Originally Posted by
sulkair
RV5M, are you considering bailing out of ALPA? You just got here man.
I can't say I've always been happy with ALPA, but even if I were so ****ed at them to the point of rage, I would still pay my dues. Here is why.
Putting all the benefits aside for a moment, and even representation, it is not worth it to be that lone-wolf. Guys will treat you differently, not all of them, but a lot of them. I just think it's the wrong way to deal with frustration. There are plenty of productive roles you can take within the organization to effect positive change.
If you're the kind of person that wants to proceed on your principles vs. what is pragmatic then go for it, but first go read Ben Franklin's autobiography. LOL! I'm serious! He's got a cool story about refusing to pay beer dues at a print shop he worked at as a young man because he didn't drink. In the end, he paid them, and willingly.
I read the passage. Immediately after BF decides to pay he changes the whole system. Anyway, a lot of that book is written as satire so I'm always a little wary of taking its advice lest I later learn it was meant to be a joke.
Economics aside, the intimidation/poor treatment the union uses to keep people in line is, in itself, a red flag for me. If airline unions are the best choice, why is the issue not open to discussion? Instead, dissenters are suppressed while the union entrenches itself with laws and red tape. How quickly would ALPA fall apart in Right to Work states without the Railway Labor Act?
It's all incredibly complex. I'm not out to get the union and was just looking for examples of poor treatment. Surprisingly little is written about the system, so getting involved would be a good way to understand it better.