Originally Posted by
III Corps
I think you are a bit confused over seniority issues and pension issues. What DID happen is the USAir MEC said it would never give away the pension and before any real consideration to that point would happen it would go to a vote with the line pilot.
That did not happen.
The MEC had a road show where it said that even IF the pension was terminated, those in the first tranche (over age 57) would be made WHOLE.
That did not happen.
And when some of the USAir line pilots were walking the halls of Congress imporing Senators and Reps to not go along with the dissolution of the pension, one phrase kept greeting them and that was, "IF this is so important, where is ALPA?"
NOT revisionist history but actual fact
History is dotted with pilot groups that were unsatisfied with ALPA's representation of each particular group...prime example, American. Turn's out, ALPA was right all along on the crew compliment issue in the 1960's.
What I'm getting at, is each individual Pilot group's experience with ALPA depends on competent decisions being made by their MEC, and electing a good MEC. US Air was so dissatisfied with ALPA, but then they left the same guys in charge with no National Association whatsoever to back them up. It doesn't make sense. ALPA national will not back you on every issue. But then you go it alone and you have NO ONE to back you on anything.
A judge took the pensions, not ALPA. And now when you go back to congress for something else, they'll still be asking , "where's ALPA."
Then they start demanding offline jumpseaters remove their ALPA lanyards
