Originally Posted by
Romulus
ALPA isn't perfect, but it is the best thing available unless you have a benevolent management system where an independent union or no union at all can work. Let's hope you don't have to go on strike or, God forbid, have an accident. Doesn't the IPA rent services from ALPA? If ALPA didn't exist, you'd have to generate those resources yourself.
The biggest allie those Brazilian midair pilots, both furloughed APA pilots, have is ALPA because all APA is doing is giving an occasional cheer with pom-poms then going back to business as usual with their second year of contract negotiations.
The biggest problem with large unions is the members who think it exists to only serve them. This is like someone who joins a basketball team on the condition the team makes them the star and always gives them the ball. That isn't how it works. It's a team. All members have to do what is best for the team. Support the team and the team supports you. You may not ever be the star, but a good team is a winning team. A good team is a team where you watch everyone's back and they watch yours.
It's hard to form a team when all the members are undercutting each other to be the star and catch all the limelight.
Off the soapbox. Good luck.
Sky Sailor,
Not sure why you felt compelled to attack the IPA. We have gone on a strike, 100% of us honored the Teamster strike for 15 days in 1997. We brought all our probation and new hires with us. UPS relented and let them stay out of the fray and stay home till over. We were helped by many other unions and cargo pilots. It was a good statement of unions resolve and unity. IPA does very well with a very aggressive management team that has fired many IPA pilots to create fear. They have come back under the IPA. We have a good track record. We are self supporting. Maybe you can factually enlighten me on what services we rent from ALPA since 1994? Wasn't here before then, but perhaps at one time we paid a consultant fee for something? but the last two negotiations we hired our own experts and have our own resources, staff, etc. Quite extensive organic support actually. Come take a visit sometime, be happy to show you around.
Has the IPA leveraged off ALPA? Certainly, in the same way Fedex pilots (whether FPA or ALPA)used our cherries during negotiations. Don't have to be ALPA for that though. Believe we have much to assist each other during said negotiations, rather than muddy the water. Frankly, believe ALPA a good fit for whomever group of pilots believe it so (like Airtran now believes). Just because different unions, we would be smart to work strategically in partnership to get better results during negotiations. We have more in common between ourselves and should maximize our opportunity to share the cherries <g>