CBA Openers
 

I know our pay is different than AA right now...yada yada yada BUT, these are some contract openers we need to start with next round !

"American is now in contract talks with its pilot union. The Allied Pilots Association told the carrier yesterday that members want a 49 percent pay increase to restore purchasing power lost since 1992. The union's pay plan also seeks annual raises of 6 percent during a 32-month contract term and a 15 percent signing bonus."

Food for thought...:)

Wow, what an amazing concept!! Ask for the sun, moon and stars and end up somewhere in the middle. Makes sense to me. Sure is justified since AA "promised" to share the wealth when they become profittable. I wish we as a pilot group and a union could negotiate like this, instead of "what do we have to give up to get this?" Totally different unions.

Oh, now come on folks ... what's wrong with the "It's the best we're going to get" (so vote for it!) negotiating philosophy? :eek:

Ok, ok...I'll admit it. I got duped on the last contract BUT NOT ON THE LOA!

Here's what I'll give up to remove STVs from future contracts/LOAs: Agency shop.

The best union we will ever have is one we can quit. I won't miss a dues payment, but some guys have forgotten who serves who...

Amen to that Albie.

Unfortunately, I think the consternation that Agency Shop has caused the union will be more ammo for Fred and the company and I doubt they will agree to give it back. They have got to be smiling right about now.

The AA pilots' proposal to Mgmt; food for thought
 

Negotiating Committee Passes Proposals to Management

Fellow Pilots,

The APA Negotiating Committee has been working diligently to collate your survey responses into negotiating positions that were presented to and approved by the APA Board of Directors. The following bullets are the proposals that were passed across the table to management:

Duration:

• Contract amendable January 4, 2011
• Openers exchanged 180 days before amendable date
• Mediation at 120 days before amendable date
• Release at 30 days prior to amendable date
• Self-help at amendable date
• Management pays all direct union costs during Section 6 negotiations

Furlough Issues:

• Furloughees credited LOS for all purposes
• Double furlough pay provisions
• Offer enhanced early retirement before and during furlough period

Probation:

• Eliminate probation
• Increase 1st and 2nd year pay in line with remainder of FO pay

Meal and Incidental Expenses (M&IE) (per diem):

• Commence one hour prior to deadhead (no change to deadhead sign-in)
• NYC Government Services Administration M&IE rate domestically
• State Department London M&IE rate internationally

Sick Leave:

• Change to Personal Time program
• New hires granted 250 hours upon employment
• Accrue 80 hours per year
• Unlimited accrual
• Payout over 1000 hours
• Increased rapid re-accrual
• Allow schedule modification while out on Personal Time

Vacation:

• Earlier accrual
• Greater accrual
• Allow unequal VC trades
• 5-day slide
• Allow fly-through vacation

Sequence Protection:

• By leg, day, sequence and monthly projection
• Paid greater of original or modified

Signing Bonus:

• 15% of W-2 from July 21, 2006 (management’s early openers)

Paycheck:

• 15th of month – 50% of current month’s guarantee
• 5th of month – remainder of previous month’s pay

Pay Over Monthly Guarantee:

• Pay over monthly guarantee is premium pay

International and Night Pay:

• International pay is 7.5% of hourly rate
• Night pay is 5% of hourly rate

Holiday Pay:

• Premium pay for any trip touching 10 designated holidays

Variable Compensation:

• In cash and pensionable
• Pilot-only plan
• Uses three different methods. Whichever provides highest payout is used.
• Triggers for payout easily verified from public documents
• Provide meaningful incentive to pilots

Pay:

• May 1, 2008 pay indexed to inflation dating back to 1992 (16 years at 2.68% compounded annually)
• Annual increase of 6% plus cost-of-living during new contract continuing until new contract is negotiated
• All pay increases retroactive to amendable date of current agreement (May 1, 2008)


The actual proposals presented today along with future proposals will be made available on www.apanegotiations.com.

ALLIED PILOTS ASSOCIATION PROPOSES PAY RESTORATION FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES PILOTS; CITES MEMBERSHIP MANDATE, DRAMATIC INCREASE IN MANAGEMENT COMPENSATION

‘Inflation has steadily eroded our purchasing power’

Fort Worth, Texas (October 23, 2007)—The Allied Pilots Association (APA), representing the 12,000 pilots of American Airlines (NYSE: AMR), presented a pay proposal to the carrier’s management today that is designed to restore the pilots’ lost purchasing power.

Current American Airlines pilot pay rates are slightly lower than what they were in 1992, with inflation eroding the pilots’ purchasing power by more than 33 percent since that time. APA’s proposal calls for adjusting current pay rates to account for post-1992 annual inflation, as reflected by the Consumer Price Index.

American Airlines management rejected an earlier pay proposal APA’s previous leadership made in May. Shortly thereafter, the membership elected its current national officers by the widest margin and with the largest voter turnout in APA history. Upon taking office, the newly elected leadership commissioned a survey of the membership regarding the ongoing contract negotiations with American Airlines management.

“Our pilots were unequivocal in our recently concluded membership survey—it’s time to restore their purchasing power,” said APA President Captain Lloyd Hill. “Moreover, that erosion accelerated dramatically for our pilots and their families with the deep concessions we made beginning in 2003.”

Hill pointed out that the majority of American Airlines’ pilots have been with the airline since the early 1990s, which means that pilots have endured an ongoing decline in their standard of living for much of their careers with the carrier.

“In sharp contrast to what our pilots have endured, American Airlines management has given itself what amounts to an exponential increase in compensation over the same period. What we are seeking for our pilots doesn’t even begin to approach management’s gains,” Hill said.

American Airlines’ five “Named Executive Officers” (as identified in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) have experienced an increase of 469 percent in their total compensation since 1992. For the CEO, the increase has been even more dramatic. In 1992, American Airlines CEO Robert Crandall’s total compensation was $1,013,471. Current CEO Gerard Arpey’s total compensation for 2007 will be $8,344,971—an increase of 723 percent, representing a 560 percent increase in purchasing power.

“It is well past time to restore our pilots’ purchasing power,” Hill said. “After all, management compensation has done much more than simply keep pace with inflation. By any measure, the past 15 years have been extremely lucrative for our airline’s senior executives.”

This is certainly something to learn from.

Notice they are on top of getting their propaganda out ahead of management. Our union waits until Fred gets to the press several times before we even respond.

Maybe we should hire APA to help negotiate our contract........Although I doubt they'll get a fraction of this.

Agency shop cost the company nothing but (would) cost us a bundle, mainly in hard feelings and recriminations against the tight wads that refuse to pay their fair share. The LOA was/is a POS but buying back some of its less desirable features with a even less desirable one is not the answer.

And what has that money bought you?

Look--this is not a make/break issue with me. I concede its got a lot of drawbacks either way. But on an emotional level, the cheapskates who opted out of the FPA/ALPA never got under my skin as much as a block rep telling the membership he was "doing what was best for you...". I'll take a cheap ba$tard over indifferent elected officials any day. The question is which galls you more? We all got opinions--that one is mine. But its not a platform issue--its me shooting off at the mouth (known to happen regularly.....).

We have a pretty good system for ensuring all blocks are represented with the LEC system, but it sure seems like at times we are being told to "shut up and color". That leaves you with the choice of taking it, or taking it. Letting a guy quit for 3 months, b1tch up a storm, then realize he needed to still be on the team and pay his back dues IMHO is healthier than the current grit your teeth and do nothing and like it system. But like I said--I'm not jamming that idea down anyone eles's throat. Its just how I feel about the issue. If I'd been at the company 20 years watching cheapskates surf for free--maybe I'd feel like THAT was the lesser of the two evils. Either way--it sucks.

Know what else bugs me? At the union meeting, there were only about 50 votes cast for nominations for block 7 rep, and about 25 for block 5. I get people coming up and patting me on the @ss and saying "thanks for running--thanks for stepping up..." That felt nice. Watching Cory Franklin get 35 vote and me about 15 (which still got me on the ballot) was discouraging. For all the "go get 'em" noise and hullaballo we see here on APC, not much happened. I'm running--I'm in--and if I get globbered I'll certainly support Cory and do all I can to help him. However--I gotta wonder where he got that support a week out, and I got squat. Either I'm not a charming as I think I am :eek: or we still have a lot of very apathetic voters.

My point to all of this is simple. If ANYONE wants change--they have to get involved. If I am elected I'll do all I can to make it as easy as possible for folks to get involved via teleconferences and web based events, but until then we have to deal with what is here. And that means mailing in stuff, going to meetings, and staying informed. If you are satisfied with the status quo and the current MEC's directions, then just sit still. You won't have any changes. If you ARE NOT satisfied--then whether you support Cory or Me, Vic, Mike or Mark...you need to get involved and vote.

Hear, Hear.

The MEC controls access to information and makes the rules so recalls are all but impossible. The proxy system would be a joke if it wasn't so sad.

We only have the word of the guys who brought us: it will go senior and STV was only intended for 30 days; that the agency shop didn't cost nothing.

Fight the good fight.

True, it didn't cost the company anything, but the MEC and NC insisted that it didn't cost us anything.

I disagree with that whole heartedly. I am more discouraged that although we got Agency Shop, we grandfathered all the non members, so they don't have to pay the maintenance fee. Evidently the union is concerned that they would be changing the conditions of employment for those who weren't members.

Ok, but you also changed it for everybody else, because now if I want to be a non member, I still have to pay the maintenance fee. When I was hired, if I didn't want to be in the union, I didn't have to pay any maintenance fee. So the MEC protected the 300 or so non members but left 4200 or so of us out to dry.

We were much stronger with 97% voluntary membership than we are with 100% forced membership (not withstanding the 3% who are still non members but were let off the hook for ever).

A big tactical mistake by the NC in my opinion.

I would gladly give back Agency Shop to get rid of STV.

I appreciate all that have, or would choose to work for our union. I agree, our collective energy/will/interest is sorely lacking. I don't think its a problem new to this organisation, its a function of our work environment. We have 4000+ pilots spread over 50 states and several countries, its not like a union town where everyone lived and works in the same factory or mine. Communication is tedious, expensive and frustrating, let alone getting pilots to agree to a common goal of how to deal with our employer. Add to this a hostile federal government (toward labor), state and local government that falls over its selves to curry favor with FedEx, and you see just being unionized at FedEx is a feat. Could our elected leadership have done better, could we as a pilot group done more to support and encourage those who choose to serve with better attendance and union meetings?? Well I attended one of the early road shows for our (than) TA and even with (what I assume) was considered a great turn out, I would guess less than half the pilots that live in Memphis and home at the time, even bothered to show and support/educate themselves at a major union rally. As far as the out of towners, well, some of us came, but lets be realistic about what people are going to do when it means a full day JSing to attend a couple hour meeting or rally.
I feel the frustration you do about attendance at union meetings. I also wish we could all debate the issues in a manner that increased exponentially the attention our crew force would give to bread a butter issues that affect us all. Our system form works against us, we know it, the company knows it, and everyone who volunteers his time for the MEC knows it.
Thanks for stepping up and don't let that the fact of poor attendance at union meetings stifle your attempt to improve things here. Your efforts are appreciated, even if its not always visible.

Agency shop does not require anyone to belong to a union, only pay a maintenance fee to help support the organization providing the services the union provides for all pilots. Not withstanding the grandfathered dead beats, your decision to be a member on this or any other union (in TN at least) is still yours, but you just can't be a freeloader with a agency shop

That is true. I understand the concept of Agency Shop. Doesn't change the fact that if I choose to be a non member now, the terms are different than when I was hired. Back then, I didn't have to pay the maintenance fee.

Where we disagree is that you seem to think its a good thing. I don't.

Thats ok.

Sorry but if you are a Unionist, it is a Good thing. Notice the trend in Flight managment now? The majority of them are now dues paying MEMBERS.

10 years ago, you could count the Flight managers who where Union members
on 1 hand. (On one hand of a 3 toed tree sloth).

The majority of the remaning non paying NON-Members will all be retired by the next contract.

Agency shop has effectively nuetered the "I quit now that the contract we have a new contract" crowd. (where you here last time?)

It is a positive thing for us and although it cost nothing, I would have been willing to pay for it.

But which side of the bread gets their butter? Do you REALLY ever know? So "membership" in those ranks doesn't mean much to me.

I have to agree with Albie though, that agency shop tends to foster isolation, if not an elitist attitude.

Thanks, Albie, for having the pair to say such a thing. It's worth throwing the idea around. 97% voluntary comes across the table LOUDER. And a loss to 90%, then 85% by voting with your wallet keeps the boys honest and responsive. I felt more like I owned my own share in my ALPA when it was voluntary. When most feel that way, and you have 97%, you know where you stand. Do we really know today?

$0.02

I was at AA when it became an agency shop. That was to force the TWA pilots to pay for the contract maintenance. It was meant to make them pay for the contract work done on behalf of all pilots (union or not). IMO it does not strengthen or weaken the union, just $. Obviously didn't keep me from getting furloughed and a start at a better job.:)

I'm really surprised this is a debate among union members. One of the main reasons non members are non members is financial, the ability to get something for nothing. :mad: Why should we all subsidize these cheapskates?? If they have a fundamental issues with this union or any union (membership) they are free to quit and proudly wear their "non union" status as they see fit. In my experience few pilots that aren't members make themselves visible as such. Most would rather you didn't know and assume you thought they were in the union. Everyone benefits from the union's work, and it all cost money. Remove the financial incentive to not participating in the organization that protects/improves our profession, if someone is still unwilling to be a team player, at least they'd paid there share.

And remove the financial incentive that keeps the leadership in check and you have the teamsters.

We are pretty much in agreement. When DW and the NC said we were going after Agency Shop they never mentioned (that I am aware of) that they would be grandfathering those who weren't currently members. That little piece of info might have dimmed a lot of the enthusiasm from the crowd about Agency Shop and how much we were willing to give up in order to get it.

BC said it cost nothing, and I believe in the tooth fairy. EVERYTHING cost something. Whatever the cost was, and EVEN IF it were truly free, it wasn't worth it, in my opinion.

If Agency shop was so important, we should have required everyone to be made whole, not just the new guys coming on the property.

Furthermore, last I checked this is still a free country, and I have a problem with people being forced into membership in a union. I look at it like helmet laws, I am completely against them. I can't for the life of me, however, figure out why anyone would take the risk of riding a motorcycle without one.

For most guys I can't imagine why they wouldn't be in the union, but it is still a free country and they should have that choice. New hires should have the same choice the old guys got when they were hired. Either we're all in or we're not.

Personally, if I had walked the line and then watched ALPA embrace scabs and allow them into the union, I would probably not join the union either. Lucky for me that hasn't happened (to me), but if it did I would probably hand in my lanyard and pin, Agency shop be damned.

Another poster said it very well, ALPA dues are now just another TAX on my income, because I have no choice in the matter, I have to pay them.

I'd rather ALPA earn my DUES that I voluntarily send in because they represent my interests, just like I did before the current contract.

Look outside the Box a little..............

What happens after next contract negotiations are complete for the pilots who plan on retiring in 2-4 years. Lets say the retirement section was gutted and the senior guys are ****ed. Without Agency shop all these Senior Pilots could effectively quit the Union and pay nothing, and they are on the top end of dues revenue. Now you don't have Senior Capts paying.

That happened with our first contract.......remember??

Look at yourselves for a Second. All you guys are still po'd at the MEC for the AGE 60 thing and the LOA thing (although you all got to vote on the LOA , but can't live with democracy if things don't go your way). Many of you stated that if it wasn't for Agency shop you would have quit already. Without Agency Shop, you could have all quit and paid nothing. Who would that really benefit? You know, I don't like a lot of things in our new contract. What if we all just quit, that will sure show the UNION. That will fix everything. No thanks, I've been through that 3 times here at FedEx and all it did was cost us 12 years of wasted time and effort to get our 1st contract. So who does that beneifit again??

YOU personally and no one else. It wouldn't benefit the membership.

I further submit that if the UNION would have taken a hard radical stance on the LOA and told MGT to shove it, it would have been just as likley to have PO'd just as many members on the other side of the issue (if not more) because the UNION would have denied them the opportunity to Upgrade or Live abroad. So they could have quit over that and paid nothing. It is a viscious cycle. You see out of 4800 pilots, they don't all think alike and in case you haven't noticed, the MEC isn't doing a good job pleasing everyone at one time........but then again in my 20 plus years in this industry, I've rarely seen that on any property where it lasted for more than 12 months.

I remember when the UNION had to defend several NON-members in a termination arbitration case. I remember all the sqawking about "Why are we defending non-members? At least now everyone must pay an administration FEE. So in effect atleast NON memebers are paying for the services the UNION provides.

What if we end up merging with another carrier in the Future? What if they happen to be NON UNION or with another UNION? Would you like them to not have to pay dues once the Seniority list is intergrated and they are ****ed at the integration. Or what if they made out better than the bottom 500 JR guys here. I suspect some of you JR guys would threaten to quit and not pay dues.

Agency Shop isn't for the GOOD of YOU or ME, it is for the Good of the Association as a whole and good for the MEMbership. Ford/Harrison is a professional Union busting law firm that all Airlines hire for their "Labor relations". These guys are Pros and finding the Cracks or Crevices in the Union's solidarity. They love groups without Agency shop because it makes their $2,000'hour job much easier.

Now I'll concede that I would rather have a 97% happy and United membership, but UNITY or Soldiarity really has very little to do with Agency shop. If you don't like the leadership and the majority of the the membership feels that way, then it will change.
I don't like GWB. I didn't vote for him but I don't lose sleep over him either.
I still vote and pay taxes and try to live a meaningful life.

[QUOTE=FXDX;253169]
If Agency shop was so important, we should have required everyone to be made whole, not just the new guys coming on the property.

Furthermore, last I checked this is still a free country, and I have a problem with people being forced into membership in a union. I look at it like helmet laws, I am completely against them. I can't for the life of me, however, figure out why anyone would take the risk of riding a motorcycle without one.
Personally, if I had walked the line and then watched ALPA embrace scabs and allow them into the union, I would probably not join the union either. Lucky for me that hasn't happened (to me), but if it did I would probably hand in my lanyard and pin, Agency shop be damned.QUOTE]

I am sure our guys tried to have everyone covered under agency shop. I'm no lawyer, but I'm sure it would have created more law suits than it was worth.
And don't you think if the word was put out in advance about this that many folks would have quit the UNION so they wouldn't be grandfatherd?

AND BTW, yes this is a FREE country and you have Freedom of Speech.....................Just try to exercise your Freedopm of Speech on Company Property or a Company computer. You'lll be fired so quick it will make your head spin. I remember an FO who was at a union meeting in 1998 who exercised his Freedom of Speech voiced his Opinions of the Company and MGT. He got fired the next day.

A SCAB has nothing to do with Agency SHOP. A SCAB is a SCAB in my opinion.
The bottom line is that the UNION's purpose to Protect and enhance the careers of it's members. The UNION has done a pretty damed good job for the most part if you look at the Big Picture. The UNION isn't perfect nor is it some magic entity. National has made mistakes as well as Local. It's leaders are just folks like you and me. Fighting Big Corporations and Anti Labor Administrations isn't easy. It also takes a substantial amount of money.

If you think of paying UNION dues as nothing more than a TAX, than maybe you should turn in your Pin and Lanyard. In the BIG scheme of things, Unions especially ALPA is the reason why you wanted to be a Professional Airline Pilot.
You wanted to do something you loved and you wanted to make a decent living and wanted time off to enjoy that living. You have that my friend and all because of the UNION.

[QUOTE=RedeyeAV8r;253176]Look outside the Box a little..............

I remember when the UNION had to defend several NON-members in a termination arbitration case. I remember all the sqawking about "Why are we defending non-members? At least now everyone must pay an administration FEE. So in effect atleast NON memebers are paying for the services the UNION provides.

Everyone except the guys who were non members when the contract was signed.

If we were so worried about protecting the union we should have gone after those dues, which would be worth a lot more than the dues we got in the past year from the 100 or so new hires since the contract was signed, most of whom are just coming off probation and are just now starting to pay their tax, I mean dues.

You are regressing into the "you are pizzed about age 60 so you are attacking the union" argument. My position on Agency Shop has NOTHING to do with any of the other issues you mention. I didn't want Agency Shop last year, and I don't want it now. I'm not losing sleep over it and life will go on, but I don't think it was necessary nor advantageous to get it.

Obviously we will have to agree to disagree on that point, but if we have a chance to revoke it in future negotiations I will be in the camp that is in favor of doing so.

[QUOTE=FXDX;253184]
Sounds like you want to quit and not pay dues? Do you want something for nothing?

Redeye: I don't want this to take an ugly turn, I posted my comments above before I read your second post.

Imagine the lawsuits if the 4200 or so of us who were members at the time of the contract decided that WE didn't want to have OUR conditions of employment changed and all decided to quit and not pay the maintenance fee too boot.

How much would all of those lawsuits cost ALPA in order to recoup their precious dues?

Again, ALPA would be penalizing members while allowing non members to skate, simply due to their timing. And yes, I do think a lot of members would have quit if the grandfather clause info was released, and so what. If they felt later (like a day after signing) that they wanted to become a member again, they could. At least they would always have the same right to stop their membership down the road if they chose to just like the union provided to the non members.

That is precisely why the NC kept the info on the down low, and just another reason (for me) to not favor Agency shop.

No, I do not want to quit. I simply think we were stronger before, and are weaker now.

You disagree, that is fine.

Are you sure you're not on the MEC?

Oh I'm sure but maybe I should be........but I guess I wouldn't get your vote:)

You never know I might surprise you.

I think we need to be careful, though, about attacking each other because of differing opinions. Telling union brothers to turn in their pins if they have the audacity to express their opinion sounds an awful lot like the speech I heard at the last joint council meeting in Memphis from the Block 11 rep.

We don't need that kind of antagonistic rhetoric from our union reps. They should be willing to listen to every member's opinion, not just the ones who happen to agree with them.

Things can get heated on here and that is ok, but it chills my spine when an elected rep takes that tone in a meeting.

Don't take it as an attack, and it;s OK to disagree with me. I am the first to admit (along with my wife) that I am not always right (just most of the time :)

I merely said that if you all think of your UNION and it's Dues as nothing more than a tax than I suspect you should make a point.
Quit..........you can always re-join later like you said. Said in jest :p

Paying dues gives you the RIGHT to Complain. You can complain and still be a good UNION member!

I really agree with you. I wish the 150 SOB's don't get a free ride. It really torques me off when I see NM who don't pay getting their B fund money and their Bonus and their pay rates.

I also agree that I would prefer to see a 98% voluntary membership than
a 100% forced. In a perfect world that is what we might have. Of course in a perfect world, we wouldn't need a UNION.........The contract survey of 2003 said the membership wanted Agency Shop. We got it. We didn't get everything we wanted but this was one.

But no one is forced to join.........they just must now Pay for services which they receive. Yes 150 folks got a free ride. But that isn't open ended anymore. They will find out soon enough when they retire. When they need to speak with A company benefits person for a retirement pay issue or Medical premium and they have been cut off from company email and can't set foot on company property because they don't have an ID anymore......then they call the UNION and ask for help.
I hope that the UNION says "Who are YOU?" "What did you say your name was?" I can't seem to find your records of membership status anywhere? , sorry we can't help you.


But in the Big Picture......look to the next contract or the one after that, all those freeloader folks will be gone and will never be allowed to be replaced. Like it or not, it costs money to Run the UNION.
Agency shop is a good thing. It still doesn't change the fact that Leadership needs to garner UNity and if they fail to maintain that they need to be replaced. But having said that..........having a system where folks can quit at any time and pay nothing is not good.
We have too many 1 issue folks who let emotions get the best of them.

How many SFS folks would have quit over the LOA?
How many JR folks would have quit over AGE 60?
How many Senior folks would have quit over AGE 60 if it had gone the other way?
How many Flex instructors would havce quit over section 11 of the Contract?

Bottom line is UNITY is cyclical and for every issue when a deal is done, someone gets affected good and Bad. My guess is you will see a turnover in the MEC. A new LEC will soon be elected and another one after that. One thing is for certain. We must all be looking to the next contract right now. Negotations will be ramping up before you know it.

:mad:Deleted for duplication............:mad:

Redeye, two questions for you.

After the MEC endorsement of Kerry in 04 there were some rather boisterous objections. The MEC responded by passing an almost meaningless resolution requiring a poll of the membership before they ignore it and endorse the democrat’s next nominee.

Question 1: Do you think the MEC would have responded to the membership then if there was an agency shop?

Question 2: Do you think an agency shop will make an endorsement of hillary more or less likely? Even if it is something minor like changing the probability of 98% to 100%.

Now I realize this will result in major thread drift and will be glad to move to a new thread, but this is an example of why the leadership is less responsive to the membership because of agency shop.

I will be glad to discuss politics and the rangle/clinton tax increases elsewhere.

I think the Leadership (in most cases) does respond to the Membership.

Take the LOA for example.
Maybe I spend too much time on this forum (wife thinks so).
By reading this forum, the average guy thought the LOA was going to fail miserably. Even though I supported it, I too was under the impression it was going to fail.

When it passed by close to 70% I was surprised.

I am assuming the MEC conducted a poll maybe even using the Wilson center.
They probably had a more accurate sample of the membership as a whole.

Now to thread drift.. Politics. Unions generally back Democrats. Not always but most of the time. Pilots are a funny bunch. We want good contracts, we wear our Union Pins and lanyards, we want ALPA to fight for us on Captial hill. Many think of themselves as psuedo management and Not Blue Collar Labor. Sad fact we are laborers that wear ties and have College Degrees Skins on the walls.

A large percentage of pilots vote straight Republican and in many ways is understandable, but ironic.

The UNION on the other hand will endorse the Presidential Candidate that will be more likely to have a Labor friendly (or less Hostile than the current Administration).
I don't want into a "You should vote for XXX"
We all all big boys and girls. You all are free to choose and vote for who you wish. many are 1 Issue voters.
Pro Life/ Pro Choice
Creationism vs Evolution
School Prayer
Straight/Gay issues
Anti War/ Support
More taxes /Less taxes
Conservative/ Liberal
Outsourcing of Jobs vs Free Trade..etc

The Union is a one issue entity too.....Pro Labor.

So I would expect that come early next year, yes ALPA will probably endorse Hillary. Yes I know, many FedEx Pilots will be upset about this and probably some at other properties too. If you or others choose to vote for Rudy or Fred or the pilot hater McCain, does that make you a bad UNION member? No it doesn't. But it isn't bad if the Union endorses a candidate you don't agree with either. None of your dues money goes to any candidate.

So to answer you question, I think the Union will respond to the Majority on most any issue. But I still expect the Union to endorse another Democrat this time around.......Hillary or whoever.

All I know is that the UNION wants a candidate that will be a friend (or be less of an Adversary) to Labor issues.

You come across very clearly as conditional union member. :eek: I cannot understand why some guys would deliberately work in an environment where their terms and working agreement is collectively (collectivism = Communism :rolleyes: ) agreed upon. Non union airlines and corporate flight departments would provide a non stifling environment where you can negotiate your own deal. ;)
As far as the question asked, I think our elected leadership sincerely works on all our behalf's. Do they make mistakes? I would say so, do they do so to deliberately further their own gains, no, and I think its insulting then pilots on this forum imply their fellow pilots, most working on there own time, volunteering to help all FDX pilots are smeared with the accusations they are working against what is best for the group to better their themselves.

Careful Dckozk, you'll be accused of being on the MEC.

You said what I was trying to say much more briefly.

At least I stayed off the political front. Don't need to start a firefight on that issue, at least not yet. ;):D

You already did...on the FAA Administrator thread...;)

You bet you arse I am a conditional union member. As is everyone else here. For me trade unionism ranks about #4 on my list of priorities. Please understand ALPA did not get me my job. Nor do they sign my paycheck.

That does not mean that I am not glad to be part of the brotherhood and I do not think that we would be better off without a union. But union power like management needs to be checked. Voluntary membership made us a much more powerful organization.

If the democrats ever get the secret ballot removed from union authorization ballots all the new Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, and BMW auto plants will follow Ford and GM down to mexico.

And yes they work on all our behalf's, but the leadership is also answerable to ALPA national, the teamster, the teachers union, and any other national "workers" commitee. SOmetimes what is best for ALPA national is not best for the FEDEX MEC. See the LOA.