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Old 05-04-2010, 09:54 PM
  #82  
Beagle Pilot
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Joined APC: Dec 2008
Position: EMB-145
Posts: 427
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Originally Posted by RedeyeAV8r View Post
If a NON-ALPA carrier merges with a ALPA represented carrier, then ALPA National will provide all the Legal assistance needed.

TWA and AMR is one example where that did not really happen. There are many stories as to why.
Agreed with most of your post. There is one major point missing however. Many people think of ALPA National as Big Brother ready to swoop in and fix everything the MEC members want them to do. That isn't the way it works. ALPA National will provide assets that are beyond the capabilities of the MEC, but it is still up to the MEC to decide what to do. The only caveat National requires is that the MEC abide by the Constitution and By-laws.

I work on a National committee, but like the ALPA merger policy, all we can do is pass recommendations. We can't force any MEC to do what we want. This goes for all committees. If the Executive Council votes to change something such as dues percentage or what is considered "income", it takes a ratification procedure through reps of all airlines. Mergers don't rise to that level of action.

As for what happened at TWA, I think ALPA National could have provided more legal assets but, IMHO, the legal guys told them it would have been a waste of money so they backed off. The rest was what the TWA MEC and the APA BOD negotiated. It appears up to 1100 of the most senior TWA pilots did okay according to the link below.

Even the TWA guys can't keep their story straight about what happened so it's understandable how no one else can know understand it either: http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ma...tml#post800401
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