No, I'm not talking about management, I'm talking about a FedEx pilot using Article VIII of ALPA's Constitution & By-Laws against fellow FedEx pilots.
At last October's ALPA Board of Directors Meeting, the BOD elected 4 national officers, including one of our own FedEx pilots to the position of First Vice President. Having representation at such a high level in the national organization is a huge win for FedEx pilots, an advantage that cannot be overstated.
Recently, the Chairman of Local Council 26, the Block 11 (Instructors) Representative, used Article VIII of ALPA's Constitution & By-Laws to prefer charges against our First Vice President, the man who served as his "campaign manager", and 5 sitting members of our MEC -- that is, 5 of our Block Reps.
Here's an excerpt of Article VIII:
SECTION 1 - HEARING OF MEMBERSHIP CASES
A. Any member (including any Inactive member) may be
disciplined, fined, or expelled for any of the following acts:
(1) Willful violation of this Constitution and By-Laws.
(2) Making a false statement or withholding material information when applying for membership.
(3) Disobeying or failing to comply with a decision of the Board of Directors, the Executive Board, the Executive Council, his Master Executive Council, or his Local Council.
(4) Misappropriating money or property of the Association.
(5) Performing work for or assisting an airline during a period when the members of this Association are on strike against such airline.
(6) Entering into an employment agreement, or any contract which might injure the Association.
(7) Improperly disclosing confidential matter of the Association.
(8) Refusing or willfully neglecting to pay dues, assessments, fines or financial obligations to the Association.
(9) Acting in any manner to circumvent, defeat or interfere with collective bargaining between the Association and an employer or with existing collective bargaining agreements.
(10) Doing any act contrary to the best interests of the Association or its members.
At today's Joint Council meeting, I asked the charging member, the Chairman of Council 26, to explain to us what remedy he sought (discipline, fine, or expulsion), what act the charged pilots had committed, and how this action improves our unity, or enhances our ability to successfully negotiate a CBA under the supervision of the NMB. The MEC won't even eat dinner together -- how can they be working together to serve the pilots of FedEx?
He was reluctant to speak at all, but I pointed out that nothing in Article VIII requires secrecy or confidentiality, and appealed to him as an elected ALPA officer that he owes an explanation to the dues-paying FedEx ALPA members.
His response requires little summarizing, as it was already brief. He claims that he did not personally charge anybody, they should not consider it an attack by him, that he was basically acting on behalf of another member (who, by the way is not in his Domicile, much less his Council), he was a mere conduit to a legal procedure. Finally, he said that his attorney would not allow him to say more.
I wonder ... if he's merely acting as a mindless conduit, devoid of judgment or discretion, why does he need an attorney?
Is this the example of unity we're expected to emulate?
.