I'm not going to worry about things outside my control, but it is annoying that others want ALPA simply for one reason only, and discounting just how pathetic of a "union" or "association" or what ever the hell they are, out of spite of one man.

 

Well said. And when I asked those spear heading this “endeavor” why they didn’t run for EB elections for local all I heard back was crickets. Why are we going for the nuclear option instead of trying to take steps to make changes within?

 

I'm glad to see that there are some reasonable people on here. Something like participating in the elections at a Local are about as democratic an event as one can possibly get to, where every vote really does count. This is our Union. It's up to us to elect the leadership that we want.

 

Yes DW is the point man for what is wrong. However it is not from a dislike of DW that we want to leave. It is the Teamsters management allowing Atlas interests to rise above all. Nobody on this planet can tell me that our contract “lowered the bar” for 1224. Yet, that is precisely what was used by DW wells against us. Ok, so maybe that was an anomaly. I personally know that Hoffa himself knows what happened to us. Guess what? It is now happening to Omni.

Teamsters mgt knows about it or should know about it and yet silence. It is a systemic problem. Either change the rules or we leave.

No reason at all for us to not have a board with one representative from each airline to decide if a contract is lowering the bar. I agree with the premise and see the need for an agreement.

My issue is the DW has corrupted the system and national leadership has done nothing about it. The word is suck it up cupcake or take your ball and go home.

Doesn’t leave us much choice

 

Yeah we already have that...

 

Instead of ALPA, why not proffer the IPA and UPS pilots to accept you? Can anybody think of any reasons why that wouldn't be a good idea?

...

Who has the third largest pilot group in ALPA? FDX

What would airlines like FedEx need to do if airlines like K4 didn't exist? Hire more FDX pilots.

ALPA doesn't like ACMI carriers. They see ACMI as a threat to their fortress seniority lists. Some of you say "it won't be like the Regional-Major relationship. They will let us do what we want!" Dream on. As far as ALPA is concerned, you have a Regional-Major relationship with FedEx.

And the FDX MEC has their own EVP, they lead the national Cargo committee, they have representatives on the National Fatigue/Rest committees, etc. Do you think they would welcome as equals the K4 reps that show up to sit beside them? If you think you get a condescending attitude towards you in 1224, just wait until the first ALPA Executive Board meeting you show up to. I'll bet they'll set up tables just for your reps and visitors! In the back corner.


And now for the part where I lose most of you: K4 pilots have no idea how good they have it in 1224.

Happy New Year!

 

Let’s be honest for a moment, ATLAS and all the other ACMI carriers are competitors, that would have benefitted if K4 had closed their doors. You don’t have our best interest in mind you have yours, and the bottom line is 1224 doesn’t want to lose our dues.

Please enlighten me, and everyone else to just how many pilots Teamsters represents compared to ALPA. Nice play on words, really? Never let the fact get in the way of a good story.

 

So you blame ALPA for North American, news flash, Teamsters let Kalitta furlough out of seniority order as well.

 

There are many reasons to want ALPA, not just because of DW. I don’t understand the argument that ALPA doesn’t want ACMI carriers, my past experience does not support this theory, but you are entitled to your opinion. If you feel Teamsters is the right move, then you know what to do, but if anyone is disillusioned with our current representation there is a path forward.

There are numerous reasons to choose ALPA and there are a plethora of reasons to dump Teamsters. Contrary to what some believe numbers don’t lie. ALPA is a professional organization that has 59,000 members from 33 different carriers, and there is a reason they have those numbers. Is ALPA a panacea, of course not no union is, but they are a pilots union.

Can you tell me how many pilots Teamsters represents?

 

I haven’t yet had a chance to check my mail to see if the letter from the K4 committee has arrived. What I have seen so far is one letter from the committee, and a couple letters from the union which may or may not have been written by the ExCo but were certainly signed by them.

Before such an important decision as this, will there be no road shows, electronically or otherwise? No Q and A sessions from either side so that those of us in the rank and file can discuss the pros and cons of this like adults with other members who have experience with both unions (difficult, I know)? We are expected to make a major decision like this based on political messaging from either the “for” or “against” sides only, each of whom obviously has an agenda? This whole thing sucks.