Originally Posted by
PiperArrow
I'm a conservative and would object to having my union dues used for political contributions to liberals.
Yeah, me too. Know what? Unions are prohibited from using union dues for political contributions. Problem solved.
Originally Posted by
PiperArrow
I'm a damn good worker and employee every job I've ever had I work hard and have been promoted sometimes well before others that had seniority over me. I don't need a union.
And what happens when the same employer who picked you for early promotion also picks you to fly that trip that compromises your standards of safety? Winds are out of limits, or the visibility is inadequate, or maybe it's just a matter of being too tired to safely operate an airplane. The employer really, really, really wants the flight to go -- he really needs to get there -- and if you can't break the rules for him, maybe he can find another employee who wants the promotion more to do it.
That's how it used to be, back before pilots got together to collectively say no, safety is more important than promotions based on how much the boss likes us.
Originally Posted by
PiperArrow
I have found that employers want good employees and will pay/treat their good employees fairly so as to keep them in the fold. Unions are for slugs!
You're living in a fantasy world. While such employers exist, they are few and far between. And how do you suppose they determine what "fair" pay is in the first place?
A long history of collective bargaining has established fair compensation -- pay and benefits -- as well as work rules and safety standards. If you think your employer pays well because he's a nice guy, you're a fool. If he could pay you a third and keep you there, he would.
Fair compensation has been elevated to what it is today by decades of collective bargaining. Employers know what they have to pay to keep you from going elsewhere because that's the pay that we have collectively bargained. Would you be willing to work for a tenth of that pay and benefits so you can be promoted ahead of all of your peers?
Originally Posted by
PiperArrow
I'm non union and could care less if I'm treated poorly by big government union slug captains. I sleep just fine at night.
You sleep fine at night in large part due to the improvements in the industry that have been gained by the sweat and blood of pilots willing to risk their own livelihoods by standing together to make things better for you and everyone else to follow. I know, you can't see that from where you currently sit, so you deserve a little slack.
You deserve a chance to do a little reading, educate yourself a little, and then have another look and reassess your situation. I recommend you begin with this book:
Flying the Line
Happy reading!
(Well, shucks, it looks like you have to be an ALPA member to get a free electronic copy of the book. Tell ya what. PM me your e-mail address, and I'll send you a copy. It comes in iPad, Kindle, Kindle Fire, Nook, Digital Page Turning, PDF, and HTML versions. OR, if you don't want to accept a benefit from a union, you can order your own paper copy from
Amazon.com or
eBay)
(Oh, and could you please let me know when you plan to call your Captain a "union slug" to his face? I would like to watch.)
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