Originally Posted by
TurboDog
Chances are that the majority of those about to be furloughed are still on probation. You are definitely represented, however you are at the bottom of priority list therefor you can't expect the union to drop everything they are working on to give all of their attention to you.
It's unfortunate, but in a seniority based system that is how the cookie crumbles. And remember, we were all on probation and we were all in the same danger you are in now at some point while being employed here.
So it does all come down to money. The junior guys and those still on probation have not donated much to the ALPA lunch fund, so they get less consideration than those who have spent thousands on ALPA.
Basically, it comes down to the fact that the senior guys run the chapter, and have spent a lot of time and money helping the place out. They now must use their resources to benefit themselves the most (5 day pairings, scheduling software, etc.). The soon-to-be-furloughed employees do not contribute to ALPA much at all, so they should not receive much. The mentality exists that "We were once furloughed and on strike, so you must too in order to gain the full respect of the situation."
But, those junior guys who are currently being forgotten about will not forget. Those who survive will remember down the line how ALPA was not there to help them out.
I hope I'm wrong, I truely do.
Am I out of line here? fire away