acl65pilot

Chuck;
You hit one really big salient point. We as a pilot group are shrinking. Each time that scope has been loosened, we as a pilot group have voted for it. Under the DB days we were FAE focused, under the CH 11 era we were trying to avoid this or that, but in the end we always voted YES for the change, not ALPA National but the pilots of DAL/NWA.

The ugly truth is that the major airline pilots have caused the issue of the regionals getting to the point where they have more roll call votes than the majors do. We screwed up, and now we think we can fix it buy cutting bait and running. Classic.

The only way to solve this is to kick the dead weight out of ALPA, change the by laws to force National to come in line with those paying the bills, and to fight to reverse the trend we ourselves' have created. Outsourcing has and will always be a marriage that last one loop around the track. CH 11 took away any of the gains a plane here and there gave. It is now time to push the issue.

The only way to solve this issue without creating another one is to first ask for outsourced flying to be put back on our list. To my knowledge that has never been done. Why not? Who knows, but first ask the question, then take the response to that question and build from it.

All of these issues we started here at the mainline and must be solved at the mainline. I get the desire to have all money going to DAL pilot's interests but the reality is that many of our interest align with the other pilot groups that are part of the National ALPA. We would be spending the same money we do now. Some say that joining the CAPA would happen. That is all well and good, but do our interest totally align with all of its members? Nope not on your life, so in effect you are getting to join another group of unions that still has to come up with a general consensus while using your money. (No change)

As the argument goes, but there will not be any regional airlines in it. For now that is true, but what happens when ALPA dissolves? Will CAPA bring them in over fear that these guys will successfully create cutouts of their flying that totally fly past the mainlines PWA section one protections? I bet they would. It is self preservation, and the only way to keep them in check is to make them part of your greater group. It will result in having the same sort of organization we do now (National) that has the same limits. In effect we just will change the name plate on the door. Sounds like a lot of work and a ton of risk for not much reward.

A lot of pilots look at the regional v mainline conflict of interest at National. Well lets look at that. First look how the ALPA National Policy Manual and By-Laws are written. Go look, download them, and read them. Yep, I was looking for this conflict too about two years ago (was very vocal), and I constantly posted about it. I see no conflict. Just to save a few ppl time:

1) National Signs our contract, they do not negotiate it. The response is BS they do they send lawyers. They do, but we also employ our own that work for DALPA every day and sit in our offices. We negotiate what we want and can reign in scope with no fear of National telling us we cannot. They get a cut of the money if we fly it or if a regional represented by ALPA flies it. It is of no consequence to them.
(The only fear some regioanals may have about us doing this is that we as selfish and self centered mainline pilots my not remember to think of them at the table. As many have always said, their responsibility is to the Delta pilots first. With that said, what can they do about us doing what we want? Nada. We have the money and leverage, we just need to choose to use it.)

2) What about Ford Cooksey and those RJDC guys?
Lots of bad blood here, I agree. Their biggest mistake was suing ALPA. In the end the settlement gave them a seat at the table on an advisory committee. They have no binding authority on anything. It is meet and confer, no more no less. In effect a settlement without true teeth.

3) The local Units of ALPA do your bidding as a Delta pilot. The same will hold true with DPA. What that means is that once again, you need reps that carry your desires to the MEC and to the negotiating table. It means that nothing will change in the way we develop and negotiate our next contract. It requires one less signature which is no more than just a rubber stamp. (No National president would ever refuse to sign a mainline contract for no other reason that self preservation)


I totally get the frustration that many feel towards their Association over the last decade and more importantly over the last few years. What is the theme here? We all know the answer. We all agree that something needs to change, but we disagree on how that change needs to occur. I personally think that reform from within is the answer. We can disagree on that. I choose to take this stance for many reasons but the most important one is the "Law of Unintended Consequences."

In this world we are seeing more and more Joint Ventures and Cross Ocean agreements. Here at DALPA/DAL we have seen some very binding agreements with the AF/KLM deal and the agreement among all pilots of the the Sky Team Alliance. We have not seen the fruits of this effort since we have been in a recession but we will. This work is good work. It would have not been possible without ALPA and IFALPA. It by nature brought us and AF to the table to start a dialogue. Going it alone we may see this sort of thing, but it would not be as easy as it has been. It is like trying to get a visa to a country we do not have Diplomatic Relations to. Same principle.

These principles also allow many things to "happen" as we move forward. It is my belief that some day Foreign Ownership limits will be done away with and Cabatoge will be a thing of the past. What do you think that means for a pilot group that has embraced isolationism? My gut and view of history determines it will not be a positive one. That is why I say, keep the seat at the table but fix the issues behind the seat.

In regard to the regionals within ALPA National: We are getting to the point where they may have more rollcall votes that we do. Scary? maybe. In realty it is more like Mutually Assured Destruction. I am sure we will see the fourth by-law change to keep the balance of power in the hands of the mainline carrier at national but how do we "Reform ALPA" to fix what truly burns most pilots? Throwing the baby out with the bathwater is seldom the correct answer.

It is why I say, before you don your fire suit, and pick up your torches, you educate yourself on the positions of the four men running for the office of ALPA National's President. Much of it will sound the same but a lot of it will not. We need a communicator that will take hard positions on scope, restoration, flight and duty time limits, cargo safety initiatives, associationesque limits on those joining our profession, compensation structures for ALPA National leaders and a myriad of other issues. We do not want lip service.

We as a group (All ALPA pilots) need these issues fixed before we succumb to our own devices. Trust me, when I say, ten years down the road looking back leaving ALPA may be the worst thing we could have done for our profession. It is good we are having this debate because it will force a few issues, but at the end of the day, there are more reasons to stay part of ALPA than to leave it.


We will undoubtedly be having this debate between ALPA and DPA over the next few months, but before you blindly vote make sure you are educated on what each choice means.