Originally Posted by
baseball
ALPA wasn't sued (Unless suit was amended to include the CAL MEC), so ALPA didn't win or lose. Legacy Contiental was sued. CAL management was playing fast and loose with the CAL military pilots B fund contributions.
Yes, ALPA was named as a defendant in the suit. The list I posted is copied directly from the Plaintiffs lawyers web notice.
Originally Posted by
baseball
I think there was only 5. However, the suit demonstrated that many folks who were on military status...
Those original 5 pilots were only owed about $2K each. And, they tried to get management to make it right for them before the suit was filed. The CAL MEC wasn't interested in making it right for them.
[B]And, the lawfirm that ran the suit (pilot law), is run by a legacy UAL pilot, and ALPA member in good-standing.[B/] I am sure he had mixed feelings about bringing ALPA into it, but likely had not choice as the CAL MEC had a joint role in enforcing the R&I components of the cba.
The interesting thing is this: ALPA was taking dues money from all pilots, to include those CAL ALPA members in good standing who were paying dues money to insure that the CBA was being enforced and maintained properly.
Keep in mind, that pre-merger the legacy UAL MEC and legacy UAL were in deed keeping up with their obligations under the law and under the cba. So, one way to look at it is this: Kudos to legacy UAL MEC and UAL for enforcing the cba and insuring their military dues paying members in good-standing were being properly compensated in their retirement fund. Way to set the example and way to go for showing legacy CAL needed to fix their accounting scheme.
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If you actually read the original complaint and responses you will read that ALPA executive committee had reviewed the CAL ALPA accounting procedure and approved it. It was done the same way it had always been, if you are not on preoperty for a period, you don't get paid for that time, unless on paid sick leave.
The fact that the law firm is run by an L-UAL pilot explains a lot. He will likely get to keep a large portion of the "settlement".
Keep in mind, that no court judged the process illegal under USERRA- it never got to court. So any determination that the accounting was illegal is bogus.
This settlement amounts to hush money to the L-UAL pilot and his law firm, that lets United, and ALPA off the hook, at the expense of L-CAL line pilots, who had no say in the accounting practices of Continental.
If, big IF, the process was illegal, UNITED CONTINENTAL should be on the hook for a lot of money for past pay practices. UAL won't pay a dime, except for B fund (Which is entirely different matter)