Originally Posted by
newb2
The Teamsters is Atlas and Atlas is a competitor, they do not have our best interest in mind. Teamsters claims that ALPA will not represent us, and I submit that the Teamsters has not done a good job representing us. ALPA represents “pilots”, in fact ALPA represents over 59,000 pilots from 33-different carriers. I know what organization I want to represent me.
Well, for starters, that statement is wrong.
Teamsters is not just Atlas and Atlas is not a competitor.
Teamsters is also Allegiant, ABX, OMNI, Southern, & others.
And it is your management that considers the other Teamster ACMI carriers to be competitors. It is your fellow Teamster pilots who consider other Teamster ACMI carriers to be union brothers and sisters.
So apparently, you fall in line with the philosophy of your own management group.
On these very message boards, your fellow K4 pilots have raved about just how good your new contract is. A contract that, although could be better (as some K4 pilots have admitted), is leading among other ACMI carriers. It was brought to you by the Teamsters.
Allegiant also has a good contract provided by the Teamsters. And now that Teamsters has provided you with a good contract, you want to jump ship. That shows real loyalty.
I've flown for three ALPA represented carriers (two of which were ACMI carriers) and if you think for one minute that ALPA will pay attention to you during negotiations, if you think that for one minute that the FedEx pilot group will have grounds to support you during a strike, you are kidding yourself.
You're right, though, that ALPA represents 59,000 other pilots. But almost all of them make far more money than Kalitta pilots. And almost all of them are represented by far, far larger pilot groups than Kalitta. Even the regional airlines, have three to ten times the pilots that Kalitta has. And these bring in more revenue than Kalitta will provide for their bottom line.
Who do you think ALPA will pay attention to when it push comes to shove?? Who do you think they'll send resources to during negotiations? Kalitta, the ACMI carrier, with its almost 400 pilots or all the other ALPA carriers that provide a hundred times more money to their coffers?
Think about that.
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