Quote:
Originally Posted by Scoop
9. A short call pilot:

........


44 f. will be released from on-call duty not later than 1200 base time on his last on-call day
45 prior to a hard non-fly day.


From the current Live contract

Scoop





Yes - that is what it means by "hard non-fly day." Golden days, MIL LV,
Vacation on the subsequent day will trigger a noon release.

A regular X day does not trigger a noon release.

Scoop

 

Pilot Comedy in a Simulator - YouTube

 

Well, ALPA finally addressed DPA head on. The most disapointing thing in their latest missive was this one:

Since the DPA repeatedly states their “(i)nfluence (will be) used solely for Delta pilot mandates,” it may be they are unclear that the organization they wish to join, CAPA, represents mostly pilots in competition with Delta pilots, and many of those fly regional jets. This would appear to support the idea of a national professional organization like ALPA.

Doesn't ALPA represent pilots that are in direct competition with us? and doesn't ALPA also most represent regional pilots?

Why did that memo sound like it came from the White House press room?

 

You think those youtube hits are bad. Search wheel of fortune clam digger. BE CAREFUL BECAUSE IT COULD BE UNCOMFORTABLE TO WATCH. The expression on the contestants as well as pat sajak's face is priceless. Obviously the contestant seems hesitant to give a letter.

 

I think it means that any union, association, or group that wants to represent enough pilots to have critical mass greater than a single group, and leverage to sit down at the table when policy is crafted, by definition has to also represent other groups.

But we already knew that.

It's one of the juiciest red herrings to be sure, because we are all mad about the (self-inflicted) RJ outsourcing problem, so the DPA would have you believe that it wouldn't feel like we have to work with those groups after we got rid of ALPA. But CAPA deals with them, ALPA deals with them, and it's generally better that way.

Just doesn't feel better.

The root of the problem is the fact we got drunk one decade or so, and fathered all these little RJ groups. We wish we didn't, but we did. Now they're in the family. Kicking them out of the house doesn't delete their presence, or lessen their danger to us.

 

ALPA's logic is completely flawed.

Surely they realize whatever post-ALPA lobbying association Delta pilots join (or form) will immediately gain a massive amount of money, and thus, influence.

 

For crying out loud.
Why do we contribute our dues money to help them undercut us? How does that make any sense whatsoever?

 

Serious question. What "massive" amount of money will we have if ALPA is tossed? All the services we would need to contract out cost money. Law suits cost money. Without an assessment or increase in dues there's no way an in house union could get off the ground.

 

I'm going to take a risk and not ignore this, assuming you're going to discuss instead of lecture.

As far as I can tell, any under-cutting is self inflicted. They only exist inside our Scope exceptions. They can't be blamed, with some exceptions, the most glaring of which was the RJDC. I don't really believe that the RJDC was not tacitly supported by the respective MEC's. Another exception has been described fairly convincingly by Bar.

With all that being said, you can't show me that the dues money has been used to improve their situation at our expense, except than to provide basic services. My dues money might be partly subsidizing an RJ guy's access to insurance or aeromedical services? I'm OK with it. On the flip side, we lobby as one group, and for the most part, they don't get anything we don't actually give up first. They mostly sit here, waiting for an opportunity to escape to greener pastures, and usually don't make a convincing play for our positions. I'm actually sort of surprised they're happy with the current arrangement, because I really wonder if it favors them at all.

I realize this is heresy for most pilots, and really violates the dogmas of the DPA, and I'm going to burn in hell for it, but... If you take a dispassionate look at it, we're getting trounced by management, while keeping the RJ guys pretty much in purgatory below us. I've often wondered why we don't have a union for the majors, and one for the regionals. I like the idea a lot, and I'm sure CAPA would like it, but somehow no one is doing that. Why?

It's easy to envision a world where a RAPLA would be suing a MALPA everywhere, every day, and trying to abolish our exclusive contracts on the legislative front.

Just my own, unorthodox, Machiavellian musings, of course.

 

It's a valid question. USAir Easties have been the lowest paid since they bailed in 2004. They still pay 1.95% and have a bunch of assesments. A couple of million extra per year. They have to be the closest example of leaving except they took the same structure with them and didn't start from scratch. If you look at the DPA constitution it says immediate certification dues redcuction to 1.75% except that they can go up an extra 0.5% for merger or section 6 or bankruptcy. If the vote came and they won we would be entering a section 6 soon so DPA dues would be 2.25% until it's complete and then they would refund leftovers or give it to a charity. If it happened and if USAPA is any indicator of a merger combined with a section 6 we could be paying 2.25% for 10 years APA is pushing 10 years on their last contract as well. At least the DPA isn't hiding the fact that dues will go up.