Originally Posted by
MD340
I agree we need representation!!! However we need a union that will represent us, THE COLGAN PILOTS and not have any aliegence to the Pinnacle pilots.
ALPA cannot represent us without worring about what the pinnacle pilots want!!!
ALPA made a big mistake with US AIR when they did not favor the bigger pilot group and US AIR voted them out. It cost ALPA over 10 million per year. If ALPA were to represent Colgan they would always favor the bigger pilot group which happens to be pinnacle. They are not going to make that mistake again.
The scope language that the Pinnacle pilot group wants to put into their new contract will limit us Colgan Pilots to flying Aircraft with 34 seats and that is one of the issues that the mgm is fighting. If the Colgan pilots were to be represented by ALPA I do not think the management would care who was flying the aircraft and let the pinnacle pilots have them and ALPA will again favor the bigger pilot group and that will leave us with just the SAABs.
There are just to many issues between the two pilot groups that will at some point have to be addressed to have one union reperesenting both of us.
ALPA will do for Colgan what ALPA did for US Air
OK, I know the previous posts have already responded to you about this, but it is worth repeating so that the facts get drilled into your head as well as the heads of all those others who are either spouting scare tactics or are just misinformed.
1. ALPA National did nothing to favor one pilot group over the other in the USAirways/America West seniority dispute. ALPA National has a Constitution and By-Laws (C&BL) containing exactly how ALPA will operate. (As an ALPA member you would have online access to this very document to read every word.) It contains ALPA merger policy as referenced above. Both America West and USAirways pilot groups followed ALPA merger policy as dictated and attempted to combine seniority lists. When they couldn't agree, ALPA policy says they can make use of a neutral (independent) arbitrator agreed to by both sides to come up with a binding solution. This is what happened. When the result angered one pilot group, they appealed to the Executive Council. All the Executive Council could do at that point was look at the entire process to make sure every step was followed according to policy and that each group knew the process. Both sides did and ALPA National had no choice but to accept the award because the process was followed correctly. ALPA National provided the tools and one group didn't like the outcome they chose.
2. ALPA National takes direction from all the individual airline MECs out there. Most people don't realize this because most people don't get involved enough to know how ALPA works. YOU vote for your representatives for your MEC. If you don't like something or want something changed, YOU can introduce a resolution at your LEC level. YOUR LEC representatives then take it to the MEC for a vote. If it passes this gives direction to the MEC. If it regards ALPA National, then YOUR MEC takes it up to the next level for a vote.
3. One union working together across all the brands under it's corporate umbrella is the best scenario. Coordination between MECs can prevent whip-sawing back and forth. A united front to management shows one group is not going to be pushed around at the expense of the other.
4. Can you tell me what other union will provide you access to the resources that ALPA provides? Aero Medical division working to get YOU back in the cockpit if you lose your medical. Insurance department which has many different types of short-term, long-term, disability, life and loss of license insurance designed SPECIFICALLY for pilots. A financial analysis department whose only job is to compile data on the financial health of companies and run numbers on what they know companies can afford to pay, etc. during contract negotiations. The union that pushed hard to get jumpseats back after 9/11. The union that pushed for CASS. The union that fought for CrewPass. The teamsters is not going to provide you that and does not look out for your best interests as a PILOT.
You get what you want in a contract because you and your fellow pilots stand up for what you want. It's management's job to spread fear of furlough, downgrades, reduction in flying, chapter 11 etc. That is what they do to intimidate. They will tell you we can keep this a family and take care of any problems easier without a union. Sorry, but without a contract and labor protections in it I wouldn't trust airline management not to fire any pilot as soon as they hit top pay or for whatever reason.
Make your decision, but make it with facts. Don't let fear, rumors, and innuendo decide your future. YOU have the right to cast a vote for the union you want (or don't as the case may be). However, the IBTs possible attempt to deny you a vote based on the one sentence in their card already should show you what I and others think about the Teamsters.