Originally Posted by acl65pilot

Maybe maybe not. As we have stated DAL or UAUA pilots opting out of ALPA would more than likely cause the implosion of the organization. They may be able to spin off the services potion of National but you cannot even use the fees that other airlines pay for these services as a litmus to what our fees would be. (They pay a lot)

If you wanted services and a presence that National does provide, lets try to compare apples to apples.

Lobbying:
1)How much do you think that DPA will have to pay to get the same access that ALPA and DALPA have now with everyone in DC?

2) Is DPA going to have an office in DC so that we can work the issues every day with face to face meetings? That costs money, and without the access and influence will wain. If they do not and want the same level of lobbying and access to occur without owning structures, they will be paying though the nose for apartments or house leases or payments, much like national. I am sure no one would willingly spend their own money move their families up there to do this for the DAL pilots? (ALPA by laws state that no volunteer should be out their own money for their work)

Support: (aeromed, legal, et al)

To compare apples to apples:

1)What would our fees be for the same number of full time attorneys we use in a non section six, plus all of the fees for section six add up to if you would 1) Pay a firm to do it will billable hours, or 2) Retain them as full time?

2) What would a realistic cost be for aero med now that that support network is for profit and a stand alone?

3) What would the costs be of offering insurance policies to our pilots that ALPA currently does? Less pilots means less pooling?

Other General:

1) What would the cost be in the form of a assessment to get the necessary funds to create a 20-30 million dollar MCF?

2) If we left ALPA would there be any incentive for ALPA carriers and pilots that we backed away from to not fly struck work? (Not fear carl a real question)

3) Would it help or hurt our relationship with the ALPA AF/KLM pilots? (There are two unions at AF and one is ALPA)

4) Looking at APA or IPA they have Presidents and VP's along with a lot of support positions as well. Similar layers to ALPA but all paid for by one group. Are we going to do that?

5) Representational Structure? APA does not have status reps as we see them. Are they going to be mandated to be CAPT and FO reps? In MIA they are all Captains.

6) Are we going to have our own EFA committee? We currently use Nationals to crunch data?

No sniping, I want to know the questions to these answers. There is generally a cost savings associated with consolidation of resources. Many state that the independent unions have cheaper dues. Do they pay more assessments more often? Does each pilot pay an add on fee for the extra services? Are we going to asses our pilots added fees initially? These and many other questions need to be answered before a true decision is made.

A lot of you are stating that this thing was only started on Sept 7, 2010. No true. It was "incorporated" on that date. It has been around a lot longer than that. Lets start to see some structure. Who know I may be really impressed, but I am not signing on for a chance that we may elect to opt out of ALPA without a clear structure, a clear plan for what ALPA now offers, ect. I know you will retort and state that this is coming, but what if the answers are that it is more expensive and we still have less influence?

Just questions I am pondering? They do need to be asked.