Thanks for all the data on SAPA. But the issue at SKW has nothing whatsoever to do with SAPA...it is not ALPA vs. SAPA, they are not comparable.
SAPA is a managment communication device, nothing more. Expecting them to accomplish anything against the company's desires is silly. Their advocacy is limited to keeping a finger on the pulse of the pilot group...if the company gets signals via SAPA that a pilot issue REALLY needs to be addressed, management will likely fix it to avoid repurcussions which would not be in their own best interests. Like when they tried that 12-hour booze rule...the backlash was so great that we were back to 8 hours (where it belongs) in a matter of days.
The real issue is ALPA vs. SkyWest, and by SkyWest I mean the whole package...management, co-workers, culture, historical track record, and your personal faith in their ability remain one of the better regionals in the long term.
It is also worth considering whether 2800 unionized SKW pilots could help empower all pilots in the US...maybe, maybe not, and there's only one way to find out for sure! (If you think you actually know the answer to this question you are a complete moron).
I don't think alpa can significantly improve SKW, and the drawbacks may not be worth the benefits. But if one is reasonably certain that alpa won't completely screw up the company, it might be worth joining to see if we can help empower the national movement...that's the real question I have to answer.
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