Originally Posted by
Flytolive
Long story short you were completely wrong when you predicted, "My money is on Herndon stringing the current MEC along until the end of the term, and then starting from "scratch" with the new guys." Now you move the goal posts to save face,
I am surprised that national was able to get this rolled out and I'm sure we have the current MC to thank for motivating Herndon. I'll repeat that the new site is an improvement and that the communications committee should be proud. Still, this rollout was promised over 2 years ago and the site is lacking the functionality that's available in the platform.
Originally Posted by
Flytolive
Anyone who knows IT knows that if you waited to launch a replacement web site until every underlying system and all its content was updated completely that you would never launch. Letting perfect be the enemy of the improved is a sure fire recipe for paralysis which you previously criticized.
I think what you're trying to say is "incremental improvement". It's the hallmark of companies like Amazon who believe that that fixes don't have to be perfect, it just needs to be a slight but rapid improvement over what's currently in place. Improvement cycles at Amazon run about 6-8 weeks, if a team can't deliver, the project is shelved. To many shelved projects put small teams under review and can lead to termination.
Now let's look at ALPA. Herndon has dumped 3 inferior products on the pilots (all ALPA MECs get the same tech).
Frontage 98 (1998-2005)
Dot Net Nuke (2005-2017)
and now SiteCore (2017 - )
With the exception of the static html Frontpage platform, both Dot Net Nuke and Sitecore offer free and paid versions. The paid versions offer vastly improved functionality, security, and support. Of course Herndon went with the free versions and then employs a team of programers to re-invent the wheel to code the same functionality that's available off the shelf. ALPA programer pay is about 80% more than the average ALPA represented pilot and considerably more than their peers in the programing industry. Salary information for ALPA is public, check it out.
Originally Posted by
Flytolive
I bet you have never done any significant union work as you obviously don't have a clue about how a predominantly volunteer organization like ALPA functions. This isn't the Air Force where leaders issue orders that are reinforced and obeyed according to the UCMJ.
I've done enough to know that offering perspective and criticism is the domain of any dues paying member. And to be clear, my angst isn't about pilot volunteers, it's our union offering pilots a substandard product while creating and maintaining a lucrative jobs program at our expense. If ALPA IT (Herndon not UAL) was able to deliver a suitable product to the MECs I wouldn't take issue, but that's not the case.
Originally Posted by
Flytolive
That said since your standards are so high and you apparently think it so easy, put up or as you previously promised shut up. Teddy Roosevelt was right and you certainly should jump in the arena and show us all how its done.
It's not that my standards are so high, it's that ALPA pilots are being charged premium rates for a product that's well below industry standard quality. My solution is to outsource Herndon's IT. For the millions in salary and benefits the pilot's would save there many excellent white label solutions out there that would both save us money and deliver a better product.
I'm sure that might sound like heresy to you, ALPA pilots turning on Herndon's ALPA Unit 1 represented employees. If you've done ALPA work you know there's a point where the association can't represent a pilot. This is no different, we're going on 2 decades of mediocre IT. To wage this fight it'll take an MEC, preferably several, to lead the charge at the BOD.
Back to my earlier challenge to you, find any MEC resolution that deals with IT improvements at the national (or MEC) level. This fight starts with an MEC that's at least aware that there's a problem. Historically speaking, the UAL MEC is not that body.