Originally Posted by
Itsajob
If ALPA has a conflict of interest between legacy and regional airlines and will not change, would breaking away from ALPA and having an independent union be an option? It seems to work for American and Southwest, however Delta and United have so far remained with ALPA. I’m not advocating dumping ALPA, I’m asking if going to a United only union would be a better or worse option?
I see what you're saying. I don't know.
I do know that ALPA representing both mainline carriers and regional carriers is bad for the profession of mainline commercial aviation as we have seen in the post 9-11 regional jet explosion and reduction in mainline flying routes.
The model provides "pseudo protection" under the current scheme. Just having 50,000 members, or xyz number seems to be the goal. ALPA's strategy is simply "strength in numbers." ALPA isn't focusing on the type of members, or the quality of what they have to offer, just raw numbers. So, if you're only focusing on numbers, and that's your goal then you likely have problems in alignment of priorities and goals. Hence, conflicts of interest are on the one hand ignored, and on the other hand tolerated.
The big attractant for smaller regional carriers is the "holy grail". The ALPA tool box. Having access to the ALPA services that smaller regional carriers under their ultra low cost model of compensation would require their union (if they had one) to charge 10 times the dues moneys they currently pay to provide the same level or near same level of service.
Essentially, the larger carriers that produce more dues moneys subsidizes the smaller regional carriers. our dues moneys can't go for mainline causes of action because it may hurt the regional industry. So, in turn it ends up hurting the mainline profession at large.
Perhaps an incremental approach would be logical. if United MEC spun off completely from ALPA it would have some pretty disastrous effects for ALPA as a whole. Likely the beginning of the end. So, I don't advocate that. I think a stronger and more effective ALPA would be the goal. if you have gang-green setting in on your foot, don't cut off the whole leg, just the infected foot. if the gang-green keeps spreading, maybe then taking the leg is logical.
Incrementally speaking, the most cautious and most conservative approach is to have the regionals form their own RPA If, after a period of time that didn't work further consideration of what you propose may be in order. For me, I would prefer to see a stronger and more effective ALPA. My opinion only is that if the RPA spun off, the APA might come back to ALPA. That would be a great trade in my opinion.