paying non-member

If you resign from ALPO, you pay what is known as "germane" dues. The member dues is 1.95% of you r gross. If you resign, you pay a reduced amount of between 1.55% to approximately 1.65% depending how much ALPO can inflate their bloated budget.
The disadvantages of resigning from ALPO are few. You still get the nifty magazine (gag), and ALPO still has to represent you if you take an excursion from the white lights. You probably won't get the "crack" ALPO lawyers ALPO is known for. You'll probably get Guido the office boy representing you. You still have access to ALPO aeromedical. Best of all, you have the satisfaction of kinowing you aren't paying those obsene salaries of Duane Weorthless and others.
BTW, did you know ALPO has a condo in Vail? How many of you out there were ever invited to even time share it?. Did you know the office manager at ALPO headquarters overseeing a staff of 200, makes more the the mayor of San Antonio? Why does Weorthless have a driver that makes more the a pilot for Mid Atlantic? Write to ALPO and ask for a copy of the budget. You would be amazed at all the things you pay for with your hard earned dues. Answer these questions and then tell me why you would still want to be a member of this union.

 

[Clyde]

If you resign from ALPO, you pay what is known as "germane" dues. The member dues is 1.95% of you r gross. If you resign, you pay a reduced amount of between 1.55% to approximately 1.65% depending how much ALPO can inflate their bloated budget.
The disadvantages of resigning from ALPO are few. You still get the nifty magazine (gag), and ALPO still has to represent you if you take an excursion from the white lights. You probably won't get the "crack" ALPO lawyers ALPO is known for. You'll probably get Guido the office boy representing you. You still have access to ALPO aeromedical. Best of all, you have the satisfaction of kinowing you aren't paying those obsene salaries of Duane Weorthless and others.
BTW, did you know ALPO has a condo in Vail? How many of you out there were ever invited to even time share it?. Did you know the office manager at ALPO headquarters overseeing a staff of 200, makes more the the mayor of San Antonio? Why does Weorthless have a driver that makes more the a pilot for Mid Atlantic? Write to ALPO and ask for a copy of the budget. You would be amazed at all the things you pay for with your hard earned dues. Answer these questions and then tell me why you would still want to be a member of this union.

This comment is not intended as a slam, but as a further follow-up to my above post.

This is another good reason why a large union representing many airlines does not work. Too many interests and too many politics. Again, my union is independent, and we are very much able to police our own. Our elected officials can and still do fly trips out on the line. Our union headquarters are easily accessible to anyone who is in town or transiting. The communication from officials to members is very good in both directions. And, from personal experience, when you interact with a committee, whether it be for official business or you are working on one, you don't feel like another number.

Regardless of how much a driver would be paid, there is no way our President would get away with that here. And the condo? No way. Guarantee that would have been blown out of the water a long time ago.

Now, I'm not saying our union is the perfect, text-book model union, but I prefer them to represent me over ALPA any day!! Again, I feel my union dues are very well spent.

 

[wildcat]

At the risk of some Union goon breaking my kneecaps...

Yes, you are governed by the RLA, which means you can opt out of ALPA, but you still have to pay.

However, you can request an exemption and have your monies sent to the charity of your choice. The National Right to Work can help you with this.

Good luck.

http://www.nrtw.org/

 

[slowto250]

Bring us his head

"My MEC has gone so far as to make an Eastern scab the head of one of the committees. It was at that point that I realized what ALPA has become."

Anon,
Just read your post, and find it incredible. Pleeeeeez publish his name for all to see. If you feel uneasy with this, PM me and I will publish it.

If true, this just reinforces what I have suspected for a long time. That although we refer to it as a union, ALPA is nothing more than an association, as it's name would indicate. No teeth. Would the last one to leave the offices in Herndon
please turn out the lights ? Are you listening Duane ?