Originally Posted by
bigtime209
The bottom line is, ALPA is always engaging management. There are always things going on behind the scenes. ALPA is always working to secure gains for the pilot group. But it makes things extremely difficult when management is completely unwilling to play ball. And they have absolutely no incentive to play ball right now. OAL attrition is minimal and hiring is through the roof. I, like many, am extremely frustrated that we cannot get any improvements as a pilot group. But how in the world is ALPA supposed to be able to negotiate with a management team that has absolutely zero interest in negotiating? It takes two to tango. I'm ****ed and frustrated, but I have to ask myself, what could I do to change things that our elected leadership isn't already doing? And I'd ask anyone else who is blaming ALPA for not getting us all of these gains that we all want, how exactly do you suggest we go about getting these things? Anyone who thinks that ALPA is just sitting around doing nothing, I'd suggest reaching out to your MEC reps and/or the MEC officers and have them give you an idea as to what is going on behind the scenes. We all want improvements, we're on the same team. Place the blame on management, who is unwilling to grant any significant gains to this pilot group. Now, I will say that the communication between the ALPA leadership and this pilot group is sub par. They are doing a poor job at communicating, well, anything really. I think the lack of communication conveys the notion that nothing is being done. There needs to be communication as to the current state of affairs, the goals going forward, a general update on whether or not active negotiations are taking place in hopes of accomplishing something, etc....Obviously, there are certain sensitive things that shouldn't be shared in the interest to negotiations, but just a general update from time to time is imperative. I think us all being left in the dark is what frustrates us all. I personally know things are being worked on behind the scenes after reaching out to leadership. But Joe Pilot that has made no effort to reach out has no clue that anything is happening right now since there is no communication from ALPA stating otherwise. This has to change.
It's not that the group does not understand that management has to be willing to give us stuff, what frustrates this group is Sam's and the lec's unwillingness to stand up to management and make things uncomfortable. Our LEC won't rock the boat because they want to flow soon(don't take a position, if your not willing to do what it takes). Every small gain we have got from this company in the last 2-3 years has been because the company brought it to the union, not the other way around. When the union comes up with an idea and the company is willing to hear it, we end up with a reserve LOA that had to be withdrawn because we laughed at it. Even if endeavor had not put out their LOA we would still have laughed our LOA away. That's why the union was doing the crew room meets lately, and all they wanted to hear from us, was, what do you want fixed for reserve. I am pretty sure they can't be that out of touch, we have been saying the same things for years(I am not on reserve, so screw it, make reserve worse, but give us raises!!).