There has been general discussion before concerning the de-certification of ALPA and the formation of an in-house union at various majors due to the inherent conflict in interest (Scope) of serving the needs of the legacy carriers as well of the feeders. Every action National takes is compromised by the need to serve the interests of groups with widely disparate needs, and in the process waters down it's product to the point of irrelevance. It's most notable achievements these days are it's monthly glossy self-promoting infomercial and fund raising to perpetuate itself.
DALPA is the 800 pound Gorilla in ALPA with close to 12000 dues paying members. It has the talent and the manpower to effectively duplicate almost every previously noteworthy ALPA function while better serving the needs of it's members far more efficiently and effectively for the same or less dues.
The recent Grievance Settlement over 76 seater's, while not attributable to ALPA National, serves to highlight the need for an aggressive position that serves the interests of DAL pilots, free from the influence of not-offending or conflicting with the interests of ALPA represented feeders.
DAL has enough pilots, similar to APA, where we can be highly effective as an independent union. Either National needs to start going back to it's roots of defending the profession instead of diluting it, or we should seriously consider striking out on our own. I see no way that National could or would encourage the feeders to leave. The feeders know they are better served by being part of ALPA and undermining from within with arguments of DFR than being independent, and Herndon is too addicted to the dues and highly paid Prez, EVP, and staff positions they support.
Not so DALPA.
Discuss......