Originally Posted by
Denny Crane
ACL,
Reading this statement makes me think that you think the regionals in ALPA are inside our (the Majors) scope of control and can be held in check. If so, how can this not be a DFR issue with ALPA National????
Denny
Currently the do not tie though their scope the creators of the code to their flying. DAL or UAL et al have though successive agreements allowed these cutouts. They do not have the right to expand or contract that flying, only the person with exclusivity does. That would be us.
My point is what would preclude them from going and talking to our management team with DPA? Our exclusivity agreement, but they as well as the company would know that they would sign an agreement for this flying, they would fly it and we would need to take them to court.
As this progressed over the weeks and years though litigation and the courts, more flying would be outsource further weakening our bargning position. We may win the case eventually, but not after the damage has been done.
By keeping ourselves within the same union as the majority of these airlines, we keep a detente. They know that they would not get the funding from us or the airlines unless they left ALPA. What we are doing now is working to bring their contracts up, and at the same time restore these cutouts. (See UAL-CAL) If were were trying the same thing in an independent these guys would not be rallying behind us because there would be no benefit to them, they would be fighting us at the same time we are fighting the company, the RAA and the ATA. There is no way that DPA or any other independent would have the resources to win that battle without some major casualties.
Currently these regionals within ALPA know not to go against the grain. RJET is trying with getting on with the Star alliance, but the power of ALPA within the star alliance, and at UAL-CAL is making these guys think twice about it. Add the regionals of ALPA to the mix and they may play ball.
WRT, SKW with them the airlines are smart enough not to mess with that too much. It allows them to whipsaw the other WO regionals they own, and if they are not careful SKW will become ALPA. I do agree that we need to make it valuable for them to become ALPA and to tighten up scope. The best results will come from doing this within ALPA.