Just a piece of friendly advice, take it or leave it. Representation is unfortunately a must in this industry. Without it, management has shown they will not share the success, but will gladly share the pain of this industry.

Form your own independent union! You have to take leadership for yourself because you are the only one you can hold accountable. ALPA will take your money and tell you they cannot negotiate an impass or support a strike because of legal entanglements with other pilot groups. Teamsters Local 747 has a dozen people trying to manage its aviation responsibilities and is inept at it.

The most successful unions are the in house unions. SWA has SWAPA, UPS has IPA, American has APA (incidentally the only legacy carrier with A funds and pensions still intact,) and I am sure I am leaving out a few others.

NetJets pilots had Local 747 representing them and tried to break away after incompetent representation in 2004. After that, there was a deal made so that NJ pilots had their own local, Local 1108. Local 1108 was made up entirely of NJ pilots and without support of Teamsters International, greatly improved their contract in 2005. Again in 2007, NJ Local 1108 negotiated yet another greatly improved contract 3 years before the amendable date of the 2005 agreement. Teamsters International did not even know about the new contract until we told them. That's how involved they were. NJ pilots, after taking responsibility for themselves in 2005, have now made the break official. NJ pilots will be represented by an in-house union NJASAP after a representational election concludes this month.

Take responsibility for yourself. Keep your dues money local. Do not pay for Hoffa, Prater, or any of their high paid staff. All they do is take your money, live the high life, and tell you they truly want to help but there is nothing they can do.

Good luck and I wish ya'll well.