Originally Posted by nicholasblonde

I'm sure this has been said, but ALPA PAC reps are out and about in regional crewrooms asking for donations to stop the preclearance facility in the UAE.

Every single airline I am aware of in the UAE that hires US pilots pays significantly more money, treats pilots significantly better than any US airline, does not outsource flying or engage in sham bankruptcies to weasel their way out of contracts, provides better health insurance/childcare/housing/tax/educational benefits than any US airline, and basically raises the bar for all pilots worldwide by providing much-needed demand pressure on the worldwide job market and salary table for all pilots--especially in the USA.

I was a hardcore ALPA supporter when I first got into this racket, but after living through age 65, Pinnacle's sham bankruptcy, PSA's recent contract, etc. etc., and now as we see the union obsessively whining about their mainline masters having to compete head-to-head with Ethiad, I feel like ALPA has simply become a protection racket solely interested in protecting the jobs and compensation of an elite class of widebody captains at US legacy carriers--regional/young pilots are truly just sharecroppers they use as a sweatshop to keep their wages high and coffers full.

Asking starving regional FOs to donate money--above and beyond our dues--to prevent one preclearance facility in the UAE? How about you address the glaringly absurd fact that I fly a plane with a mainline name full of mainline passengers with mainline tickets for poverty wages--how about taking care of that first? How about the fact that we work under the RAILWAY labor act as PILOTS first? How about the fact it is nearly impossible to go on STRIKE anymore? Maybe work on those things with your legislative budget--maybe get pilots under the NLRB instead of the RLA--maybe do that and I'll donate to your PAC fund. But no--no ALPA--I'm not donating to something that will simply kill a potential job for a US pilot at Ethiad solely to protect you half-dead Grandpas and your 777 CA slots at a US legacy carrier--something you have due to luck and timing, and something you have aggressively lobbied to keep for yourself (i.e. age 65) at the expense of young people like myself.

Over it--just absoultely over ALPA and not wearing my lanyard anymore.