Originally Posted by
DeadHead
Regional Airlines and Mainline Airlines should NEVER have been lumped together with the same national union in the first place. ALPA National SHOULD have drawn a line in the sand a long time ago with an ironclad, non-negotiable definition of scope separating mainline and regional flying.
The problem as I see it is that somewhere along the line ALPA put it's growth prospects, as an organization, ahead of the needs of it members. ALPA decided to grow for that sake of growing while disregarding the ramifications of representing competitive pilot groups.
Even to this day, ALPA will happily represent a group that continually approves sub-par, industry-lowering contracts, at the expense of under-cutting a struggling pilot group.
ALPA takes 2% from each of its' members and then tells said members that if they want a industry-leading contract they are going to have to fight for it. So that then bears the question...
Why am I paying someone to do a job that they in turn advocate I do myself, while supporting a competing group that is willing to do my job for less???
The way I see it ACL, what you speak of above has ALWAYS been the problem with ALPA as an organization. Sooner or later the person trying to be everybody's friend will indefinitely become everybody's enemy.
Well said, and I agree 100%. On the other note I am also aware that a new union must be chosen when the timing is right, e.g. right after the next contract negotiations.