Originally Posted by
MSPLCP
SY pilot here. I consider the money that goes to ALPA dues to be the best return on investment I've ever spent. The last few years they've returned dues to pilots that were in excess of what they need to represent us. They also care about small carriers like us and have funneled extra funds into fighting against typical anti labor firms such as F&H.
I agree with this. As a small airline, ALPA has provided support beyond what would normally be expected based on dues and pilot group size alone.
I would compare it to a small suburb that receives county or state funds beyond what its tax base might support, because it is in the interest of the county or state - and other suburbs - to ensure effective police, fire, water, etc.
There's no better way to see the value of those dues dollars put to work that to volunteer for a committee. The collaboration with committee members from other airlines is also valuable, and when a small carrier doesn't have the internal resources for a specific skill set (small pilot group), other carriers will often lend their experts to the small one. Examples could be safety, FOQA, PBS, insurance, etc. Being able to call up someone from DAL/UAL/ALA/SPA/FFT etc. can help you jump ahead and get problems solved without having to do all the legwork yourself.